Assistance in case of emergency

Assistance in case of emergency

We would like to give you some tips on how to prevent emergencies, even before the start of your journey. But should the worst come to the worst - your passport disappears, your money is lost - then find out here how the Embassy can help you

Further information

Address, opening times, how to contact the Embassy in case of emergency, consular district

Address of the Consulate-General and the Honorary Consul, opening times, consular district, how to contact us


Central emergency telephone no. for Germans abroad:

Service hotline, Ph (from AUS): 001149-30-5000-2000
Fax (from AUS): 001549-30-5000-51000

E-mail: buergerservice@auswaertiges-amt.de

Loss of cheques and credit cards

If you lost your cheques or credit card you should call the following emergency numbers:

Emergency numbers for loss of credit cards
Euro cheque: 0011 49-1805-021 021
American Express: 0011 49-69-9797 1000
Visa: 0011 49-800-814 9100
Mastercard / Eurocard: 0011 49-69-7933 1910
Citicorp (Diners Club): 001 49-69-260 358

Emergency numbers for loss of travellers cheques
Amex: 1800 251 902
Thomas Cook: 1800 127 495
Visa: 1800 127 477
Mastercard: 1800 120 113

You can also organise a money transfer from Germany:

The money transfer system of the Western Union Bank is linked to a vast number of cash offices all over the world. Thus it offers a fast and reliable opportunity to send money to most countries in the world.

Money transfers from Germany to Australia can be organised in
- all branches of the ReiseBank AG and CashExpress GmbH in almost all major train stations, airports and boarder crossings. They are usually open 7 days a week
- many branches of the Volks- und Raiffeisenbank, which passes the order on to the ReiseBank AG
- branches of the Postbank (called Postbank Minuten-Service)

Information at
- ReiseBank AG, Bahnhof Zoo branch in Berlin, phone: 030-881 7117, telefax: 030-313 6077, daily between 7.30 hrs and 22.00 hrs
or visit www.reisebank.de
- the ReiseBank AG hotline, phone: 01805-225 822
Postbank: www.postbank.de (only in German)
- the Postbank hotline: phone: 0180-30 40 700

Speed of transfer
According to the ReiseBank AG the amount paid in at their branch is usually ready for withdrawal anywhere in the world after 15 minutes, transfers made via Postbank or other banks take slightly longer.

Fees
- depend on the sum of the transfer
- ReiseBank AG fees
- Postbank fees (German only)

Pay-outs
- are being effected in 85.000 Western Union agencies world-wide; the money is being made available anywhere in the country of destination (except in the USA: here the federal state in which the pay-out is to be effected has to be indicated)
- the person making the payment at ReiseBank will be informed about possible pay-out offices
- apart from that Western Union agencies world-wide can be found in the internet: www.reisebank.de.
- in Australia almost all airports are equipped with "TRAVELEX" counters, where you can collect the money transferred from Germany.

Special services
- some agencies offer delivery by courier (sometimes free of charge)
- a message can be sent along at the time of payment
- if the recipient of the money transfer is not able to present an ID, the payment can also be effected after naming a pre-agreed code word; with payments of more than 500 US$ a description of the recipient has to be given.