Are consulates safe from invasion like embassies? What do people do at embassies vs. consulates? What’s the limit on consulates and/or embassies in a country?
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Simple answer: embassies/high commissions are in capital cities, consulates are in major cities or important locations.
As a general rule, an embassy and embassy staff exist as an official channel – in all facets of policy – between 2 sovereign nations. Consulates provide government services to expatriate citizens and aliens requiring government services.
Some embassies enjoy the protection of extraterritoriality (i.e. the embassy is “sovereign soil” of the nation it belongs; and foreign authorities require an invitation to enter). Consulates do not enjoy this protection. Staff at both however are afforded diplomatic immunity.
Can I mention without getting flamed that the embassy is where the Ambassador is, while the consulate is just where services are provided.
An embassy represents a foreign country to the government, each county will send only one embassy to each other country.
A consulate allows travelers to interact with their home country, to get replacement passports, for example. There’s no upper limit on consulates. Embassies also do the job of consulates, but not the other way around.
Consulates deal with regular citizens’ need for assistance from a foreign government, like passport, visa issues. Embassies are where government relations happen, things like trade policies, aid packages, general diplomacy.
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