Finding missing family

What will happen at your appointment?

If you're ready to find your missing family, our international family tracing service is available in a range of locations. Use the postcode lookup tool above to find your nearest service.

In the appointment:

• We will ask questions about your relative and where you think they might be to assess if we can look for them.
• We'll fill in a tracing and consent form together.
• We can provide an interpreter for your preferred language.

Please note, most of our appointments are by phone or video call.

If you would like to see us for a face-to-face appointment, we will try and do this when possible. Please let us know when you speak to us.

Consent and your personal data

We will need your consent to share your information when looking for lost family. If you have questions about your personal data, please email: dataprotection@redcross.org.uk.

Working to find people internationally

`We work with other Red Cross and Red Crescent organisations around the world to find people in their countries. Please remember that:

• Some Red Cross and Red Crescent societies can take longer to respond to tracing enquiries, depending on the situation in their country. Enquiries for tracing lost people will be sent to them and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

• In countries where there is armed conflict, staff and volunteers could be put at risk when trying to find missing family members. For this reason, we ask that you use our service only if you want to restore contact with your relatives.

We can’t promise to find your lost family or relatives, but we’ll contact our colleagues in that country and let you know as soon as we get any news.

You can also check if your family are looking for you and add your photo to our Trace the Face website.

If you are a refugee, we may also be able to help you reunite with your family in the UK.

If you don't live in the UK, how can you still get help to find your family members and friends?

If you can’t use our international family tracing service because you don’t live in the UK, you can contact the Red Cross or Red Crescent in your country.

There are also other organisations who may be able to help you with finding a missing person or loved one if we can't.

Looking for family after Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton?

If you have not been able to locate or connect with a loved one who has been impacted by Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Milton, please call the American Red Cross Emergency Welfare Tracing Hotline: +1-800-733-2767 and select Option 4.

Follow the voice prompts for "Hurricane Helene." Please note call volume is currently high and callers may experience long waiting times.

Due to the volume of calls being received, a webform has been set up as an alternative to the Tracing Hotline and is available on this page: Reunification After Hurricanes Helene and Milton

Please use the postcode locator on this page to contact your local British Red Cross International Family Tracing service if you need further support. We will update this page as soon as we have more information.

Looking for family in Lebanon?

If you are worried about family who may be affected by the escalating conflict situation in Lebanon, we might be able to help.

Please use the postcode locator above to contact your local British Red Cross International Family Tracing service. We will update this page as we have more information.

If you are concerned about British nationals, you should contact the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office at GOV.UK.

In particular, please have a look at the FCDO website where there is information on registering British Nationals who remain in Lebanon.

Tips for keeping in touch with loved ones

There are lots of things you, your family and friends can do to keep in contact and look out for each other.

This includes thinking ahead in case one of you gets ill.

• Set up regular calls with family or friends, especially if you or they live alone.
• Create a written list of your next of kin/close family or friends to be contacted in an emergency.  Include their names, phone numbers and addresses. Keep your emergency contact list in your wallet or purse.
• Make sure your family members and emergency contacts know your current phone number and home address.
• If you are living far from your family members, have the contact details of their neighbour or someone else who is in touch with your relatives.
• Write the phone number of other family members and give it to your children so your children can contact them if you become ill.
• If you are ill and need to go to hospital remember to take your phone and charger. 
• Share these tips with others!

Other helpful tips:

• If you have any prescription medication make sure it will be easy to find details of this and any allergies, for example with your emergency contact list.
• Have you discussed your wishes with your family members and emergency contacts, if you were seriously ill due to coronavirus?
• We have worked with Doctors of the World and other organisations to produce information on coronavirus in multiple languages.  

Have you used this service before?

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