Diplomatic Mission is a foreign office, in a country wherein a group of officers represents the home country in the host country, along with safeguarding the interest of the citizens and the home country in the host country. Diplomatic mission entails embassies and consulates, wherein the embassy serves as the nerve centre for diplomatic representation of the public administration of a nation in another.
Conversely, Consulate is an arm of the embassy that diplomatically represents the government of a country in a foreign city. It looks after the matters relating to travelling and immigration. Read out this article to understand the difference between consulate and embassy.
Content: Consulate Vs Embassy
Comparison Chart
| Basis for Comparison | Consulate | Embassy |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The branch of an embassy that represents the home country in the host country is known as consulate. | The diplomatic presence of the government of one country in another country, is called as an embassy. |
| Head | Consul General | Ambassador |
| Number | Several | Only one |
| Located in | Metros, financial capital and tourist cities. | Capital of the country |
| Deals with | Small issues | Diplomatic issues |
Definition of Consulate
Consulate is the small form of the embassy, i.e. an official office of a country in the territory of another country. It is headed by the Consul General, who reports to the Ambassador. It is situated in various metro cities of the host country, excluding the capital city of the country.
The consulate primarily deals with the matters relating to the passports of the citizens of the country represented by the consulate and visas of the foreign citizens who are willing to travel the consulate’s home country. It also maintains the record of births, marriages, divorces, and deaths of the citizens belonging to the home country.
Further, it is set up to facilitate trade and maintain cordial relationship between the two countries. It is responsible for the protection of the citizens of the consul’s own country.
Definition of Embassy
Embassy denotes the primary diplomatic office of a country in another country that includes an ambassador and the other staff, who represent their home country in the host country. It is a permanent diplomatic presence in a host country that works for preserving the relationship between the host nation and the nation represented by the embassy. It reports to the home country about the happenings in the host country.
Embassy serves as the headquarters for country’s external affairs, situated within the limits of another country. There can be a maximum of one embassy of a country in another country and that too in the national capital only.
The highest level of the home government appoints the ambassador who is the top-most diplomatic officer in another country and acts as the spokesperson for the home country.
Key Differences Between Consulate and Embassy
The points given below are substantial so far as the difference between consulate and embassy is concerned:
- An embassy is defined as the main representation of a country within the borders of another country. Conversely, a consulate can be understood as the subpart of the embassy that represents a sovereign state, which performs same activities in the metro cities that an embassy performs in the nation’s capital.
- The head of the consulate is called Consul General who is subordinate to the ambassador. An Ambassador is the chief of the diplomatic mission, i.e. embassy.
- There can be several consulates in a country, but there is only one embassy of a country in the territory of another country.
- Consulates are situated in the regional capitals and other cities like metro cities and tourist cities. As against, the embassy can be found in the national capital only.
- The work of an embassy differs from a consulate that embassy handles various diplomatic issues of the country, whereas consulate is set up to handle smaller issues.
Conclusion
Embassy and Consulate are the two missions that help in maintaining harmony between the two countries. An embassy is larger in comparison to a consulate, or say the former is the head office. These two represents the home country in the territory of another and deals with various diplomatic matters.
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