Verdrag van Wenen inzake consulaire betrekkingen

For the purposes of the present Convention, the following expressions shall have the meanings hereunder assigned to them:

1. (a)

   “consular post” means any consulate-general, consulate, vice-consulate or consular agency;

2. (b)

   “consular district” means the area assigned to a consular post for the exercise of consular functions;

3. (c)

   “head of consular post” means the person charged with the duty of acting in that capacity;

4. (d)

   “consular officer” means any person, including the head of a consular post, entrusted in that capacity with the exercise of consular functions;

5. (e)

   “consular employee” means any person employed in the administrative or technical service of a consular post;

6. (f)

   “member of the service staff” means any person employed in the domestic service of a consular post;

7. (g)

   “members of the consular post" means consular officers, consular employees and members of the service staff;

8. (h)

   “members of the consular staff” means consular officers, other than the head of a consular post, consular employees and members of the service staff;

9. (i)

   “member of the private staff” means a person who is employed exclusively in the private service of a member of the consular post;

10. (j)

    “consular premises” means the buildings or parts of buildings and the land ancillary thereto, irrespective of ownership, used exclusively for the purposes of the consular post;

11. (k)

    “consular archives” includes all the papers, documents, correspondence, books, films, tapes and registers of the consular post, together with the ciphers and codes, the card-indexes and any article of furniture intended for their protection or safekeeping.

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.

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.