The status of Consuls in the United Kingdom is regulated by the Consular Relations Act 1968 giving effect to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR) of 24 April 1963.
In order to appoint a Consul the mission concerned should send a Note Verbale to Protocol Directorate notifying them of the proposed appointment. As specified by Article 11(1) of the VCCR this Note should certify the Consul’s capacity, full name, address (if Honorary Consul), category, consular district and the seat of the consular post. The candidate’s CV should also accompany the Note. Honorary Consuls should be based a short distance from the Honorary Consulate premises and be a permanent resident of the United Kingdom.
Protocol Directorate will then issue a Secretary of State’s Exequatur, formally recognising the Consul or Honorary Consul in question and signed on behalf of the Secretary of State by the Deputy Head of Protocol Directorate. A Note Verbale will also be sent to the Mission in question confirming the appointment and inviting the mission to complete and return forms Form 1 (notification of staff) and Form 2 (application for an FCDO identity card). As specified in Article 12(3) of the VCCR, “the head of a consular post shall not enter upon his duties until he has received an exequatur”.
Please allow a minimum of 3 weeks for an official reply from Protocol Directorate.
King’s Exequatur for Career Consuls
Protocol Directorate does not require the submission of Letters of Commission, signed by the sending mission’s Head of State. If, however, a Letter of Commission is submitted, Protocol will issue a King’s Exequatur. The King’s Exequatur is signed by His Majesty The King and the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. It is not standard Protocol Directorate policy to retain Letters of Commission, and these will be returned to the Consul in question if requested. Unlike the Secretary of State’s Exequatur, The King’s Exequatur is not required for a Consul to assume duties.
Please allow a minimum of 12 weeks for a King’s Exequatur.
Procedure for appointing a new Consul to British Overseas Territories
Requests for the appointment of Consuls to the Overseas Territories should also be sent to Protocol Directorate, who will consult the Overseas Territory concerned. The procedure and timeframe is the same as that outlined above regarding the United Kingdom.
Protocol Directorate does not issue FCDO ID cards to Consuls based in Overseas Territories, and no Form 1 need be submitted when they are appointed.