What’s the Difference Between an Embassy and a Consulate?

Embassies and consulates serve the same purpose but are slightly different regarding capacity.

An embassy can be defined as a diplomatic mission established in the capital of a foreign country with the sole purpose of acting as the representative of the home country.

A consulate, on the other hand, is a smaller diplomatic mission that is usually located outside the capitals of the receiving state.

Why are Embassies and Consulates needed?

A country chooses to establish an embassy or consulate in another country to maintain ongoing relationships in the areas of political alliances, trade, cultural ties, and to help citizens who travel to or from either country.

The embassy is the seat of political exchange, so it is usually located in the capital of the host country. Consulates are located in other major cities — financial capitals, tourist areas or large cities with healthy job markets.

Locations

Embassies are almost always located in the host country’s capital city. There are exceptions such as Israel, where embassies are located in Tel Aviv rather than Jerusalem because the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as a capital, and Taiwan, whose sovereignty from China is not recognized by many nations. The United States does not have an embassy in North Korea, Cuba, Bhutan or Iran.

Consulates are often established in larger countries and countries hosting many tourists and expats from another country, and may be located in large cities or tourist centers. For example, the Russian embassy in the United States is located in Washington, D.C., and there are Russian consulates in New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Houston.