Debts owed by Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations in the United Kingdom: 2023-24

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development (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 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 (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 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 Protocol Directorate of the Foreign, Commonwealth & 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 / international organisations have balances in excess of £10k in respect of NNDR for invoices issued up to 31 December 2023:

Diplomatic Mission / 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

COTE 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 TELECOMMS 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

ST 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 (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 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 organizations which have outstanding PCN fines totalling £10,000 or more:

Mission / 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 (TfL) 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 / International Organisation

Amount Owed

U.S. 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 Viet Nam

£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 & Herzegovina

£101,380

Figures for previous years are available in the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Americas and Caribbean’s written statement to the House on 14 September 2023 (HCWS1030), which can be found at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-09-14/hcws1030