Embassies and Consulates: How They Can Help You

The diplomatic services in your home and host countries are key resources of information and assistance for business people and their families who are on international assignments. In most cases, contact will be with a consulate rather than an embassy. There are important differences between the two. An embassy is the official diplomatic representation, or mission, of one government to another. The person in charge, usually an ambassador, is the personal representative of the head of state of the country sending the mission to the host country.Embassies are responsible for government-to-government relations. They do not perform any functions directly for nationals from their home country who may be traveling or residing in their host country, other than perhaps occasionally inviting them to a national day party or other social event. A country has only one embassy in each of the other countries with which it has diplomatic relations; typically it is located in the capital city.

A country may, however, have a number of consulates in the host country. In addition to the capital city, consulates may be established in other large or commercially important cities. A consulate’s primary function is to provide services for resident or traveling nationals from its home country. These services include renewing passports; replacing lost or stolen passports; providing aid in obtaining medical and legal assistance; notarizing documents;assisting with tax returns and absentee voting; making arrangements in the event of death; registering births to nationals abroad; certifying– but not performing or granting – marriages and divorces abroad;providing information on dealing with host country authorities; and arranging for evacuation or other assistance in emergency situations. Some consulates have on staff a community liaison officer, usually referred to as “CLO,” who maintains contact with nationals residing in the area. It may be a part-time position filled by the spouse of a consulate official, but the CLO can be a very useful person to get to know.

Consulates do not provide travel, legal, employment,or interpreting services. They cannot get a national who has violated host country laws out of jail, but they will press local authorities to ensure fair treatment and access to legal representation. International agreements in effect in most countries require that foreigners who are arrested be allowed to contact their consular officer. Consulates also provide some services to nationals of their host country, such as issuing visas.

How to Contact Your Nearest Embassy or Consulate

Embassy World

Directory of the World’s Embassies and Consulates A comprehensivesearchable database of most embassies and consulates around the world.Search option allows you to choose the embassy and the location.

Other Sites

Embassies, consulates, ministries of foreign affairs, and other governmental agencies that maintain a presence on the Internet:

EmbassyWeb.Com

Nearing completion of a searchable database with over 50,000 addresses and contact numbers of diplomatic posts worldwide (not complete but useable)

The Electronic Embassy

Foreign Embassies of Washington D.C.