A diplomatic mission is an office of a national government located in the territory of another nation.
Type of mission
Embassy
It is usually in the capital of the host country; Its main function is to deal with all government-to-government matters. The vast majority of embassies also provide consular services and therefore offer in addition to its specific functions the same services as a consulate.
Consulate
It can be located in any major city and offers consular services to individuals or businesses. If you need a Visa for some countries, their nearest consulate is where you need to apply. If you are abroad and need a new one passport, go to the nearest consulate in your home country. If you are in business and need advice on applicable laws, your consulate is a good source of information.
Honorary Consulate
An honorary consul provides a very limited number of consular services. Often the position is granted by a foreign government to someone with business interests in that place; he may not even be a citizen of the country he represents. For the traveler, he can be useful for notarial services (such as signing legal documents), and if you are in jail or in hospital, he can visit you and contact your consulate for you. However, it is generally not allowed to grant visas or issue passports.
Others
A mission from one Commonwealth country to another Commonwealth country is a High Commission if its role is that of a embassy and one auxiliary high commission if it can only provide consular services.
A mission from a country to an international organization such as the United Nations or theEuropean Union, is a permanent mission.
A mission of the Vatican City is called a Apostolic Nunciature.
A mission representing a non-sovereign entity such as a province, a federated state or an international organization such as theEuropean Union is a delegation.
Countries that are not diplomatically recognized by another may still have embassies disguised as for example the "Taipei representative offices" present in many countries.
Registration
Most countries have a system that allows a citizen who is abroad on a long-term basis to register so that the government of their home country has a record of their presence in the territory of a third country. . For many countries you can do this online, but for others you may need to go to the consulate. Registration is generally not recommended for tourists except in high risk areas, but it is suggested for all expats and students.
Registration will usually put you on an official government news distribution list; these are sometimes quite boring, but some can be useful or interesting. This can be very important in certain circumstances; for example, if a war or epidemic breaks out, your country's mission could be a source of information and help. Registration can also be very useful if you need home country services, such as being able to vote in an election or to make sure your health insurance remains valid.
In addition, missions give receptions and may invite registered citizens. Diplomats tend to live fairly well, with good stocks of alcoholic beverages (even in countries where alcohol is banned, except for diplomats), excellent cooks, and a good supply of imported food. Of course, most of their receptions are reserved for diplomats, local government officials and other important people; the average traveler will not be invited, but a visiting businessman or journalist could be. However, they also organize celebrations on National Day or other important holidays and anyone from your country can be invited to these. If you are abroad at the time, it may be worth asking. A curiosity about this is that the smaller the diplomatic mission, the better your chances of being invited to it. An embassy in a major capital may have its guest list already full, but a remote post is very likely to welcome visitors.
