This guidance explainshelps you to plan and manage your mental health, or the mental health of friends and family, abroad. It includes advice on some differences in mental health laws and practices in other countriescountries. asFor theymore relateadvice toon mentalspecific health.

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Mental health and travel

Your mental and physical healthwellbeing matters. How you feel before and during ayour trip usuallycan affect how well you cope withwhile travel.

Theretravelling are clear links between mental and physical health, so you should look after yourself during travel and when you are abroad.

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Plan before you travel

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Follow hasthe Foreign, aCommonwealth list& ofDevelopment resourcesOffice on(FCDO) travel andchecklist to mentalprepare health.for your travel.

You may also wish to discuss your proposed travel with your doctor or community mental health team.

Get appropriate travel insurance before you travel

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Read the the FCDO advice advice on on foreign travel insurance which which includes contacts for more information and help finding specialist insurance. Always check the small print and make sure it includes your pre-existing medical conditions, and any activities you intend to undertake. Some insurance companies will exclude cover for a mental health condition, so you should check carefully what several companies offer.

If you need specialist insurance, organisations such asas Mind MIND have information on insurance cover and mental health including including a a list of specialist insurance providers.

If

Find youout areabout travelling to the EU or Switzerland, check for the latest information on the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), or phone on 0300 330 1350.

Research healthcare at your destination

Consider what health precautions you may need to take for your trip. Ask your doctor or medical professional for advice.

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• difficulty finding EnglishEnglish-speaking speaking mental healthcare professionals.professionals
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Read facilityFCDO travel foradvice for certaininformation behaviours,on includinghealthcare disturbingand how to contact emergency services abroad. Sign up for email alerts to get the peacelatest andupdates. makingYou threats.can also follow FCDO Travel on X and Facebook.

LivingRead our living in country guides for contain information on healthcare if you live abroad.

Medication

Check yourbeforehand to make sure that any medication isyou legalneed abroadto andtake onwith you is acceptable to the airlines

Someairline medicationyou mayare betravelling illegalwith and is legal in the country or territory you are visiting,visiting. Some medications may be illegal or contain ingredients that are illegal there.when travelling abroad. This may include prescription medication.

Askmedication. Ask your doctor or medical adviser for the generic name for your medication if you do not know it.

If you’re travelling with prescription or checkover-the-counter themedicine, informationread at:advice on:

• NHStaking – travelling with medicine
• NHS –in canor Iout takeof mythe medicine abroadUK
• GOV.UKmedicines –and travellingtravel with medicine containing a controlled drug(NaTHNaC)

If you’re travelling with prescription or over-the-counter medicine, read guidance from NaTHNaC on travelling with medicine. For further information on the legal status of a specific medicationmedication, you’ll need toto check contact the embassy,rules highfor commissionthe orcountry consulateyou’re ofgoing theto countrywith orthe territoryembassy before you’reyou travelling to.travel.

Check with your travel provider to confirm if you need documentation to proveenable you mustto carry medication, and ask what kind of container it should be in. This is particularly important if you travel by air for liquids and gels, becausedue ofto security restrictions at airports.

Check youryou medicationcan isaccess availableyour medication abroad

Some medication may not be available in other countries. If you need medication, take enough with you for your whole trip and allow for unforeseenpotential delays tofor yourreturning return to the UK. Ask your doctor or medical professional for advice.

Keep your medication and documents with you

Always keep medication and any medical documents in your hand luggage or in a place you can get to them easily. Make sure your medication is clearly labelled.

In case you lose your medicine or need to get more, you may need to have a letter from your doctor stating your need for the medication. This is very important if you are going to a country with strict drug controls. You should always be ready to show this letter to customs officers.

Consider carrying a ‘travelling letter’

Consider writing and carrying a ‘travelling letter’, which gives a brief description of your mental health needs and diagnosis, and the details of your doctor. If appropriate, include details of any difficulties that could occur and what assistance you might then need. This may be part of any Recovery Plan or Advance Directive, if you have one.

Consider giving someone power of attorney

If you want to, you can give someone someone power of attorney. This gives someone the power to make decisions for you in case a situation arises where you are unable to make decisions for yourself. There are 2 types of power of attorney:

• health and welfare, and welfare
• property and financial affairs. affairs

You can choose to make either, or both;both. theyThey do not have to be the same person.

Consider who to contact if you need help

Consider who will help you if your mental health deteriorates abroad and how to contact them. Keep details of friends, family and/orand carers with you when you travel. Fill in emergency contact details at the back of your passport.

Plan for staying in touch with family, friends and carers

Make sure you know how you will stay in regular touch with your UK family and friends. This is especially important if you’re travelling alone, or in a remote or or crisis high-risk area. Although you may feel perfectly safe, people at home may worry if they do not hear from you and could report you missing.area.

If you take your mobile phone abroad, make sure you have international roaming (the facility to use your phone on a foreign network), and an adaptor so you can charge it.

If you need help abroad

If you need help for a mental health issue abroadabroad, read the guidance on on medical emergencies and hospitalisation abroad.

TravelSee country-specific advicemental health guides for hasBritish nationals abroad.

FCDO foreign travel advice has phone numbers for emergency services in most countries. In the European UnionUnion, call 112.

You can also contact the nearest nearest British embassy or consulate or or phone the FCDO:

ReturningForeign, toCommonwealth the& UKDevelopment Office (FCDO) support

If you are abroadhaving andmental needhealth helpissues toabroad, return to the UK, the FCDO cancan:

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Contacting the FCDO

If theyyou arehave inconcerns theabout UKsomeone planningwhile tothey travelare overseasabroad

Try to speak to the person you are concerned about and looksuggest atthey thiscontact information together. Talk to any professionals involved in the person’snearest British careembassy andor explainconsulate or yourphone concerns. Consider whether the personFCDO:

If theysomeone areis missing overseasabroad

SeeRead thegetting informationhelp on what to do if asomeone relative or friend goes missing abroad. When contacting the police or the the FCDO, you should give details of the person’s mental health needs, including diagnosis and professionals involved in the UK, and any other reasons why they may be vulnerable. The The FCDO generally considers that someone is vulnerable when they cannot protect themselves from significant physical or emotional harm, or be protected by others.

SourcesReturning ofto the UK

If you are abroad and need help to return to the UK, the FCDO can try to assist you to make plans for your return. This could involve contacting family or friends, social services, NHS teams and/or charities and non-government organisations. See what the FCDO can and cannot do.

You may not automatically be entitled to state benefits if you have never lived in the UK, or if you have lived abroad for some time. This includes free NHS hospital treatment. To be eligible as a British national, you must meet certain residence requirements and/or make the appropriate National Insurance contributions. This includes the habitual residence test. For more information on healthcare and organisationsother thatmatters cansee returning helpto the UK.

Further support

NHS mental health webpage offers information and support for mental health.

UK organisations

These UK organisations may be able to help you before you travel, or help family and friends in the UK. Some can only help people who are in the UK. As independent organisations, the FCDO cannot be held responsible in any way for their advice and/oror any decisions and outcomes that result from this.

• Age UK
• Alzheimer’s Society
• Anxiety UK
• Bipolar UK
• CalmCampaign HarmAgainst Living Miserably
• IntervoiceGive us a shout
• Hub of Hope
• Inspire Wellbeing (Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland Association for Mental Health)
• Men’s Health Forum
• Mental Health Foundation
• Mental Health &and Money Advice
• Mind
• NHS Mental Health Services (including urgent help)
• OfficeNHS ofself-help the Public Guardianguides
• Rethink
• Royal British Legion
• Samaritans
• SANE
• Scottish Association for Mental Health
• Shout: for support in a crisis
• The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA)
• Inspire Wellbeing (Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland Association for Mental Health
• Time to Change Campaign
• Turn2Me

International organisations

These international organisations may be able to help you whilstor youprovide areinformation overseas.while Theyou are abroad. The FCDO cannot cannot be held responsible in any way for their advice and/oror any decisions or outcomes that result from this.

• Befrienders Worldwide with the Samaritans
• World Federation for Mental Health
• World Health Organization

Feedback

The FCDO welcomes welcomes your views on the support it provides, to help identify what it does well and what it could do better. ContactContact the FCDO using using the the feedback contact form.

Disclaimer

You can read the disclaimer relating to this guidance.