Law-ref.org Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
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ARTICLE-1: DEFINITIONS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (c) "head of consular post" means the person charged with the duty of acting in that capacity; ...
... (d) "consular officer" means any person, including the head of a consular post, entrusted in that capacity with the exercise of consular functions; ...
... (e) "consular employee" means any person employed in the administrative or technical service of a consular post; ...
... (f) "member of the service staff" means any person employed in the domestic service of a consular post; ...
... (i) "member of the private staff" means a person who is employed exclusively in the private service of a member of the consular post; ...


ARTICLE-5: CONSULAR FUNCTIONS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (c) ascertaining by all lawful means conditions and developments in the commercial, economic, cultural and scientific life of the receiving State, reporting thereon to the Government of the sending State and giving information to persons interested; ...
... (d) issuing passports and travel documents to nationals of the sending State, and visas or appropriate documents to persons wishing to travel to the sending State; ...
... (h) safeguarding, within the limits imposed by the laws and regulations of the receiving State, the interests of minors and other persons lacking full capacity who are nationals of the sending State, particularly where any guardianship or trusteeship is required with respect to such persons; ...
... (h) safeguarding, within the limits imposed by the laws and regulations of the receiving State, the interests of minors and other persons lacking full capacity who are nationals of the sending State, particularly where any guardianship or trusteeship is required with respect to such persons; ...


ARTICLE-15: TEMPORARY EXERCISE OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE HEAD OF A CONSULAR POST     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 2. The full name of the acting head of post shall be notified either by the diplomatic mission of the sending State or, if that State has no such mission in the receiving State, by the head of the consular post, or, if he is unable to do so, by any competent authority of the sending State, to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the receiving State or to the authority designated by that Ministry. As a general rule, this notification shall be given in advance. The receiving State may make the admission as acting head of post of a person who is neither a diplomatic agent nor a consular officer of the sending State in the receiving State conditional on its consent. ...


ARTICLE-18: APPOINTMENT OF THE SAME PERSON BY TWO OR MORE STATES     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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. ...


ARTICLE-22: NATIONALITY OF CONSULAR OFFICERS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 2. Consular officers may not be appointed from among persons having the nationality of the receiving State except with the express consent of that State which may be withdrawn at any time. ...


ARTICLE-23: PERSONS DECLARED "NON GRATA"     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 not acceptable. In that event, the sending State shall, as the case may be, either recall the person concerned or terminate his functions with the consular post. ...
... 2. If the sending State refuses or fails within a reasonable time to carry out its obligations under paragraph 1 of this Article, the receiving State may, as the case may be, either withdraw the exequatur from the person concerned or cease to consider him as a member of the consular staff. ...
... 3. A person appointed as a member of a consular post may be declared unacceptable before arriving in the territory of the receiving State or, if already in the receiving State, before entering on his duties with the consular post. In any such case, the sending State shall withdraw his appointment. ...


ARTICLE-24: NOTIFICATION TO THE RECEIVING STATE OF APPOINTMENTS, ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (b) the arrival and final departure of a person belonging to the family of a member of a consular post forming part of his household and, where appropriate, the fact that a person becomes or ceases to be such a member of the family; ...
... (b) the arrival and final departure of a person belonging to the family of a member of a consular post forming part of his household and, where appropriate, the fact that a person becomes or ceases to be such a member of the family; ...
... (d) the engagement and discharge of persons resident in the receiving State as members of a consular post or as members of the private staff entitled to privileges and immunities. ...


ARTICLE-32: EXEMPTION FROM TAXATION OF CONSULAR PREMISES     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 shall be exempt from all national, regional or municipal dues and taxes whatsoever, other than such as represent payment for specific services rendered. ...
... 2. The exemption from taxation referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall not apply to such dues and taxes if, under the law of the receiving State, they are payable by the person who contracted with the sending State or with the person acting on its behalf. ...
... 2. The exemption from taxation referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall not apply to such dues and taxes if, under the law of the receiving State, they are payable by the person who contracted with the sending State or with the person acting on its behalf. ...


ARTICLE-36: COMMUNICATION AND CONTACT WITH NATIONALS OF THE SENDING STATE     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (b) if he so requests, the competent authorities of the receiving State shall, without delay, inform the consular post of the sending State if, within its consular district, a national of that State is arrested or committed to prison or to custody pending trial or is detained in any other manner. Any communication addressed to the consular post by the person arrested, in prison, custody or detention shall also be forwarded by the said authorities without delay. The said authorities shall inform the person concerned without delay of his rights under this sub-paragraph; ...
... (b) if he so requests, the competent authorities of the receiving State shall, without delay, inform the consular post of the sending State if, within its consular district, a national of that State is arrested or committed to prison or to custody pending trial or is detained in any other manner. Any communication addressed to the consular post by the person arrested, in prison, custody or detention shall also be forwarded by the said authorities without delay. The said authorities shall inform the person concerned without delay of his rights under this sub-paragraph; ...


ARTICLE-37: INFORMATION IN CASES OF DEATHS, GUARDIANSHIP OR TRUSTEESHIP, WRECKS AND AIR ACCIDENTS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (b) to inform the competent consular post without delay of any case where the appointment of a guardian or trustee appears to be in the interests of a minor or other person lacking full capacity who is a national of the sending State. The giving of this information shall, however, be without prejudice to the operation of the laws and regulations of the receiving State concerning such appointments; ...


ARTICLE-40: PROTECTION OF CONSULAR OFFICERS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 dignity. ...


ARTICLE-48: SOCIAL SECURITY EXEMPTION     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 3. Members of the consular post who employ persons to whom the exemption provided for in paragraph 2 of this Article does not apply shall observe the obligations which the social security provisions of the receiving State impose upon employers. ...


ARTICLE-49: EXEMPTION FROM TAXATION     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 3. Members of the consular post who employ persons whose wages or salaries are not exempt from income tax in the receiving State shall observe the obligations which the laws and regulations of that State impose upon employers concerning the levying of income tax. ...


ARTICLE-50: EXEMPTION FROM CUSTOMS DUTIES AND INSPECTION     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (b) articles for the personal use of a consular officer or members of his family forming part of his household, including articles intended for his establishment. The articles intended for consumption shall not exceed the quantities necessary for direct utilization by the persons concerned. ...


ARTICLE-53: BEGINNING AND END OF CONSULAR PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 3. When the functions of a member of the consular post have come to an end, his privileges and immunities and those of a member of his family forming part of his household or a member of his private staff shall normally cease at the moment when the person concerned leaves the receiving State or on the expiry of a reasonable period in which to do so, whichever is the sooner, but shall subsist until that time, even in case of armed conflict. In the case of the persons referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, their privileges and immunities shall come to an end when they cease to belong to the household or to be in the service of a member of the consular post provided, however, that if such persons intend leaving the receiving State within a reasonable period thereafter, their privileges and immunities shall subsist until the time of their departure. ...
... 3. When the functions of a member of the consular post have come to an end, his privileges and immunities and those of a member of his family forming part of his household or a member of his private staff shall normally cease at the moment when the person concerned leaves the receiving State or on the expiry of a reasonable period in which to do so, whichever is the sooner, but shall subsist until that time, even in case of armed conflict. In the case of the persons referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, their privileges and immunities shall come to an end when they cease to belong to the household or to be in the service of a member of the consular post provided, however, that if such persons intend leaving the receiving State within a reasonable period thereafter, their privileges and immunities shall subsist until the time of their departure. ...
... 3. When the functions of a member of the consular post have come to an end, his privileges and immunities and those of a member of his family forming part of his household or a member of his private staff shall normally cease at the moment when the person concerned leaves the receiving State or on the expiry of a reasonable period in which to do so, whichever is the sooner, but shall subsist until that time, even in case of armed conflict. In the case of the persons referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, their privileges and immunities shall come to an end when they cease to belong to the household or to be in the service of a member of the consular post provided, however, that if such persons intend leaving the receiving State within a reasonable period thereafter, their privileges and immunities shall subsist until the time of their departure. ...


ARTICLE-54: OBLIGATIONS OF THIRD STATES     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 4. The obligations of third States under paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this Article shall also apply to the persons mentioned respectively in those paragraphs, and to official communications and to consular bags, whose presence in the territory of the third State is due to force majeure. ...


ARTICLE-55: RESPECT FOR THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE RECEIVING STATE     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 regulations of the receiving State. They also have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State. ...


ARTICLE-57: SPECIAL PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRIVATE GAINFUL OCCUPATION     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (b) to members of the family of a person referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph or to members of his private staff; ...


ARTICLE-60: EXEMPTION FROM TAXATION OF CONSULAR PREMISES     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 2. The exemption from taxation referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall not apply to such dues and taxes if, under the laws and regulations of the receiving State, they are payable by the person who contracted with the sending State. ...


ARTICLE-61: INVIOLABILITY OF CONSULAR ARCHIVES AND DOCUMENTS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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, provided that they are kept separate from other papers and documents and, in particular, from the private correspondence of the head of a consular post and of any person working with him, and from the materials, books or documents relating to their profession or trade. ...


ARTICLE-71: NATIONALS OR PERMANENT RESIDENTS OF THE RECEIVING STATE     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 2. Other members of the consular post who are nationals of or permanently resident in the receiving State and members of their families, as well as members of the families of consular officers referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, shall enjoy facilities, privileges and immunities only in so far as these are granted to them by the receiving State. Those members of the families of members of the consular post and those members of the private staff who are themselves nationals of or permanently resident in the receiving State shall likewise enjoy facilities, privileges and immunit ies only in so far as these are granted to them by the receiving State. The receiving State shall, however, exercise its jurisdiction over those persons in such a way as not to hinder unduly the performance of the functions of the consular post. ...