Consulate General, Edinburgh
Services
Note that public restrooms are not available in the U.S. Consulate. The nearest public restrooms are located at the corner of London Road and Easter Road
The Consulate's American Services Section assists American tourists and residents who run into difficulty or who need assistance while in Scotland.
Persons dealing with the death, arrest, or serious illness of a U.S. citizen should telephone the American Citizen Services Unit at 0131-556-8315 during office hours. For genuine emergencies involving the death, arrest, or serious illness of U.S. citizens outside office hours, please call our answering service at 01224 857 097.
Services
Services
Consular Report of Death Abroad
When an American citizen dies abroad, the Consulate General is required to prepare a Consular Report of Death Abroad to send it to the Department of State in Washington D.C. The report is based on the British Death Certificate and is an official document acceptable in any U.S. jurisdiction for the settlement of legal, financial, and estate matters. It is also proof of U.S. citizenship at the time of death. A copy of the Report of Death will be filed with the Social Security and Veteran's Administrations in the U.S. Embassy London Federal Benefits Unit, and a copy will be sent to the state of birth, if applicable.
To request a Report of Death for a U.S. citizen who has died in Scotland, please fill out this Information Form [PDF, 23Kb] and send it to the Consulate in Edinburgh, along with the original death certificate and proof of the deceased's U.S. citizenship. Please do not hesitate to phone us if you would prefer to speak to someone in person regarding the death. For those who have died in England or Wales, please contact the U.S. Embassy in London.
Notarial Services
The Consulate provides notarial services on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All persons signing documents must provide photo identification in the form of a passport or drivers license.
The Consulate cannot provide witnesses. If a document requires witnesses, you must bring them with you. A witness is usually a person who knows the signer of the instrument well. The function of a witness is to be available to testify in the event a dispute arises at a later date concerning the circumstances surrounding the execution of a document.
The fee for notarial service is $30 for the first notarial seal and $20 for each additional seal. The fee must be paid by credit card or International Money Orderfor the exact dollar amount payable to "U.S. Disbursing Officer." We cannot accept cash or personal checks. There is no charge for notarizing U.S. Savings Bonds.
Apostille (service not available)
Effective October 15, 1981, the United States of America became a party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents.
On that date, the Legalization Section of the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office assumed responsibility for the legalization of documents intended for use or presentation in the United States. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will legalize documents by means of an Apostille, or certificate, which is provided for in Article 3 of the Convention. Documents that may be legalized include UK public records (birth, death, and marriage certificates; probate documents; documents certified by Court officials, the Patent Office, etc.) and documents witnessed by notaries and solicitors.
For more information, see the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk.
Medallion Signature Guarantee (service not available)
A U.S. Consular Officer cannot perform a Medallion Signature Guarantee, which is a special type of signature acknowledgement sometimes required for the exchange of securities. A Medallion Signature Guarantee can only be obtained from a participant in one of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved programs, such as a commercial bank, brokerage firm, credit union or savings and loans institutions that are members of the Medallion Stamp Program. The Medallion Program is not a notarization. For further information on the Securities and Exchange Commission's Medallion Program, please visit: www.sec.gov/answers/sigguar.htm.
In addition to American
Bank Branches
, a limited number of locations in the UK now offer Medallion Signature Guarantee services. We are able to provide contact information for these firms but cannot endorse or recommend their services.
Lester Aldridge Solicitors
Overseas Probate Offices
Offices located throughout England
Email: info@LA-law.com
Title Research
Offices located throughout the United Kingdom
Nearest office:
26 Forth Street
Edinburgh EH1 3LH
Tel: 0131 550 3783
Fax: 0131 550 3784
Email: edinburgh@titleresearch.com
Children born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent may qualify for U.S. citizenship. These children will find it useful to obtain a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen. This document shows that the child acquired American citizenship at birth. This report must be completed prior to the issuance of a U.S. passport to a child.
The U.S. Consulate is pleased to assist parents applying for a Report of Birth Abroad and for passports for their children. Most families apply for both documents at the same time.
Important note: All U.S. citizens, including newborns, are required to have their own U.S. passports when entering the United States. This includes U.S. citizens who might also hold another citizenship.
For information on how to document a child as a U.S. Citizen, click here
If you are interested in applying for a Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, first contact the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) at the U.S. Embassy in London. Click here for Federal Benefits Unit contact details. The FBU can also provide specific information about individual social security benefits.
The Consulate can assist you in coordinating follow-up actions with FBU and can provide copies of your original documents so they may not need to be forwarded to the Embassy in London.
Parents registering a child at the Consulate will apply for a social security number at the same time. The Consulate is pleased to assist families in this application process at the time of registration.
During U.S. tax season (January - April), an IRS trained volunteer is available to assist American citizens and others required to file U.S. tax returns. For more information, call the Consulate at 0131-556-8315.
Tax assistance is also available from the Internal Revenue Service at the American Embassy in London. For tax forms, IRS instruction booklets, or more information, click here.
Information on voting from abroad, and all the forms necessary to register and request a ballot, are available at www.fvap.gov. The Consulate is pleased to assist American citizens in the voting process and has write-in absentee ballots available in the event of mailing delays from the States.
Other Information
Around 25,000 Americans reside in Scotland. There are American Women's Clubs in Central Scotland and Aberdeen. In addition, there is a Scottish-North American Business Council. For links to these and other organizations please see our Related Links page.
The Consulate has limited information available to assist U.S. and Scottish companies. For more information, you should contact the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in London at telephone 0207 894 0419 or email london.office.box@mail.doc.gov
The Customs Office at the U.S. Embassy in London can help with general and specific questions. Call them at 020-7499-9000 or click here.
The U.S. Consulate does not provide services for fingerprinting or criminal history checks. Individuals needing this service should visit the FBI website www.fbi.gov, selecting “Use Our Resources”, "More Services" and then “Get Information I Need” to request an FBI identification record, or a fingerprint card with instructions on how to complete the process.
Tracing your Scottish ancestry? This consulate does not have information to assist you, but many other organizations do. The best place to start is the
Ancestral Scotland section
of the Scottish Tourist Board's website.
For information on what to do if your property is lost or stolen in Scotland, please click here.
For full details on the requirements and procedures for getting married in Scotland, you should contact the British Embassy in Washington D.C. or the British Consulate closest to you. Further information available at BritainUSA.
The U.S. Government does not issue "Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage". Local marriage registrars are aware of this and generally waive the requirement for Americans.
Visitors to the United Kingdom do not qualify for treatment under the National Health Service(NHS). American citizens are reminded that medical treatment will not be provided free of charge to visitors to the United Kingdom. American citizens who are living temporarily in the United Kingdom should check if they qualify for free NHS treatment under the terms of their stay in the United Kingdom. American visitors are expected to pay for treatment at the time of the visit. Visitors to Scotland are encouraged to purchase personal travel insurance prior to travel. If you need a doctor while you are visiting Scotland, ask your hotel to put you in touch with their on-call physician. If you are staying with friends or family, try calling their doctor for treatment.
Admission to a hospital may require referral from a general practitioner or through a consultant. You should confirm this with the individual hospital. All travelers should have sufficient medical insurance available to cover the cost of all medical treatment received while in the United Kingdom - fees are dealt with by the administrative offices of the individual medical institution. For an extensive list of clinics, hospitals, and general practitioners, please consult the Yellow Pages telephone directory, local Thompson Directory, or your local library. It is important to contact the doctor's office(surgery) in advance for an appointment. The Consulate is aware of medical services in Scotland you may use, contact details below. The Consulate cannot accept any responsibility for the professional ability or integrity of the persons whose names appear below. Fees are entirely a matter for agreement between the individual and the practitioner.
BUPA has several Wellness Centres throughout Scotland offering private general practitioner services, health assessments and treatment. You can find your local service by visiting their website, www.bupa.co.uk/wellness/asp/locations/index.asp
GP-Plus Edinburgh, One Wemyss Place,
Edinburgh EH3 6DH. Tel: 0845 1196 049
www.gpplus.com
| The City Health Clinic, 51 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH1 2DJ. Tel: 0131 228 2442 | GP Matters Glasgow, 87 Barrington Drive, Glasgow G4 9ES. Tel: 0141 339 0894. www.gpmatters.com/index.htm | Albyn Hospital Aberdeen, 21-24 Albyn Place, Aberdeen AB10 1RW. Tel: 01224 595993
www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/albyn |
There are accident and emergency departments at hospitals throughout Scotland including:
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
51 Little France Crescent
Old Dalkeith Road
Edinburgh
EH16 4SA
Telephone: 0131 536 1000
Glasgow Royal Infirmary
84 Castle Street
Glasgow
G4 0SF
Telephone: 0141 211 4000
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
Foresterhill
Aberdeen
AB25 2ZN
Telephone: 0845 456 6000
In an emergency (e.g. unconscious, serious bleeding, severe breathing difficulties), dial 999 and ask for an ambulance.
If you still have problems finding a doctor, please call us at 0131-556-8315.
If you are in the U.S. and have questions about applying for a British visa to allow you to live, work, or study in Scotland, you should contact the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. or a British consulate near you. More information is at available at BritainUSA a website provided by the British Information Services at the British Consulate-General in New York.
The U.S. Department of State publishes Consular Information Sheets for every country in the world. These sheets contain critical information about local conditions, including the safety of the area. For more information, please visit travel.state.gov.
The Consulate does not distribute tourist information or brochures on Scotland or on the United States. We cannot answer e-mails asking for tourist information or recommendations. If you need tourist information or hotel bookings for Scotland, consider Official Visit Scotland Site for U.S. Travellers or email the Scottish Tourist Board directly at info@stb.gov.uk. For information on destinations in the United States, see www.visitUSA.org.uk.
Edinburgh annually hosts an array of arts and cultural festivals, including the Edinburgh Tattoo, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Fringe Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival, Edinburgh International Children's Festival, Edinburgh International Science Festival, Edinburgh Folk Festival, and Edinburgh's Hogmanay. For information on the festivals, go to Edinburgh Festivals.
Although American citizens are not required to register with Consulates or Embassies, we encourage them to so that we can contact them in an emergency. To register short and long stays in Scotland, visit the “International Travel” link on www.travel.state.gov.
We have set up a dedicated account for US residents in Scotland and visitors who wish to receive Consulate special announcements. If you are interested in being added to this mailing list, forward your email address to us at edinburgh-updates@state.gov with the subject line “Sign me up for announcements”. Email addresses are kept confidential.
The U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh does not process any type of visas, and therefore cannot answer telephone inquiries about traveling, working, living or immigrating to the United States. Both the U.S. Embassy in London and the Consulate General in Belfast handle visa processing for Scotland. Further information may be obtained by visiting U.S. Embassy London Visa Services or by calling the Live Visa Operator on 09042 450 100 (£1.20/min).
Prior to forwarding a question to the Consulate, we ask that you visit our FAQs and Related Links, as well as the U.S. Embassy London website london.usembassy.gov which provides a Ready Reference and A-Z indexes for both General Information and American Citizen Information. Answers to numerous enquiries will be found in these locations or will be answered by our auto-response. The U.S. Consulate Edinburgh enquiries email address is Edinburgh-Info@state.gov and is intended to serve persons residing in Scotland or Americans traveling to Scotland in the near future. We respond to emails as soon as possible however if you have an urgent matter, contact the Consulate directly at [44] (0)131 556-8315.
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