Law-ref.org Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
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PREAMBLE     [go to this PREAMBLE]
... The States Parties to the present Convention, ...
... Considering that the United Nations Conference on Diplomatic Intercourse and Immunities adopted the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations which was opened for signature on 18 April 1961, ...
... Believing that an international convention on consular relations, privileges and immunities would also contribute to the development of friendly relations among nations, irrespective of their differing constitutional and social systems, ...
... Affirming that the rules of customary international law continue to govern matters not expressly regulated by the provisions of the present Convention, ...


ARTICLE-1: DEFINITIONS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 1. For the purposes of the present Convention, the following expressions shall have the meanings hereunder assigned to them: ...
... 2. Consular officers are of two categories, namely career consular officers and honorary consular officers. The provisions of Chapter II of the present Convention apply to consular posts headed by career consular officers; the provisions of Chapter III govern consular posts headed by honorary consular officers. ...
... 3. The particular status of members of the consular posts who are nationals or permanent residents of the receiving State is governed by Article 71 of the present Convention. ...


ARTICLE-3: EXERCISE OF CONSULAR FUNCTIONS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... Consular functions are exercised by consular posts. They are also exercised by diplomatic missions in accordance with the provisions of the present Convention. ...


ARTICLE-5: CONSULAR FUNCTIONS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (b) furthering the development of commercial, economic, cultural and scientific relations between the sending State and the receiving State and otherwise promoting friendly relations between them in accordance with the provisions of the present Convention; ...


ARTICLE-10: APPOINTMENT AND ADMISSION OF HEADS OF CONSULAR POSTS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 2. Subject to the provisions of the present Convention, the formalities for the appointment and for the admission of the head of a consular post are determined by the laws, regulations and usages of the sending State and of the receiving State respectively. ...


ARTICLE-13: PROVISIONAL ADMISSION OF HEADS OF CONSULAR POSTS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 provisions of the present Convention shall apply. ...


ARTICLE-14: NOTIFICATION TO THE AUTHORITIES OF THE CONSULAR DISTRICT     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 competent authorities of the consular district. It shall also ensure that the necessary measures are taken to enable the head of a consular post to carry out the duties of his office and to have the benefit of the provisions of the present Convention. ...


ARTICLE-15: TEMPORARY EXERCISE OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE HEAD OF A CONSULAR POST     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 3. The competent authorities of the receiving State shall afford assistance and protection to the acting head of post. While he is in charge of the post, the provisions of the present Convention shall apply to him on the same basis as to the head of the consular post concerned. The receiving State shall not, however, be obliged to grant to an acting head of post any facility, privilege or immunity which the head of the consular post enjoys only subject to conditions not fulfilled by the acting head of post. ...


ARTICLE-17: PERFORMANCE OF DIPLOMATIC ACTS BY CONSULAR OFFICERS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 2. A consular officer may, after notification addressed to the receiving State, act as representative of the sending State to any inter-governmental organization. When so acting, he shall be entitled to enjoy any privileges and immunities accorded to such a representative by customary international law or by international agreements; however, in respect of the performance by him of any consular function, he shall not be entitled to any greater immunity from jurisdiction than that to which a consular officer is entitled under the present Convention. ...


ARTICLE-53: BEGINNING AND END OF CONSULAR PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 the receiving State on proceeding to take up his post or, if already in its territory, from the moment when he enters on his duties with the consular post. ...
... 2. Members of the family of a member of the consular post forming part of his household and members of his private staff shall receive the privileges and immunities provided in the present Convention from the date from which he enjoys privileges and immunities in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article or from the date of their entry into the territory of the receiving State or from the date of their becoming a member of such family or private staff, whichever is the latest. ...


ARTICLE-54: OBLIGATIONS OF THIRD STATES     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 up or return to his post or when returning to the sending State, the third State shall accord to him all immunities provided for by the other Articles of the present Convention as may be required to ensure his transit or return. The same shall apply in the case of any member of his family forming part of his household enjoying such privileges and immunities who are accompanying the consular officer or travelling separately to join him or to return to the sending State. ...
... 3. Third States shall accord to official correspondence and to other official communications in transit, including messages in code or cipher, the same freedom and protection as the receiving State is bound to accord under the present Convention. They shall accord to consular couriers who have been granted a visa, if a visa was necessary, and to consular bags in transit, the same inviolability and protection as the receiving State is bound to accord under the present Convention. ...
... 3. Third States shall accord to official correspondence and to other official communications in transit, including messages in code or cipher, the same freedom and protection as the receiving State is bound to accord under the present Convention. They shall accord to consular couriers who have been granted a visa, if a visa was necessary, and to consular bags in transit, the same inviolability and protection as the receiving State is bound to accord under the present Convention. ...


ARTICLE-55: RESPECT FOR THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE RECEIVING STATE     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 3. The provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article shall not exclude the possibility of offices of other institutions or agencies being installed in part of the building in which the consular premises are situated, provided that the premises assigned to them are separate from those used by the consular post. In that event, the said offices shall not, for the purposes of the present Convention, be considered to form part of the consular premises. ...


ARTICLE-58: GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO FACILITIES, PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 3. Privileges and immunities provided in the present Convention shall not be accorded to members of the family of an honorary consular officer or of a consular employee employed at a consular post headed by an honorary consular officer. ...


ARTICLE-70: EXERCISE OF CONSULAR FUNCTIONS BY DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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. ...


ARTICLE-72: NON-DISCRIMINATION     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 1. In the application of the provisions of the present Convention the receiving State shall not discriminate as between States. ...
... (a) where the receiving State applies any of the provisions of the present Convention restrictively because of a restrictive application of that provision to its consular posts in the sending State; ...
... (b) where by custom or agreement States extend to each other more favourable treatment than is required by the provisions of the present Convention. ...


ARTICLE-73: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PRESENT CONVENTION AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 present Convention shall preclude States from concluding international agreements confirming or supplementing or extending or amplifying the provisions thereof. ...


ARTICLE-74: SIGNATURE     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 of the International Court of Justice, and by any other State invited by the General Assembly of the United Nations to become a Party to the Convention, as follows until 31 October 1963 at the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria and subsequently, until 31 March 1964, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. ...
... 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 of the International Court of Justice, and by any other State invited by the General Assembly of the United Nations to become a Party to the Convention, as follows until 31 October 1963 at the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria and subsequently, until 31 March 1964, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. ...


ARTICLE-75: RATIFICATION     [go to this ARTICLE]
... The present Convention is subject to ratification. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. ...


ARTICLE-76: ACCESSION     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. ...


ARTICLE-77: ENTRY INTO FORCE     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 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 accession with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. ...
... 2. For each State ratifying or acceding to the Convention after the deposit of the twenty-second instrument of ratification or accession, the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after deposit by such State of its instrument of ratification or accession. ...
... 2. For each State ratifying or acceding to the Convention after the deposit of the twenty-second instrument of ratification or accession, the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after deposit by such State of its instrument of ratification or accession. ...


ARTICLE-78: NOTIFICATIONS BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (a) of signatures to the present Convention and of the deposit of instruments of ratification or accession, in accordance with Articles 74, 75 and 76; ...
... (b) of the date on which the present Convention will enter into force, in accordance with Article 77. ...


ARTICLE-79: AUTHENTIC TEXTS     [go to this ARTICLE]
... The original of the present Convention, of which the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall send certified copies thereof to all States belonging to any of the four categories mentioned in Article 74. ...
... IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, being duly authorized thereto by their respective Governments, have signed the present Convention. ...