Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations: Debts 2023-24
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Catherine West)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials have regular contact with diplomatic missions and international organisations in the UK about outstanding national non-domestic rates payments, outstanding parking fine debt and unpaid London congestion charge debt, to press for payment of outstanding debt and fines. The protocol directorate wrote in February 2024 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 again 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.
National non-domestic rates
The majority of diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom pay the national non-domestic rates 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 17 October 2024, the total amount of outstanding NNDR payments arising from invoices issued to 31 December 2023 is £4,142,255. Representations in 2024 by the protocol directorate of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to missions and organisations has led to the settlement of over £869,000 of outstanding debts owed by a number of missions and organisations. We continue to urge all those with NNDR debt to pay their dues.
Diplomatic premises of the following countries and international organisations have balances in excess of £10,000 in respect of NNDR for invoices issued up to 31 December 2023:
Diplomatic mission or international organisation | Value of outstanding beneficial portion of NNDR payments due |
|---|---|
China | £646,183.22 |
Iran | £242,754.13 |
Sudan | £241,400.83 |
Libya | £209,263.27 |
Zimbabwe | £172,770.72 |
Zambia | £168,873.60 |
Russia | £168,615.50 |
Nigeria | £118,223.07 |
Bulgaria | £115,654.07 |
India | £99,385.88 |
Bangladesh | £97,640.51 |
Sri Lanka | £93,522.48 |
Morocco | £88,399.84 |
Ethiopia | £87,934.22 |
Sierra Leone | £79,090.60 |
Qatar | £77,327.54 |
Uganda | £74,753.26 |
Algeria | £58,487.81 |
Iraq | £57,682.73 |
Tunisia | £54,937.61 |
Eswatini | £50,325.28 |
South Africa | £50,298.09 |
Equatorial Guinea | £50,058.32 |
Gambia | £45,155.81 |
Yemen | £43,258.32 |
Côte d'Ivoire | £35,771.34 |
Cameroon | £33,062.87 |
Hungary | £32,600.51 |
Pakistan | £32,053.47 |
Venezuela | £30,504.96 |
Liberia | £24,739.40 |
Fiji | £23,463.65 |
Ghana | £23,008.64 |
Saudi Arabia | £22,929.93 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | £22,374.42 |
Argentina | £21,746.47 |
Togo | £21,735.05 |
Luxembourg | £20,520.96 |
Tanzania | £18,285.77 |
Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation | £18,155.52 |
Malawi | £17,761.64 |
Haiti | £17,731.72 |
Oman | £17,406.76 |
Jamaica | £14,131.20 |
Paraguay | £13,484.65 |
Albania | £13,263.32 |
Iceland | £13,178.88 |
Republic of Guinea | £13,133.54 |
Germany | £12,466.26 |
Egypt | £11,771.64 |
Afghanistan | £11,414.22 |
Slovenia | £11,301.21 |
Eritrea | £11,283.53 |
North Korea | £11,080.28 |
Saint Lucia | £10,951.20 |
Grenada | £10,892.50 |
Lesotho | £10,748.40 |
Seychelles | £10,676.87 |
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 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 organisations in February 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 June 2024, the total value of outstanding PCNs notified to FCDO by local authorities is £1,489,618. The table below details those diplomatic missions and international organisations which have outstanding PCN fines totalling £10,000 or more:
Diplomatic mission or international organisation | Value of outstanding PCNs |
|---|---|
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia | £196,630.00 |
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | £138,850.00 |
High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria | £78,300.00 |
Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco | £71,060.00 |
Embassy of the Republic of Iraq | £70,380.00 |
Uganda High Commission | £55,680.00 |
Embassy of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire | £40,200.00 |
Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan | £33,435.00 |
Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | £33,260.00 |
High Commission for the Republic of Zambia | £29,525.00 |
Embassy of Romania | £28,620.00 |
Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman | £28,160.00 |
Embassy of the United Arab Emirates | £27,215.00 |
Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan | £25,025.00 |
High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan | £24,375.00 |
High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | £23,280.00 |
Embassy of Panama | £21,920.00 |
High Commission of the Republic of Ghana | £21,525.00 |
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran | £19,869.00 |
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany | £19,730.00 |
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan | £17,975.00 |
Embassy of the State of Qatar | £17,855.00 |
Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan | £17,795.00 |
High Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania | £15,435.00 |
Embassy of Georgia | £15,135.00 |
Embassy of the People's Republic of China | £14,923.00 |
Malaysian High Commission | £14,309.00 |
High Commission for the Republic of India | £13,964.00 |
Embassy of Hungary | £11,040.00 |
High Commission for the Republic of Cameroon | £10,925.00 |
Embassy of the Republic of Liberia | £10,875.00 |
Embassy of Libya | £10,095.00 |
London congestion charge
The value of unpaid congestion charge debt incurred by diplomatic missions and international organisations in London since its introduction in February 2003 until 30 September 2024 as advised by Transport for London was £152,436,135. TfL publishes details of diplomatic missions and international organisations 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 and international organisations from the London congestion charge, which is comparable to a parking fee or toll charge they are required to pay. FCDO officials write to diplomatic missions and international organisations with large congestion charge debts annually, to encourage payment.
The table below shows those diplomatic missions and international organisations with outstanding fines of £100,000 or more. FCDO officials write to diplomatic missions and international organisations with large congestion charge debts annually, to encourage payment. TfL will also be approaching all diplomatic missions and international organisations with outstanding congestion charge debt.
Diplomatic mission or international organisation | Amount owed |
|---|---|
US Embassy | £15,160,275 |
Embassy of Japan | £10,422,558 |
Embassy of the People's Republic of China | £9,303,180 |
High Commission of the Republic of India | £9,141,875 |
High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria | £8,812,745 |
Embassy of the Russian Federation | £6,061,815 |
Embassy of the Republic of Poland | £5,630,650 |
High Commission of the Republic of Ghana | £5,311,245 |
Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan | £5,038,765 |
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany | £4,714,830 |
Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan | £4,077,860 |
Kenya High Commission | £3,459,030 |
High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan | £3,423,720 |
Embassy of the Republic of Korea | £2,810,740 |
Embassy of the Republic of Cuba | £2,756,400 |
Embassy of France | £2,617,800 |
Embassy of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria | £2,428,290 |
High Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania | £2,394,920 |
Embassy of Spain | £2,277,960 |
High Commission of the Republic of South Africa | £2,065,460 |
Sierra Leone High Commission | £2,033,835 |
Embassy of Romania | £1,925,050 |
Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye | £1,837,390 |
Embassy of Greece | £1,739,312 |
Embassy of Ukraine | £1,729,090 |
High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus | £1,536,330 |
Embassy of Hungary | £1,444,620 |
High Commission for the Republic of Zambia | £1,194,200 |
Embassy of the Republic of Yemen | £1,103,700 |
Botswana High Commission | £1,066,890 |
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria | £967,700 |
Uganda High Commission | £920,720 |
High Commission for the Republic of Mozambique | £898,290 |
High Commission of the Republic of Malawi | £891,755 |
Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe | £865,895 |
Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | £858,370 |
Embassy of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire | £840,810 |
Kingdom of Eswatini High Commission | £815,770 |
High Commission of the Republic of Namibia | £796,480 |
High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | £787,920 |
High Commission for the Republic of Cameroon | £775,680 |
Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco | £764,290 |
Malta High Commission | £755,405 |
Embassy of the Republic of Belarus | £737,785 |
Embassy of Belgium | £715,830 |
Mauritius High Commission | £710,855 |
Embassy of Slovakia | £704,700 |
Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania | £680,295 |
Embassy of Austria | £655,540 |
Embassy of the Republic of Liberia | £642,630 |
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | £624,830 |
High Commission of the Kingdom of Lesotho | £569,020 |
Embassy of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea | £566,690 |
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam | £546,540 |
Embassy of the Republic of Iraq | £527,310 |
Embassy of the Republic of Guinea | £524,740 |
Jamaican High Commission | £500,920 |
Embassy of Tunisia | £493,840 |
Embassy of the Czech Republic | £489,730 |
Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan | £460,920 |
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | £444,420 |
Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia | £438,723 |
Royal Danish Embassy | £419,675 |
Embassy of the Republic of Latvia | £369,770 |
High Commission for Antigua and Barbuda | £356,595 |
Embassy of Portugal | £350,620 |
Embassy of Luxembourg | £343,055 |
Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | £296,870 |
Belize High Commission | £282,030 |
Embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | £276,320 |
High Commission of the Republic of Maldives | £252,260 |
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt | £243,820 |
Embassy of Estonia | £236,060 |
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia | £222,080 |
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines | £208,390 |
High Commission for Guyana | £203,680 |
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania | £200,780 |
Embassy of the State of Eritrea | £194,980 |
The High Commission of the Republic of Seychelles | £169,935 |
Embassy of the Dominican Republic | £169,180 |
Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic | £147,957 |
High Commission for Saint Lucia | £141,680 |
Embassy of El Salvador | £132,865 |
Embassy of the Republic of Senegal | £132,555 |
Embassy of the Republic of Albania | £127,630 |
Embassy of the Republic of Moldova | £124,570 |
The Gambia High Commission | £116,980 |
Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina | £101,380 |
Figures for previous years are available in the written statement to the House made by the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Americas and Caribbean on 14 September 2023 (HCWS1030), which can be found at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-09-14/hcws1030.
[HCWS218]