What should a Frenchman do in case of arrest abroad?

If you are arrested abroad and you are a French national, you can benefit from the assistance of the French consular authorities.

To do this, you must ask to contact the French consulate responsible for the foreigner country concerned.

The consulate can send an officer to check your detention conditions. They can also provide you with a list of lawyers, if possible francophone, to ensure your defense.

If you are tried abroad, you will be subject to the penalty prescribed by the law of the country in which you are located.

If you are sentenced to prison, you will normally be detained in the country that made the decision. However, you can make a request for transfer to France to serve the remainder of your sentence. To obtain a transfer to France, you must meet the following conditions:

• You must be of French nationality
• The sentencing decision must have become definitive
• You must have paid the amounts requested (for example, a fine)
• The act you committed must be considered a infringement in France.

The request must be made to the local prison administration if you are incarcerated in a state of the European Union (EU) or from the consulate if you are incarcerated outside the EU.

To be transferred to France, you must obtain the agreement of the State in which you were convicted and the French authorities.

To help you in all your steps, it is recommended from appeal to one lawyer.

If you are assisted by a lawyer, you (or your relatives) will have to pay his fees.

Some countries offer a legal aid system to help you pay court costs (e.g. legal fees).

To find out if such a system exists in the country in which you are located, you (or your relatives) should contact the local judicial authorities.