The United States government has published an official list of countries and jurisdictions whose embassies or consulates must be contacted whenever one of their citizens is arrested or detained on American soil. The list, made available by the US State Department, outlines mandatory consular notification requirements, meaning law enforcement agencies in the US are legally obligated to inform the relevant diplomatic mission when a foreigner from any of the listed countries is taken into custody.
Countries on the Mandatory Notification List
According to the published list on the US State Department, 57 countries are entitled to be notified when their citizens are arrested or detained on American soil. The list includes Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Brunei, Bulgaria, China (including Macao and Hong Kong), Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominica, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Hungary, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Moldova, Mongolia, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Exceptions and Special Conditions
The requirement is not uniform across all listed countries. Poland, for instance, is subject to mandatory notification only for foreign nationals who are not lawful permanent residents in the United States, meaning those without a green card. For green card holders of Polish nationality, notification is only made upon the individual's request.
China's entry carries its own exception: the rule does not apply to persons travelling on a Republic of China passport issued by Taiwan. In such cases, US authorities are instead required to inform the individual that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office can be contacted at their request.
For people who are citizens of the UK, authorities are advised to consult specific guidance on confirming a detained person's British nationality, as some travellers from British Overseas Territories may carry territory-issued passports with no visible indication of their British status.
Context and Related Policy Changes
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the USCIS updated its policy on August 5, 2026, giving officers the power to reject incomplete visa and green card applications outright. The new rule reverses a Biden-era approach that required officers to first request missing documents before denying an application.
