# What's the difference between a consulate and an embassy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 2, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-consulate-and-an-embassy/243079 "2004-05-02T01:12:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zoltarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/dc4da7/32.png) [@Zoltarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoltarb)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-consulate-and-an-embassy/243079/1 "2004-05-02T01:12:24Z")
Some countries have an embassy, some a consulate. Some have both. Aren’t they both the same thing? And do either of them have diplomatic immunity? Lotta questions there, so I’ll let you guys answer them. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-consulate-and-an-embassy/243079/2 "2004-05-02T01:32:04Z")
> [@Zoltarb](#): > > Some countries have an embassy, some a consulate. Some have both. Aren’t they both the same thing? And do either of them have diplomatic immunity? > Lotta questions there, so I’ll let you guys answer them. Ah, embassies have Ambassadors? Consulates, consuls? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-consulate-and-an-embassy/243079/3 "2004-05-02T01:39:03Z")
url=http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20000824.html]answer here ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-consulate-and-an-embassy/243079/4 "2004-05-02T01:40:09Z")
[I mean here](http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20000824.html) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-consulate-and-an-embassy/243079/5 "2004-05-02T01:54:34Z")
Briefly, an embassy is the official representative of one government to another; they are nearly always located in the capital city of the country. Consulates handle routine business (visas, tourist inquiries, etc.) only and can be located anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Zoltarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/dc4da7/32.png) [@Zoltarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoltarb)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-consulate-and-an-embassy/243079/6 "2004-05-02T01:57:13Z")
Ah. I see. So to put it in simpler terms, the Ambassador handles the international affairs, and the consuls just work with regular citizens and handle day to day affairs? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-consulate-and-an-embassy/243079/7 "2004-05-02T02:22:32Z")
An embassy and a consulate are not the same thing. Speaking for American facilities only: An medium to large embassy typically has a full staff of reporting officers; political, economic, defense, etc. An embassy may also have a CIA station and a communications staff, as well as a Marine security guard contingent. Typically, an embassy will also have a consular section, which handles the visa/passport/American in distress functions. The senior member of an embassy is the Ambassador or the Charge d’Affaires, who is the senior American in the country. He outranks every other American there, including any senior military officers. He is the direct representative of the POTUS. Depending on size, an embassy may also have a very large administrative and support staff that ranges from personnel and finance functions to maintenance and construction services, to motor pool functions, among many. A consulate normally handles the chores mentioned above, although a very large consulate (such as the one in Frankfurt, Germany) may have many of the functions described above, particularly the support personnel. The Consul General (or ConGen, as most refer to him/her) is the senior American at a consulate, but will never outrank an Ambassador. There was another thread very recently about diplomatic immunity, so I won’t address that topic. You’ll have to search for it. Hope this all helps answer your question. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-consulate-and-an-embassy/243079/8 "2004-05-02T02:27:16Z")
I bet the food’s better at the embassy. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-consulate-and-an-embassy/243079/9 "2004-05-02T02:44:07Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > I bet the food’s better at the embassy. Not necessarily. Depends on the country and the staff they hire. The snack bar in Bamako was clueless. Americans generally want American-type food such as burgers and sandwiches. These folks were pretty sad, even though they were hired based on their claims of being able to make things like spaghetti sauce. When you’re poor, you’ll say anything to get a job, however temporary. Now the embassy restaurant in Copenhagen was one of the best places to eat in the city, complete with a wine cellar, if I recall correctly. Consulates are generally too small to support a cafeteria.