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Is the German embassy in London bound by the Equality Act 2010 and cabinet office guidance on medical mask wearing exemptions? The website explicitly state that in order to enter the Passport section of the embassy it is "required to wear a protective face covering (without valve)". Further it mentions that "In order to claim an exemption you will need to present a corresponding medical certificate in your name." So the general question would be whether the German embassy in London is bound by German law or by British law?

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Laws of the host country do apply in foreign embassies, but the authorities of the host country may only enforce laws in a foreign embassy by invitation of the foreign diplomatic delegation.

So the general question would be whether the German embassy in London is bound by German law or by British law?

It is subject to both, but the embassy can decide to what extent British law applies.

In the case of a mask mandate imposed by British authorities, the embassy may require its occupants and visitors to comply with the conditions imposed under British law. It could also refrain from imposing such a requirement. In fact, unless German law prohibits a mask requirement, it can impose a mask requirement on its own initiative even if there is none imposed by British law nor German law.

Is the German embassy London bound by the Equality Act 2010 and cabinet office guidance on medical mask wearing exemptions?

It is not bound, but it may comply voluntarily.

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    If a mask mandate is voluntarily implemented, reasonable accommodations must still be made for disabled individuals which means a medically exempt person must be served without unreasonable demands for substantiation like presenting proof of medically exempt status. According to British law
    – JosephCorrectEnglishPronouns
    Commented Apr 7, 2022 at 12:28
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    @JosephP Not only in British law. In the real world, they would enforce their 'Hausrecht' ('householder's right') that will be a combination of both. German law could be enforced on the employees of the Embassy/Consulate, but not realisticly on any visitors. British law can be enforced at the request of the responsible Embassy/Consulate official.
    – Mark Johnson
    Commented Apr 7, 2022 at 15:25
  • What do you mean by the statement "not only in British law"?
    – JosephCorrectEnglishPronouns
    Commented Apr 8, 2022 at 7:59
  • @JosephP That there are also other countries that deal with the special cases for medically exempt persons.
    – Mark Johnson
    Commented Apr 8, 2022 at 9:12
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    @JosephP. Which no court can impose on the embassy in the first place.
    – Trish
    Commented Apr 9, 2022 at 8:45
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Embassies are special

Embassies are special in that by default not the laws of the host country apply, but the laws of the country that has them regulate their operations. That's more a practical thing: Law enforcement of the host can't do anything in the embassy that isn't allowed to happen by the ambassador.

In the German embassy, no English law can be enforced without the consent of the ambassador.

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  • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.
    – feetwet ♦
    Commented Apr 8, 2022 at 14:07
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Any office is free to put up requirements above the ones required by law. If UK law requires that you need to wear a mask when entering an office like the German embassy, the German embassy must require you to wear a mask. If UK law doesn't require it, then the German embassy is allowed to require a mask, and to require proof of an exemption if you don't want to wear one.

The German embassy in London would also be required to follow German law, but not because it's the German law, but because their paymaster (German government) tells them so.

But the question has nothing to do with being a German embassy, it would apply to any office in the UK. Any office can go beyond the legal requirements.

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    No this is plainly incorrect. If a business institutes mask requirement policies they must make reasonable accommodations for accessibility so as not to unlawfully discriminate. Government guidance on application of equality legislation to mask requirements forbids demanding proof of medical exemption status.
    – JosephCorrectEnglishPronouns
    Commented Apr 7, 2022 at 12:25
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    The applicability of British law to the sovereign embassy however is central to this issue.
    – JosephCorrectEnglishPronouns
    Commented Apr 7, 2022 at 12:26
  • If you have a medical exemption, what's the problem showing it? If you lie about having a medical exemption, why should the German embassy do anything for you?
    – gnasher729
    Commented Apr 7, 2022 at 13:12
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    These questions are beside the point that it is illegal to require you to show it. But possible problems may include convenience and privacy or pride.
    – JosephCorrectEnglishPronouns
    Commented Apr 7, 2022 at 16:16
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    "If UK law requires that you need to wear a mask when entering an office like the German embassy, the German embassy must require you to wear a mask": such a requirement would not be directly enforceable by British authorities. If a diplomatic mission decides that it wants to flaunt mask requirements (or any similar aspects of domestic law such as occupancy restrictions or wheelchair accessibility or what have you), the British government can do one of three things: try to talk them into changing their minds (this is diplomacy, after all), tolerate the flaunting, or expel the diplomats.
    – phoog
    Commented Apr 7, 2022 at 20:45

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