Timeline for Do I need a serious reason to enter a US Embassy as a US Citizen?
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20 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 3, 2019 at 14:19 | comment | added | UKMonkey | I would add that "you need an appointment" is not the same as "you can't" ... calling them to say you want to look around may well be allowed | |
| Feb 1, 2019 at 0:22 | comment | added | jpmc26 | The website says they "cannot store" electronic devices. I would interpret that to mean they actually throw your phone away if you "leave [it] at the security checkpoint." | |
| Jan 31, 2019 at 20:05 | vote | accept | LampPost | ||
| Jan 31, 2019 at 19:06 | comment | added | Eric | When I lived in the Netherlands, you could enter the consulate as an ordinary US citizen without an appointment for consular services, but you had to take a number and wait in line. As an ordinary US citizen, you could not enter the US embassy. They would turn you away at the security checkpoint. | |
| Jan 31, 2019 at 12:04 | comment | added | Mołot | +1. Same in Poland, if it is not an emergency, you need an appointment. | |
| Jan 31, 2019 at 9:22 | comment | added | jwenting | @DavidRicherby many people assume that you enter the hosted country when entering the embassy grounds. You don't, you are still in the host country but as you say special considerations apply. If they didn't, every marine guard at most embassies around the world would be in prison on weapons charges instantly for example. And there'd be no way for Julian Assange to stay in an embassy in London without being hauled out by Scotland Yard. | |
| Jan 31, 2019 at 9:12 | comment | added | David Richerby | @jwenting Why is this simple concept so difficult to so many people? The physical embassy and its grounds are usually the property of the hosted country, but they are a part of the territory of the host country. It really is just like any home or business: the ownership of the building and land and the territorial jurisdiction are two separate things. The only difference is that diplomatic missions have some protections under the Vienna Convention. | |
| Jan 31, 2019 at 7:50 | comment | added | Pavel | The answer for other countries consulates/embassy will probably be different - when my father was working in Azerbaijan, he regularly visited the Czech consulate for a beer with the consul. I believe it was by invitation, I'd have to ask if it were possible to have a beer with the consul without an appointment. | |
| Jan 31, 2019 at 5:38 | comment | added | jwenting | @sharur the grounds of a consulate or embassy are provided as a courtesy by the host country but remain property of the host country. The buildings on that ground may be provided by the host country or constructed by the embassy (in many countries they're existing, often monumental, structures). | |
| Jan 31, 2019 at 1:11 | comment | added | smci | Do they sell Lamingtons? | |
| Jan 30, 2019 at 19:50 | comment | added | David Richerby | @sharur See also the sources in the Wikipedia article on diplomatic missions. | |
| Jan 30, 2019 at 19:47 | comment | added | David Richerby | @sharur No, really. Embassies and consulates are all part of the host territory. I'm not sure I can give you an authoritative source but note that Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that the premises of a diplomatic mission (embassy, consulate, etc.) must not be entered by the host country without permission. If the embassy was not the territory of the host country, that statement would be redundant: obviously, one country cannot enter the territory of another without permission. | |
| Jan 30, 2019 at 19:23 | comment | added | sharur | @DavidRicherby: I've been confused by this in the past, but my understanding is that Harper is correct, and an embassy is the territory of its owner, but a consulate being the property of its host nation. Is there an authoritative source for this anywhere, in either direction? | |
| Jan 30, 2019 at 14:59 | comment | added | David Richerby | @Harper I did actually laugh out loud at your joke but, damnit, embassies remain the territory of the host country; they merely agree not to enforce their laws there. | |
| Jan 30, 2019 at 13:16 | comment | added | Janus Bahs Jacquet | Similarly, I’ve been to the Danish embassy-consulate in Beijing and the (erstwhile) Chinese consulate in Copenhagen. In Beijing, there was heavily armed security and screening (despite having an appointment); in Copenhagen, anyone could walk in, and you didn’t need an appointment for the consulate (though you did for the embassy, which is in a separate location). Didn’t even have to ring a doorbell, just walked straight in. | |
| Jan 30, 2019 at 6:29 | comment | added | Bohemian | Having been in the US consolate in Melbourne (for a work visa) I can affirm that you must have an appointment (allow at least 2 weeks lead time) and leave everything but your clothes and paperwork with security. Notably, mobile phones, laptops, etc are not allowed in. However, they bag and tag anything surrenderd to security and you can collect it when you exit no problem. | |
| Jan 30, 2019 at 2:31 | comment | added | user61942 | Totally right, I don't think there are any US consulates anywhere that don't enforce an insane level of security. To renew my passport in Southern France required a very formal appointment, a metal detector, leaving everything behind... When a few of us were invited by the consul to a meeting on local matters, we had a not-so-funny situation where we couldn't set a meeting time because everyone's cell phone had been held up front. So after that we just arranged to meet the consul at a cafe :-). | |
| Jan 29, 2019 at 23:26 | comment | added | Peter M | I didn't read your last sentence until after I posted my comment above, but the Australian embassy in DC has an art gallery that anyone can come in and see. | |
| Jan 29, 2019 at 22:44 | comment | added | Augustine of Hippo | +1 Additionally it’s worth noting that outside a tour, even with an appointment you’re only going to see about three rooms (of a 50+ room complex) where appointments are held. So that’s not exactly getting to look around. | |
| Jan 29, 2019 at 22:29 | history | answered | Doc | CC BY-SA 4.0 |