International Offices

Crime and terror have a global reach. And so do we. 

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.

International Offices lead graphic

International Operations 

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.

Authorities and Jurisdiction 

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.

Our International Offices 

Africa 

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

  • Djibouti, Djibouti Suboffice
    American Embassy: 253-21-453-000

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

  • Algiers, Algeria, Suboffice
    American Embassy: 213-770-08-20-00

Americas 

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

Asia 

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


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


Singapore, Singapore

American Embassy: 011-65-6476-910
Nation covered: Singapore


Tokyo, Japan

American Embassy: 011-81-3-3224-5000
Nation covered: Japan

Eastern Europe and Eurasia 

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

Europe 

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
    American Embassy: 011-46-8-783-5300

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

Middle East 

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