Quarantined Foreign Nationals

Consular Notification for Quarantined Foreign Nationals

If it is necessary to medically detain a foreign national who has or is suspected of having COVID-19 or other highly communicable disease, you must notify his or her consular officer of the detention.

Medical detention situations are covered on page 18 in the Consular Notification and Access Manual. The relevant section says:

Q. If I have a foreign national who is hospitalized or quarantined, do I have to provide consular notification?

A. Usually. If the foreign national is hospitalized or quarantined pursuant to governmental authority (law enforcement, judicial, or administrative) and is not free to leave, under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and most bilateral agreements he or she must be treated like a foreign national in detention, and appropriate notification must be provided. Consular officers must be notified of the detention (regardless of the foreign national’s wishes) if the detention occurs in circumstances indicating that the appointment of a guardian for the foreign national is required (e.g., if the detention is the result of an involuntary commitment due to mental illness).

Contact information for foreign embassies and consulates to provide notification of quarantine, in addition to detailed information on consular notification and access, may be found on the CNA web page. For guidance and additional information, email the CNA Team.