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The Consular Corps of Southern Sweden

A consulate is the prolonged arm of a country's embassy, situated more locally. Each country decides on its own consulate's particular function, but in the main a consulate conducts the following duties:
  • The consulate shall protect the interests of its citizens in Sweden. At a majority of consulates it is possible to receive assistance with the authentication of documents, or even help with visa and passport questions.
  • A consulate shall also promote relations between the host country and Sweden. This can include trade relations, cultural exchange and tourism. The consulate frequently helps companies with import and export matters, assists with cultural exchange and promotes tourism to and from the country.
  • As a rule the consulate possesses comprehensive knowledge about the nation it represents. Questions about the country can often be answered at the consulate.
  • Every consulate is led by a consul. The vast majority of consuls are not salaried by the state they represent, although a few consulates are manned by professional consular staff.
  • Consuls with appointments in southern Sweden work together through an association 'The Consular Corps of Southern Sweden', one of three regional organisations in the Corps Consulaire en Suède. In turn this body is affiliated to the Fédération Internationale des Corps et Associations Consulaires. The status and role of a consul is regulated by international convention, the so-called Vienna Convention.