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A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a high commission). The term "consulate" may refer not only to the office of a consul, but also to the building occupied by the consul and the consul's staff. The consulate primarily serves its visiting nationals to the region in which it is based, and prospective visitors, commercial entities, or regional governments, who wish access or connections to the consulate's home country. There is usually also counselor services in the capital too, and in those cases, the consulate may share premises with the embassy itself.
Activities of a consulate include protecting the interests of their citizens temporarily or permanently resident in the host country, issuing ; issuing visas to foreigners and public diplomacy. Although it is not admitted publicly, consulates, like embassies, may also gather intelligence information from the assigned country.
Consulates are more numerous than other diplomatic missions, such as Embassy. Ambassadors are posted only in a foreign nation's capital (but exceptionally outside the country, as in the case of a multiple mandate; e.g., a minor power may accredit a single ambassador with several neighbouring states of modest relative importance that are not considered important allies).
Consuls are posted in a nation's capital, and in other cities throughout that country, especially centres of economic activity and cities where large populations of citizens from the consul's home country reside (). In the United States, for example, embassies are located in Washington D.C. and most countries have a consulate-general in New York City (the site of the headquarters of the United Nations), and some have consulates-general in several major cities, such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, or San Francisco. Many countries have multiple consular offices in nations such as Germany, Russia, Canada, Brazil, and Australia.
Consulates are subordinate posts of their home country's diplomatic mission (typically an embassy, in the capital city of the host country). Diplomatic missions are established in international law under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, while consulates-general and consulates are established in international law under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Formally, at least within the US system, the consular career (ranking in descending order: consul-general, consul, vice-consul, honorary consul) forms a different hierarchy from the diplomats in the strict sense. However, it is common for individuals to be transferred from one hierarchy to the other, and for consular officials to serve in a capital carrying out strictly consular duties within the consular section of a diplomatic post; e.g., within an embassy.
Between Commonwealth countries, both diplomatic and consular activities may be undertaken by a High Commission in the capital, although larger Commonwealth nations generally also have consulates and consulates-general in major cities. For example, Toronto in Canada, Sydney in Australia and Auckland, New Zealand, are of greater economic importance than their respective national capitals, hence the need for consulates there.
Owing to Hong Kong's status as a special administrative region of China, some countries' consulates-general in Hong Kong report directly to their respective foreign ministries, rather than to their embassies in Beijing, such as those of Canada, the United Kingdom and United States. Christopher J. Marut Appointed as Director of the Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan, American Institute in Taiwan, 8 May 2012
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