Most of us volunteers living in Latin America have paid taxes to our governments at one point or another, often while working to save up for our great volunteering adventure. Once we’re settled in our new home, swirling in a range of new cultural experiences, it’s easy to adopt an identity as “citizen of the world” rather than feeling like the citizen of a particular English-speaking nation. However, we still have a few obligations in our country of origin, and for most of us, our government can help us out a little bit while we explore outside its borders.
All foreign embassies will provide basic services like renewing your passport and filing a birth or marriage abroad. Some embassies go beyond the basic paperwork tasks and offer a few more services to citizens, such as notarizing documents, legal advice, or tax preparation advice.
In Guatemala, the embassy of the United States seems to be one of the most active of the many diplomatic missions, seeking out periodic communication with its expatriate citizens. I recently attended a “town hall meeting” with embassy staff where the consular officers tried their darndest to answer a wide variety of questions from our demanding gringo audience. The group wanted to know about the safety of volcano hikes (best to go with a reputable guide), international drivers’ licenses (apparently not worth the cost), and even how much a U.S. passport might be going for these days on the black market (upwards of $10,000 per use, so best to guard it in a very secure spot)!
The United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States all offer voluntary registration services where citizens can let their respective governments know where they will be located abroad. Most registries are protected by confidentiality laws and are only used to contact you in case of major emergencies, national crises, and for sending periodic health and safety updates. While some people might have mixed feelings about reporting their exact whereabouts, the news updates can be helpful for getting a foreign take on local issues as well as more detailed safety information.
Latest posts by Lisa Hetzel
- Evaluating Our Impact - December 23rd, 2009
- Educational Exchange with New Hope Teachers - December 15th, 2009
- How to Get Your Home-Culture Fix - December 4th, 2009
- What Are You Thankful For? - November 26th, 2009
- Nonprofit Network Launches Website - November 20th, 2009
- Graduation Season - November 13th, 2009
- Going Green(er) in Guatemala - October 16th, 2009
- The Hidden Benefits of Volunteering - October 9th, 2009
- Secrets to Landing a Volunteer Position - October 2nd, 2009
- A Smorgasbord of Volunteer Opportunities, Chapin Style - September 28th, 2009
