Last updated at 2:28 (UK time) 14 Mar 2011

Help for British nationals affected by Japan earthquake

14 March 2011

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all non-essential travel to Tokyo and the North East of Japan.

Following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on 11 March, we currently advise against all non essential travel to Tokyo and north eastern Japan given the damage caused by the earthquakes and resulting aftershocks and tsunamis. Please keep checking our travel advice for updates.

British nationals in Japan should contact the Foreign Office both if they require assistance and to report that they are safe. British nationals currently in Japan should also contact family and friends in the UK to confirm their well-being at the earliest opportunity. Family and friends in the UK should let us know of loved ones who are missing or are known to be safe.

FCO helpline in the UK 020 7008 0000
Email address: japan.earthquake@fco.gov.uk
Contact us by text on Skype: fcojapan
Please see our travel advice for Japan for the latest updates and information on airport closures
Updates on twitter by following @britishabroad
Updates on facebook

What we are doing to help

Embassy staff and British volunteers are helping to get information to our citizens about the situation, and working closely with Japanese officials. Embassy response teams at Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports are assisting British nationals and liaising with airlines.
The British Embassy is focused on assisting British nationals in the affected area in north east Japan. British nationals wishing to leave Japan should contact their airline operator to check for details of flight times. Further general advice can be found on the British Embassy website.
The British Ambassador and a team of consular staff are in Sendai to assess the level of damage and to help locate British nationals. They are currently visiting evacuation centres and hospitals.
Specialist UK consular teams have arrived in Japan from London and the region. 45 additional consular staff are being deployed. More teams are on standby. We are working with the Japanese authorities to establish whether any British nationals have been involved.
A dedicated crisis unit has been established in the Foreign Office and DFID have activated their humanitarian operations room. Our Embassy in Tokyo and Consulate in Osaka have been working around the clock.

Nuclear facilities

We are actively monitoring the situation at nuclear facilities and urge British nationals to observe the advice being given by Japanese authorities, including the 20km exclusion zone around the Fukushima facility. This is consistent with the severity of the reported incident, with the independent information that we have, and with international practice. We are keeping our advice under constant review, taking into account statements from the Japanese authorities and informed by independent UK scientific and health experts.

Tsunami warnings for Asia Pacific

There continues to be a risk of aftershocks and tsunamis throughout the Asia Pacific region. The nature of the disaster means that the threat of a tsunami is changing regularly. The FCO is endeavouring to provide information which is as up to date as possible, but people in the region are urged to check the regular threat updates on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website - www.NOAA.gov - and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre http://ptwc.weather.gov/

Please also see our travel advice by country.