Staff at the British Consulate-General in Munich heaved a great sigh of relief as the annual Oktoberfest came to an end.

The 16-day festival is a huge tourist draw for the German city of Munich, bringing six million visitors, five times the city’s local population of 1.3 million to the region.

These two weeks pose a challenge to Consular staff in Munich, not only because of the number of British nationals in need of their services, but also because they provide support to Commonwealth citizens, like New Zealanders, who do not have their own representation in Munich.  

As part of their Oktoberfest preparations, staff gets in touch with the local authorities, making sure that they are informed without delay should there be an incident. They also go and see the police officers on the ground at the Oktoberfest and give them information leaflets.

Fortunately most of the incidents staff has to deal with are minor, like issuing Emergency Passports. However the heavy drinking at the Oktoberfest has led, over the years, to arrests and a number of tragic accidents requiring the involvement of consular staff.