Flag

An official website of the United States government

Locating Friends and Relatives
8 MINUTE READ

Overview

The American Consulate assists Americans in cases of parental child abduction and missing persons where an American citizen has not arrived at a location on the scheduled date and time. Consular staff do not have the resources to assist in locating someone in the United States, or to assist people wishing to trace their ancestry.

Privacy Act

The provisions of the Privacy Act are designed to protect the privacy and rights of Americans, but occasionally they complicate our efforts to assist citizens abroad. As a rule, consular officers may not reveal information regarding an individual American’s location, welfare, intentions, or problems to anyone, including family members and Congressional representatives, without the expressed consent of that individual. Although sympathetic to the distress this can cause concerned families, consular officers must comply with the provisions of the Privacy Act.

The organizations listed below may be of assistance

Please note inclusion of an organization does not denote U.S. Government endorsement of that organization. Fees for service are solely a matter between the individual and organization used.

 

Missing Persons

 

Genealogy

The following organizations specialize in researching family trees and do not actually locate missing people. We have selected a few major resources from the myriad of genealogy services. For a more complete listing, please conduct an online search.

 

Other Resources

If you are an Australian citizen or the person you are looking for is an Australian, you should seek the assistance of one of the Australian Missions in the United States. Other nationalities should contact their Embassy or Consulate in Australia or in the United States.