British Embassy Washington
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-03)

The British Embassy Washington maintains and develops relations between the UK and the United States.

Find out more on our USA and the UK news page (https://www.gov.uk/world/usa/news)

We deal with a wide range of political, commercial, security and economic questions of interest to the UK and the US. Our consular team in Washington provides consular assistance to British nationals in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

The ambassador is responsible for the direction and work of the embassy and its consulates. Their tasks are to present UK policies to the American government and to Americans, to report and explain American policies and views to their own government in London, and to support UK interests. They are also responsible for press and cultural relations and for consular services. They are based at the British Embassy in Washington but travel regularly throughout the United States.

British consulates champion trade and investment between the UK and US. They also keep the ambassador aware of political, economic and other developments in their consular districts. The consuls are also responsible for providing consular services to British nationals in their consular districts.

We provide services to British nationals living in and visiting the USA.

You can access UK government services while in the USA (https://www.gov.uk/world/usa).

If you’re travelling in USA, see our USA travel advice (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa)

Getting help

If you cannot get the support you need from local services, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can help British people abroad.

We prioritise emergencies and people who are vulnerable, for example, if someone’s:
- ill, injured, or involved in a crime
- with a British person who’s died
Get help from FCDO (https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/posts/usa/british-embassy-washington)

Get an emergency travel document

You can apply for an emergency travel document (https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document) if you’re abroad and your passport has been lost or stolen (https://www.gov.uk/report-a-lost-or-stolen-passport), damaged or expired, and you can’t get a new or replacement passport (https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport) in time to travel.

Apply online for an emergency travel document (https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document).

If the person needing the emergency travel document is under 16, a parent or guardian should apply on their behalf.

If you are travelling in more than 3 weeks, check if you can get a new or replacement passport (https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport) in time to travel.

If you are not a British citizen or have not had a British passport before

If you’re not sure, check if you’re a British citizen (https://www.gov.uk/check-british-citizen).

If you’re not a British citizen but think you may be eligible, contact us to apply for an emergency travel document (https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-embassy-washington#contact-us).

Other consular services

Notarial and documentary services

See the full list of notarial and documentary services for British people abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/documents-for-british-people-abroad).

Consular fees

See the full list of consular fees (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/consular-services-fees).

J1 visa no objection statement

If you have a J1 visa and need a statement of no objection to seek a waiver of the 2-year home residency requirement, you can apply and pay for this online (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/j1-visa) and the embassy will send the statement to the US Department of State.

White House tours

We regret that at present we are unable to arrange any White House Tours or process applications for the general public. While the White House website asks foreign citizens interested in a tour to contact their embassy, the accompanying US mandatory restrictions make tours impractical. We are sorry not to be in a position to assist at this time.

You may wish to consider tours of the US Capitol Building, (https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/) where visitors are able to make tour reservations up to three months in advance or obtain same-day tour passes. Passports or other forms of ID are not required for entry into the U.S. Capitol. You can also take a virtual tour of the White House. (https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/u/0/partner/the-white-house#!collection:museumview&8129907598665562501=the-white-house&projectId=art-project)

We also provide services in:
- Atlanta (https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-atlanta)
- Boston (https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-boston)
- Chicago (https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-chicago)
- Houston (https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-houston)
- Los Angeles (https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-los-angeles)
- Miami (https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-miami)
- New York (https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-new-york)
- San Francisco (https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-san-francisco)