Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
| Articles | Designation | Number of Cases | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article Preamble |
Preamble
The States Parties to the present Convention, RECALLING that consular relations have been established between peoples since ancient times, HAVING IN MIND the…
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| Article 1 |
Definitions
1.For the purposes of the present Convention, the following expressions shall have the meanings hereunder assigned to them: (a) “consular post” means any…
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| Article 2 |
Establishment of consular relations
1.The establishment of consular relations between States takes place by mutual consent. 2. The consent given to the establishment of diplomatic relations…
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| Article 3 |
Exercise of consular functions
Consular functions are exercised by consular posts. They are also exercised by diplomatic missions in accordance with the provisions of the present Convention.
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| Article 4 |
Establishment of a consular post
1.A consular post may be established in the territory of the receiving State only with that State’s consent. 2.The seat of the consular post, its classification…
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| Article 5 |
Consular functions
Consular functions consist in: (a) protecting in the receiving State the interests of the sending State and of its nationals, both individuals and bodies…
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| Article 6 |
Exercise of consular functions outside the consular district
A consular officer may, in special circumstances, with the consent of the receiving State, exercise his functions outside his consular district.
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| Article 7 |
Exercise of consular functions in a third state
The sending State may, after notifying the States concerned, entrust a consular post established in a particular State with the exercise of consular functions…
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| Article 8 |
Exercise of consular functions on behalf of a third state
Upon appropriate notification to the receiving State, a consular post of the sending State may, unless the receiving State objects, exercise consular…
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| Article 9 |
Classes of heads of consular posts
1.Heads of consular posts are divided into four classes, namely (a) consuls-general; (b) consuls; (c) vice-consuls; (d) consular agents. 2.Paragraph 1 of this…
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| Article 10 |
Appointment and admission of heads of consular posts
1.Heads of consular posts are appointed by the sending State and are admitted to the exercise of their functions by the receiving State. 2.Subject to the…
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| Article 11 |
The consular commission or notification of appointment
1.The head of a consular post shall be provided by the sending State with a document, in the form of a commission or similar instrument, made out for each…
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| Article 12 |
The exequatur
1.The head of a consular post is admitted to the exercise of his functions by an authorization from the receiving State termed an exequatur, whatever the form…
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| Article 13 |
Provisional admission of heads of consular posts
Pending delivery of the exequatur, the head of a consular post may be admitted on a provisional basis to the exercise of his functions. In that case, the…
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| Article 14 |
Notification to the authorities of the consular district
As soon as the head of a consular post is admitted even provisionally to the exercise of his functions, the receiving State shall immediately notify the…
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| Article 15 |
Temporary exercise of the functions of the head of a consular post
1.If the head of a consular post is unable to carry out his functions or the position of head of consular post is vacant, an acting head of post may act…
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| Article 16 |
Precedence as between heads of consular posts
1.Heads of consular posts shall rank in each class according to the date of the grant of the exequatur. 2.If, however, the head of a consular post before…
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| Article 17 |
Performance of diplomatic acts by consular officers
1.In a State where the sending State has no diplomatic mission and is not represented by a diplomatic mission of a third State, a consular officer may, with the…
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| Article 18 |
Appointment of the same person by two or more States as a consular officer
Two or more States may, with the consent of the receiving State, appoint the same person as a consular officer in that State.
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| Article 19 |
Appointment of members of consular staff
1.Subject to the provisions of articles 20, 22 and 23, the sending State may freely appoint the members of the consular staff. 2.The full name, category and…
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| Article 20 |
Size of the consular staff
In the absence of an express agreement as to the size of the consular staff, the receiving State may require that the size of the staff be kept within limits…
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| Article 21 |
Precedence as between consular officers of a consular post
The order of precedence as between the consular officers of a consular post and any change thereof shall be notified by the diplomatic mission of the sending…
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| Article 22 |
Nationality of consular officers
1.Consular officers should, in principle, have the nationality of the sending State. 2.Consular officers may not be appointed from among persons having the…
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| Article 23 |
Persons declared "non grata"
1.The receiving State may at any time notify the sending State that a consular officer is persona non grata or that any other member of the consular staff is…
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| Article 24 |
Notification to the receiving State of appointments, arrivals and departures
1.The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the receiving State or the authority designated by that Ministry shall be notified of: (a) the appointment of members of a…
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| Article 25 |
Termination of the functions of a member of a consular post
The functions of a member of a consular post shall come to an end, inter alia: (a) on notification by the sending State to the receiving State that his…
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| Article 26 |
Departure from the territory of the receiving State
The receiving State shall, even in case of armed conflict, grant to members of the consular post and members of the private staff, other than nationals of the…
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| Article 27 |
Protection of consular premises and archives and of the interests of the sending State in exceptional circumstances
1.In the event of the severance of consular relations between two States: (a) the receiving State shall, even in case of armed conflict, respect and protect the…
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| Article 28 |
Facilities for the work of the consular post
The receiving State shall accord full facilities for the performance of the functions of the consular post.
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| Article 29 |
Use of national flag and coat-of-arms
1.The sending State shall have the right to the use of its national flag and coat-of-arms in the receiving State in accordance with the provisions of this…
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| Article 30 |
Accommodation
1.The receiving State shall either facilitate the acquisition on its territory, in accordance with its laws and regulations, by the sending State of premises…
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| Article 31 |
Inviolability of the consular premises
1.Consular premises shall be inviolable to the extent provided in this article. 2.The authorities of the receiving State shall not enter that part of the…
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| Article 32 |
Exemption from taxation of consular premises
1.Consular premises and the residence of the career head of consular post of which the sending State or any person acting on its behalf is the owner or lessee…
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| Article 33 |
Inviolability of the consular archives and documents
The consular archives and documents shall be inviolable at all times and wherever they may be.
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| Article 34 |
Freedom of movement
Subject to its laws and regulations concerning zones entry into which is prohibited or regulated for reasons of national security, the receiving State shall…
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| Article 35 |
Freedom of communication
1.The receiving State shall permit and protect freedom of communication on the part of the consular post for all official purposes. In communicating with the…
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| Article 36 |
Communication and contact with nationals of the sending State
1.With a view to facilitating the exercise of consular functions relating to nationals of the sending State: (a) consular officers shall be free to…
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| Article 37 |
Information in cases of deaths, guardianship or trusteeship, wrecks and air accidents
If the relevant information is available to the competent authorities of the receiving State, such authorities shall have the duty: (a) in the case of the death…
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| Article 38 |
Communication with the authorities of the receiving State
In the exercise of their functions, consular officers may address: (a) the competent local authorities of their consular district; (b) the competent central…
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| Article 39 |
Consular fees and charges
1.The consular post may levy in the territory of the receiving State the fees and charges provided by the laws and regulations of the sending State for consular…
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| Article 40 |
Protection of consular officers
The receiving State shall treat consular officers with due respect and shall take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on their person, freedom or…
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| Article 41 |
Personal inviolability of consular officers
1.Consular officers shall not be liable to arrest or detention pending trial, except in the case of a grave crime and pursuant to a decision by the competent…
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| Article 42 |
Notification of arrest, detention or prosecution
In the event of the arrest or detention, pending trial, of a member of the consular staff, or of criminal proceedings being instituted against him, the…
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| Article 43 |
Immunity from jurisdiction
1.Consular officers and consular employees shall not be amenable to the jurisdiction of the judicial or administrative authorities of the receiving State in…
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| Article 44 |
Liability to give evidence
1.Members of a consular post may be called upon to attend as witnesses in the course of judicial or administrative proceedings. A consular employee or a…
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| Article 45 |
Waiver of privileges and immunities
1.The sending State may waive, with regard to a member of the consular post, any of the privileges and immunities provided for in articles 41, 43 and 44.…
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| Article 46 |
Exemption from registration of aliens and residence permits
1.Consular officers and consular employees and members of their families forming part of their households shall be exempt from all obligations under the laws…
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| Article 47 |
Exemption from work permits
1.Members of the consular post shall, with respect to services rendered for the sending State, be exempt from any obligations in regard to work permits…
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| Article 48 |
Social security exemption
1.Subject to the provisions of paragraph 3 of this article, members of the consular post with respect to services rendered by them for the sending State, and…
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| Article 49 |
Exemption from taxation
1.Consular officers and consular employees and members of their families forming part of their households shall be exempt from all dues and taxes, personal or…
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| Article 50 |
Exemption from customs duties and inspection
1.The receiving State shall, in accordance with such laws and regulations as it may adopt, permit entry of and grant exemption from all customs duties, taxes,…
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| Article 51 |
Estate of a member of the consular post or of a member of his family
In the event of the death of a member of the consular post or of a member of his family forming part of his household, the receiving State: (a) shall permit the…
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| Article 52 |
Exemption from personal services and contributions
The receiving State shall exempt members of the consular post and members of their families forming part of their households from all personal services, from…
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| Article 53 |
Beginning and end of consular privileges and immunities
1.Every member of the consular post shall enjoy the privileges and immunities provided in the present Convention from the moment he enters the territory of…
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| Article 54 |
Obligations of third States
1.If a consular officer passes through or is in the territory of a third State, which has granted him a visa if a visa was necessary, while proceeding to take…
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| Article 55 |
Respect for the laws and regulations of the receiving State
1.Without prejudice to their privileges and immunities, it is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities to respect the laws and…
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| Article 56 |
Insurance against third-party risks
Members of the consular post shall comply with any requirements imposed by the laws and regulations of the receiving State, in respect of insurance against…
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| Article 57 |
Special provisions concerning private gainful occupation
1.Career consular officers shall not carry on for personal profit any professional or commercial activity in the receiving State. 2.Privileges and immunities…
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| Article 58 |
General provisions relating to facilities, privileges and immunities
1.Articles 28, 29, 30, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39, paragraph 3 of article 54 and paragraphs 2 and 3 of article 55 shall apply to consular posts headed by an…
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| Article 59 |
Protection of the consular premises
The receiving State shall take such steps as may be necessary to protect the consular premises of a consular post headed by an honorary consular officer against…
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| Article 60 |
Exemption from taxation of consular premises
1.Consular premises of a consular post headed by an honorary consular officer of which the sending State is the owner or lessee shall be exempt from all…
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| Article 61 |
Inviolability of consular archives and documents
The consular archives and documents of a consular post headed by an honorary consular officer shall be inviolable at all times and wherever they may be,…
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| Article 62 |
Exemption from customs duties
The receiving State shall, in accordance with such laws and regulations as it may adopt, permit entry of, and grant exemption from all customs duties, taxes,…
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| Article 63 |
Criminal proceedings
If criminal proceedings are instituted against an honorary consular officer, he must appear before the competent authorities. Nevertheless, the proceedings…
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| Article 64 |
Protection of honorary consular officers
The receiving State is under a duty to accord to an honorary consular officer such protection as may be required by reason of his official position.
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| Article 65 |
Exemption from registration of aliens and residence permits
Honorary consular officers, with the exception of those who carry on for personal profit any professional or commercial activity in the receiving State, shall…
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| Article 66 |
Exemption from taxation
An honorary consular officer shall be exempt from all dues and taxes on the remuneration and emoluments which he receives from the sending State in respect of…
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| Article 67 |
Exemption from personal services and contributions
The receiving State shall exempt honorary consular officers from all personal services and from all public services of any kind whatsoever and from military…
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| Article 68 |
Optional character of the institution of honorary consular officers
Each State is free to decide whether it will appoint or receive honorary consular officers.
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| Article 69 |
Consular agents who are not heads of consular posts
1.Each State is free to decide whether it will establish or admit consular agencies conducted by consular agents not designated as heads of consular post by the…
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| Article 70 |
Exercise of consular functions by diplomatic missions
1.The provisions of the present Convention apply also, so far as the context permits, to the exercise of consular functions by a diplomatic mission. 2.The names…
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| Article 71 |
Nationals or permanent residents of the receiving State
1.Except insofar as additional facilities, privileges and immunities may be granted by the receiving State, consular officers who are nationals of or…
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| Article 72 |
Non-discrimination
1.In the application of the provisions of the present Convention the receiving State shall not discriminate as between States. 2.However, discrimination shall…
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| Article 73 |
Relationship between the present Convention and other international agreements
1.The provisions of the present Convention shall not affect other international agreements in force as between States Parties to them. 2.Nothing in the…
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| Article 74 |
Signature
The present Convention shall be open for signature by all States Members of the United Nations or of any of the specialized agencies or Parties to the Statute…
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| Article 75 |
Ratification
The present Convention is subject to ratification. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
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| Article 76 |
Accession
The present Convention shall remain open for accession by any State belonging to any of the four categories mentioned in article 74. The instruments of…
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| Article 77 |
Entry into force
1.The present Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of the twenty-second instrument of ratification or…
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| Article 78 |
Notifications by the Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all States belonging to any of the four categories mentioned in article 74: (a) of signatures to the…
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| Article 79 |
Authentic texts
The original of the present Convention, of which the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the…
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| Article -Treaty |
Treaty - VCCR
Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
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