Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations: Debts 2024-25 Debate
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Chris Elmore
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Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations: Debts 2024-25
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Chris Elmore)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials have regular contact with diplomatic missions and international organisations in the UK about outstanding national non-domestic rates (NNDR) payments, outstanding parking fine debt and unpaid London congestion charge debt, to press for payment of outstanding debt and fines. Protocol directorate wrote in April 2025 to all diplomatic missions and international organisations about their obligations to pay the charges, fines and taxes for which they are liable, and has since written directly to those missions with outstanding debt to give them the opportunity to either pay outstanding debts, or to appeal against specific fines and charges that they consider incorrectly recorded. Diplomatic Mission / International Organisation Value of outstanding Beneficial Portion of NNDR payments due Embassy of the People’s Republic of China £528,051.64 Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan £269,902.03 Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran £264,637.81 Embassy of Libya £241,751.25 Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe £196,685.52 High Commission for the Republic of Zambia £189,348.60 Embassy of the Russian Federation £172,991.34 High Commission of the Republic of India £171,976.59 High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria £168,841.95 Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco £109,923.16 High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka £107,609.28 High Commission for the People s Republic of Bangladesh £106,402.09 Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia £103,413.32 High Commission of the Republic of South Africa £102,386.49 Uganda High Commission £83,780.71 Sierra Leone High Commission £81,989.86 Embassy of the Republic of Iraq £77,776.11 Embassy of Tunisia £64,192.31 Embassy of the People s Democratic Republic of Algeria £58,487.81 Embassy of the Republic of Liberia £57,733.62 Embassy of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea £57,658.64 Kingdom of Eswatini High Commission £57,532.48 The Gambia High Commission £52,253.03 Embassy of the Republic of Yemen £50,137.92 Embassy of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire £47,778.81 High Commission for the Republic of Cameroon £42,399.47 Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela £35,418.96 Embassy of the Republic of Cuba £35,306.86 Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria £32,760.25 High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan £31,120.41 High Commission of the Republic of Fiji £26,805.17 Embassy of Luxembourg £26,581.56 Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia £26,336.97 High Commission Of the Republic of Malawi £25,263.68 High Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania £24,805.01 Kenya High Commission £23,695.63 Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo £23,669.33 Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation £23,364.36 High Commission of the Republic of Ghana £23,008.64 Embassy of Portugal £22,697.56 Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman £22,124.20 Embassy of the Argentine Republic £21,746.47 Embassy of the United Arab Emirates £21,489.65 Embassy of Iceland £20,156.76 Embassy of the Republic of Haiti £19,146.39 Malaysian High Commission £18,241.54 Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt £17,892.27 Embassy of the Republic of Paraguay £17,447.98 Embassy of the Republic of Albania £16,637.60 Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan £15,705.78 Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan £15,194.10 Embassy of the Republic of Guinea £15,082.76 Jamaican High Commission £14,131.20 Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia £13,446.99 Embassy of the Republic of Armenia £12,775.22 Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany £12,466.26 Embassy of the Republic of Croatia £11,827.06 Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye £11,813.76 Embassy of the State of Eritrea £11,592.57 The High Commission of the Republic of Seychelles £11,567.59 High Commission of the Gabonese Republic £11,275.32 High Commission for Saint Lucia £10,951.20 Rwanda High Commission £10,893.12 High Commission for Grenada £10,892.50 High Commission of the Kingdom of Lesotho £10,748.40 Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic £10,528.90 Embassy of Uruguay £10,483.08 Embassy of Nicaragua £10,022.49 Mission / International Organisation Value of outstanding PCNs Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia £289,285.00 Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan £127,355.00 High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria £78,575.00 Embassy of the Republic of Iraq £73,105.00 Uganda High Commission £67,095.00 Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco £65,519.00 Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan £42,459.00 Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan £41,015.00 Embassy of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire £29,335.00 Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman £27,880.00 Embassy of Romania £25,780.00 High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka £25,645.00 Embassy of the United Arab Emirates £21,545.00 High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan £20,995.00 Embassy of the State of Qatar £19,220.00 High Commission for the Republic of Zambia £19,060.00 Malaysian High Commission £17,869.00 High Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania £17,505.00 Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia £15,185.00 Embassy of the People’s Republic of China £14,253.00 High Commission of the Republic of Ghana £13,900.00 Embassy of Georgia £13,040.00 Embassy of Hungary £11,260.00 Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan £10,725.00 U.S. Embassy £15,857,775 Embassy of the People s Republic of China £11,489,780 Embassy of Japan £10,932,048 Office of the High Commissioner for India £10,070,585 High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria £9,383,075 Embassy of the Russian Federation £6,143,715 Embassy of the Republic of Poland £6,117,550 High Commission of the Republic of Ghana £5,655,045 Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan £5,588,665 Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany £4,824,040 Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan £4,310,870 High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan £3,831,060 Kenya High Commission £3,768,270 Embassy of the Republic of Cuba £3,088,520 Embassy of the Republic of Korea £3,024,760 People s Democratic Republic of Algeria £2745,720 Embassy of France £2,728,320 High Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania £2,503,640 Embassy of Spain £2,418,000 Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye £2,206,120 High Commission of the Republic of South Africa £2,191,370 Sierra Leone High Commission £2,161,095 Embassy of Romania £2,010,250 Embassy of Greece £1,840,742 Embassy of Ukraine £1,825,320 High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus £1,702,880 Embassy of Hungary £1,547,850 High Commission for the Republic of Zambia £1,240,640 Botswana High Commission £1,211,290 Embassy of the Republic of Yemen £1,153,560 Uganda High Commission £1,031,060 Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria £1,026,830 High Commission of the Republic of Malawi £959,530 Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia £933,430 Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe £958,055 High Commission for the Republic of Mozambique £956,700 Embassy of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire £929,540 High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka £920,490 High Commission for the Republic of Namibia £909,880 Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco £903,610 Kingdom of Eswatini High Commission £889,390 Malta High Commission £817,055 High Commission for the Republic of Cameroon £792,150 Embassy of Belgium £786,840 Mauritius High Commission £748,655 Embassy of the Republic of Belarus £744,085 Embassy of Slovakia £719,790 Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania £710,265 Embassy of Austria £694,060 Embassy of the Republic of Liberia £674,670 Embassy of the Republic of Iraq £629,460 Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan £612,680 High Commission of the Kingdom of Lesotho £609,700 Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam £589,110 Embassy of The Republic of Guinea £583,890 Embassy of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea £570,290 Embassy of Tunisia £570,160 Jamaican High Commission £529,740 Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo £521,580 Embassy of the Czech Republic £506,200 Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan £500,790 Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia £481,743 Royal Danish Embassy £435,695 Embassy of the Republic of Latvia £388,240 Embassy of Portugal £382,120 Embassy of Luxembourg £372,125 High Commission for Antigua and Barbuda £368,475 Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan £363,020 High Commission of the Republic of Maldives £312,470 Embassy of the Democratic People s Republic of Korea £276,590 Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia £260,560 Embassy of Estonia £259,010 Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania £257,120 Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt £244,000 High Commission for Guyana £217,900 Embassy of the State of Eritrea £203,080 Embassy of the Republic of Armenia £198,790 Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic £181,257 Embassy of the Dominican Republic £180,790 Embassy of the Republic of Senegal £178,365 The High Commission of the Republic of Seychelles £169,935 High Commission for Saint Lucia £159,230 Embassy of El Salvador £156,715 The Gambia High Commission £136,690 Embassy of the Republic of Moldova £134,830 Embassy of the Republic of Albania £124,480 Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran £111,020 Embassy of Bosnia & Herzegovina £101,380
National non-domestic rates:
The majority of diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom pay the national non-domestic rates (NNDR) due from them. Diplomatic missions and international organisations are obliged to pay only 6% of the total NNDR value of their offices. This represents payment for specific services received, such as street cleaning and street lighting.
As at 30 June 2025, the total amount owed to HMG for NNDR invoices issued up to 31 March 2025 is £4,458,866. Representation in 2024-25 by protocol directorate of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to diplomatic missions and international organisations has led to a reduction since April 2024 of over £1.2 million NNDR debt.
Diplomatic premises of the following countries and international organisations have balances owing in excess of £10,000 in respect of NNDR for invoices issued up to 31 March 2025:
Parking Fines:
Parking fines incurred by diplomatic missions and international organisations are brought to our attention by local authorities, primarily but not exclusively in London. The FCDO considers those with privileges and immunities liable for fines issued as penalty charge notices (PCNs) by local authorities for vehicle parking infringements. We expect PCNs to be paid to the issuing office.
The FCDO regularly reminds missions and international organisations to pay outstanding PCNs. We wrote to all missions and international organisation in April 2025 to remind them of their obligations to pay fines for parking infringements and have written to those missions and organisations with outstanding debt, giving them the opportunity either to pay or to appeal against them if they consider that the fines had been recorded incorrectly.
As at 30 May 2025, the total value of outstanding PCNs notified to FCDO by local authorities is £1,358,383. The table below details those diplomatic missions and international organizations which have outstanding PCN fines totalling £10,000 or more:
London Congestion Charge:
The value of unpaid congestion charge debt incurred by diplomatic missions in London since its introduction in February 2003 until 30 September 2025, as advised by Transport for London (TfL), was £164,621,750. TfL publishes details of diplomatic missions with outstanding fines at: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/congestion-charge
We consider that there are no legal grounds to exempt diplomatic missions from the London congestion charge, which is comparable to a parking fee or toll charge they are required to pay. FCDO officials wrote to all missions in April 2025 to encourage payment and directly to those missions with outstanding debt, giving them the opportunity either to pay or to appeal against any charges and penalty charge notices they consider to have been recorded incorrectly. TfL has similarly approached diplomatic missions.
The table below shows those diplomatic missions with outstanding fines of £100,000 or more:
Figures for previous years are available in the written statement to the House on 14 November 2024 (UIN HCWS218), which can be found at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-11-14/hcws218
[HCWS1076]