For more than eight decades, the FBI has stationed special agents and other personnel overseas. We help protect Americans back home by building relationships with principal law enforcement, intelligence, and security services around the globe. Now, at a time when virtually all major FBI investigations have a significant international nexus, these partnerships have never been more crucial.
Our legal attaché offices—commonly known as legats—and sub-offices are located in key cities around the globe and provide coverage for more than 180 countries, territories, and islands. About 250 special agents and support personnel are stationed in FBI legats worldwide.
Our legal attaché program is managed by the International Operations Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Through the legal attaché program and other efforts, the International Operations Division serves as a bridge to our overseas partners and a conduit for strengthening the global rule of law. It regularly works through elements of the international law enforcement community such as Interpol and Europol and numerous working groups, task forces, and training initiatives.
The office coordinates meetings with international leaders and keeps in close contact with other federal agencies, foreign police, and security officers in Washington, D.C., and national and international law enforcement associations.
A number of U.S. federal laws give the FBI authority to investigate extraterritorial criminal and terrorist activity. The FBI, however, conducts investigations abroad only when invited by the host country. In most cases, our international partners gather evidence and make arrests on behalf of, or in close cooperation with, the Bureau.
Each legat is established through mutual agreement with the host country and is located in that nation’s U.S. embassy or consulate. FBI personnel abroad serve under the authority of the Department of State, chief of mission at U.S. embassies, at the pleasure of ambassadors and host country governments.
International liaison and information sharing are conducted in accordance with executive orders, laws, treaties, attorney general guidelines, FBI policies, and interagency agreements.
The Role of the Legal Attaché Agent
The FBI agent who heads an international office is also called a legal attaché or legat. They serve as the FBI Director’s personal representative in the country where they have regional responsibilities.
Legal attachés are experienced, highly trained investigators who work directly and openly with their international colleagues. They do not conduct foreign intelligence gathering or counterintelligence investigations. Most legal attachés are supported by a deputy or assistant legal attaché and other staff.
Typical duties of a legal attaché include:
- coordinating requests for FBI or host country assistance overseas
- conducting investigations in coordination with the host government
- sharing investigative leads and information
- coordinating FBI training classes for police in their geographic areas
- briefing embassy counterparts from other agencies, including law enforcement agencies and ambassadors
- managing country clearances
- providing situation reports concerning cultural protocol
- assessing political and security climates
- coordinating victim and humanitarian assistance
How Legal Attaché Offices Help Protect Our Nation
- Relationship Building: Since FBI agents do not have traditional law enforcement powers overseas, they must rely on strong, mutually beneficial relationships with their foreign counterparts. Legal attachés maintain regular, often face-to-face contact with foreign officials and security agencies that enables the prompt and continuous exchange of information and reciprocal assistance in investigations. Legal attachés also provide critical and timely support in the defense of our homeland through direct coordination with the Department of Justice, the Department of State, Interpol, and other law enforcement and security entities.
- Physical Proximity: Legal attachés are positioned to enable agents to reach virtually anywhere in the world in a few hours, allowing the FBI to respond more quickly and effectively to terrorist attacks, cyber crime, fugitive sightings, crisis situations, natural disasters, and other global security matters.
- Training/Rule of Law: Through international training facilitated by legal attachés, the FBI provides foreign law enforcement officers with skills in both basic and advanced investigative techniques and principles that promote cooperation and aid in the collection of evidence. These efforts help create more capable and democratic police institutions around the world, strengthening the global rule of law. Funded by the Department of State or Department of Defense, significant training programs include the International Law Enforcement Academies in Budapest, Hungary; Bangkok, Thailand; Gaborone, Botswana; and San Salvador, El Salvador, as well as bilateral training programs targeting anti-terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and terrorist financing.
- Detection and Prevention: By keeping their fingers on the pulse of criminal activity, national security threats, and emerging trends in the nations and regions they serve, legal attachés function as an early warning system to help keep crime and terrorism from reaching our shores.
Abuja, Nigeria
American Embassy: 011-234-9-461-4000
Nations covered: Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria
Lagos, Nigeria Suboffice
American Consulate: 011-234-1-460-3400
Accra, Ghana
American Embassy: 011-233-30-2741-000
Nations covered: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Togo
Niamey, Niger Suboffice
American Embassy: 011-277-20-72-26-61
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
American Embassy: 011-251-11-130-6000
Nations covered: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan
Dakar, Senegal
American Embassy: 011-221-33-879-4000
Nations covered: Cape Verde, Cote D’Ivoire, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, Sao Tome’ and Principe, Sierra Leone
Nairobi, Kenya
American Embassy: 011-254-20-363-6000
Nations covered: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda
Pretoria, South Africa
American Embassy: 011-27-12-431-4000
Nations covered: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte (French Territory), Mozambique, Namibia, Reunion (French Territory), Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Rabat, Morocco
American Embassy: 011-212-537-762-265
Nations covered: Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Western Sahara
Tunis, Tunisia
American Embassy: 011-216-71-107-000
Nations covered: Algeria, Libya, Tunisia
Bogota, Colombia
American Embassy: 011-571-275-2000
Nations covered: Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Brasilia, Brazil
American Embassy: 011-55-61-3312-7000
011-55-61-3312-7400 (after hours)
Nation covered: Brazil
Bridgetown, Barbados
American Embassy: 1-246-436-4950
Nations covered: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Dominica, French Guiana, French West Indies, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Montserrat, Nassau (Islands of St. Barthelemy and French St. Martin), Netherland Antilles (islands of Bonaire and Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Dutch St. Maarten), St. Christopher, St. Kitts/Nevis (British West Indies), St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos
Nassau, Bahamas Suboffice
American Consulate: 1-242-322-1181
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
American Embassy: 1-868-622-6371
Buenos Aires, Argentina
American Embassy: 011-5411-5777-4300
Nations covered: Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay
Mexico City, Mexico
American Embassy: 011-52-55-5080-2000
Nation covered: Mexico
Hermosillo Suboffice
American Consulate: 011-52-662-289-3500
Guadalajara Suboffice
American Consulate: 011-52-33-3268-2100
Juarez Suboffice
American Consulate: 011-52-656-227-3000
Monterrey Suboffice
American Consulate: 011-52-81-8047-3100
Tijuana Suboffice
American Consulate: 011-52-664-977-2000
Ottawa, Canada
American Embassy: 1-613-238-5335
Nation covered: Canada
Toronto Suboffice
American Consulate: 1-416-640-8650
Vancouver Suboffice
American Consulate: 1-604-685-4311
Panama City, Panama
American Embassy: 011-507-317-5000
Nations covered: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua
San Salvador, El Salvador
American Embassy: 011-503-2501-2999
Nations covered: Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras
Guatamala City, Guatamala Suboffice
American Embassy: 011-502-2326-4000
Tegucigalpa, Honduras Suboffice
American Embassy: 011-504-2236-9320
Santiago, Chile
American Embassy: 011-56-22-330-3000
Nations covered: Bolivia, Chile, Peru
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
American Embassy: 1-809-221-2171 or 1-809-567-7775
Nations covered: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica
Bangkok, Thailand
American Embassy: 011-66-2-205-4000
Nations covered: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand
Beijing, China
American Embassy: 011-8610-6532-3831
Nations covered: Mongolia, People’s Republic of China
Canberra, Australia
American Embassy: 011-61-2-6214-5600
Nations covered: Australia, Christmas Island, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (includes Austral Islands, Bora Bora, Marquesas Islands, Moorea, Society Islands, Tahiti), Kiribati (includes Canton, Caroline, Flint, Gilbert Islands, Malden, Phoenix, Starbuck, Vosttok), Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Niue, Pitcairn Island, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna Islands (French), Samoa
Sydney Suboffice
American Consulate: 011-612-9373-9200
Wellington, New Zealand, Suboffice
American Embassy: 011-64-4-462-6000
Dhaka, Bangladesh
American Embassy: 011-65-476-9100
Nations covered: Bangladesh, Nepal
Hong Kong, China
American Consulate: 011-852-2523-9011
Nations covered: Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan Suboffice
American Institute: 011-2-2162-2000
Jakarta, Indonesia
American Embassy 011-62-21-3435-9000
Nations covered: Indonesia, Timor-Leste
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
American Embassy: 011-603-2168-5000
Nations covered: Brunei, DIego Garcia, Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore Suboffice
American Embassy: 011-65-6476-910
Manila, Philippines
American Embassy: 011-63-2-301-2000
Nation covered: Philippines
New Delhi, India
American Embassy: 011-91-1-98-2419-8000
Nations covered: Bhutan, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
American Embassy: 011-85-23-728-000
Nations covered: Cambodia, Vietnam
Seoul, South Korea
American Embassy: 011-82-2-397-4114
Nation covered: South Korea
Tokyo, Japan
American Embassy: 011-81-3-3224-5000
Nation covered: Japan
Ankara, Turkey
American Embassy: 011-90-312-455-5555
Nation covered: Turkey
Istanbul Suboffice
American Consulate: 011-90-212-335-9000
Athens, Greece
American Embassy: 011-30-210-720-2490
Nations covered: Cyprus, Greece
Belgrade, Serbia
American Embassy: 381-11-7064000
Nations covered: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia
Bucharest, Romania
American Embassy: 011-40-21-200-3300
Nations covered: Moldova, Romania
Budapest, Hungary
American Embassy: 011-36-1-475-4400
Nation covered: Hungary
Kyiv, Ukraine
American Embassy: 011-380-44-521-5000
Nations covered: Belarus, Ukraine
Moscow, Russia
American Embassy: 011-7-495-728-5000
Nation covered: Russia
Astana, Kazakhstan
American Embassy: 011-7-3172-70-2100
Nations covered: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Riga, Latvia
American Embassy: 011-371-6710-7000
Nations covered: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
Tallinn, Estonia Suboffice
American Embassy: 011-372-668-8100
Sofia, Bulgaria
American Embassy: 011-3592-937-5100
Nations covered: Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia
Tbilisi, Georgia
American Embassy: 011-995-32-27-7000
Nations covered: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
Warsaw, Poland
American Embassy: 011-4822-628-3041
Nation covered: Poland
Berlin, Germany
American Embassy: 011-49-30-238-5174
Nation covered: Germany
Frankfurt Suboffice
American Consulate: 011-49-69-7535-0
Bern, Switzerland
American Embassy: 011-41-31-357-7011
Nations covered: Liechtenstein, Switzerland
Brussels, Belgium
American Embassy: 011-32-2-512-5519
Nations covered: Belgium, Luxembourg, U.S. Mission to NATO and the EU
Copenhagen, Denmark
American Embassy: 011-45-3341-7100
Nations covered: Denmark, Faroe Island, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden
Stockholm, Sweden Suboffice
America Embassy: 011-46-8-783-5488
London, England
American Embassy: 0-11-44-207-894-0007
Nations covered: United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales), Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey)
Madrid, Spain
American Embassy: 011-34-91-587-2200
Nations covered: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal, Spain
Paris, France
American Embassy: 011-33-1-4312-2222
Nations covered: France, Monaco
Lyon Suboffice (INTERPOL)
Prague, Czech Republic
American Embassy: 011-420-2-5702-2000
Nations covered: Czech Republic and Slovakia
Rome, Italy
American Embassy: 011-39-06-4674-2710
Nations covered: Italy, Malta, San Marino, Vatican City
The Hague, Netherlands
American Embassy: 011-31-70-310-2264
Nations covered: Netherlands, U.S. Mission to Europol
Vienna, Austria
American Consulate: 011-43-1-313-39-2155
Nations covered: Austria, Croatia, Slovenia
Abu Dhabi, UAE
American Embassy: 011-971-2-414-2200
Nation covered: United Arab Emirates
Dubai, UAE Suboffice
011-971-4-309-4000
Amman, Jordan
American Embassy: 011-962-6-590-6000
Nations covered: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria
Beirut, Lebanon Suboffice
American Embassy: 011-961-4-542-600
Baghdad, Iraq
American Embassy: 1-240-553-0590
Nation covered: Iraq
Erbil, Iraq Suboffice
Cairo, Egypt
American Embassy: 011-202-2797-3300
Nation covered: Egypt
Doha, Qatar
American Embassy: 011-974-4496-6000
Nations covered: Kuwait, Qatar
Kuwait City, Kuwait Suboffice
American Embassy: 011-965-2259-1001
Islamabad, Pakistan
American Embassy: 011-92-51-208-0000
Nation covered: Pakistan
Karachi, Pakistan Suboffice
American Consulate: 011-92-21-3527-5000
Kabul, Afghanistan
American Embassy: 301-490-1042
Nation covered: Afghanistan
Muscat, Oman
American Embassy: 968-2464-3400
Nation covered: Oman
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
American Embassy: 011-966-1-488-3800
Nations covered: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Yemen
Tel Aviv, Israel
American Embassy: 011-972-3-519-7575
Nations covered: Israel, Palestinian National Authority
Jerusalem, Israel Suboffice
+972-2-622-7127
