Embassies and Consulates in Antigua and Barbuda

UN Members' flags - Credit: Wikimedia, Aotearoa

In most of the countries you will find diplomatic missions, which usually refers to an embassy and/or a consulate. Diplomatic bodies represent other country interests in Antigua and Barbuda, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in Antigua and Barbuda.

Embassies and consulates are considered legal territories of their home countries. They are not "foreign territory" but they are protected and considered the property of the country using them, meaning that Antigua and Barbuda does not have jurisdiction over the embassy or consulate of another country.

What is the difference between Embassy and Consulate

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations international treaty defines the diplomatic mission’s purpose and framework. The various diplomatic missions offer several services and carry out different missions. For example:

  • Embassy: This is the primary diplomatic representation of a country’s government and is headed by an ambassador. An embassy is the main location for a diplomatic presence of one country in another. A country has at most one embassy in another country, and is always established in the capital city of the host country. In the absence of a consulate in a country, the embassy has also a consular section to carry out all the relevant consular services (see below).
  • Consulate General: This is a diplomatic mission, headed by a consul that provides a full range of services such as: issuing passports/visas, keeping birth and marriage records, assisting expats, providing legal information, translations etc. It can be located in any major city of the host country, although often in the capital city (in certain cases, in the same building as the embassy). In major countries and large territories, you often have more than one consulate.
  • Honorary Consulate: It supplements the Consulate to provide a limited range of consular services and is headed by an honorary consul. They help nationals abroad. For example, in the event of a hospital stay, missing person, death, natural disaster or other emergency. They can also issue emergency travel documents and consular declarations for which the applicant is required to appear in person.

NB: You will usually apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country you want to visit. However, if there is no such representation in Antigua and Barbuda, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in Antigua and Barbuda

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends of the political situation, the relationship with the host country, the size of the country, and the number of foreign citizens living there.

In some cases, countries can share representations and you can be assisted by the services of another embassy or consular service to get the information you need.

We recommend you register/contact your country’s embassy at your destination. It is a free service provided by any diplomatic mission and it will allow them to record information about your upcoming trip abroad. It can be used to assist you in case of an emergency.

Registration will also allow you to get routine information from your nearest embassy or consulate, as citizen residing abroad.

The Antigua and Barbuda capital, St. John’s hosts 5 embassies and high commissions.

There are also 12 consulates.

All consulates and honorary consulates are located in St. John’s.

You will find below a list of selected countries (the list is not exhaustive) that have a diplomatic mission in Antigua and Barbuda. The list includes embassies, consulates, honorary consulates and sometime other official representations for you to be able to get information and services.

Embassies and Main Consulates in St. John’s, Antigua

China

Chinese Embassy in Antigua and Barbuda

Address: Mckinnons Way, P.O.Box 1446, Saint John, Antigua
Tel: (+1 268) 462 1125 / 783 1071
E-Mail: chinaemb_ag@mfa.gov.cn
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/ChineseEmbassyinAntiguaandBarbuda/
Opening hours: Monday: 09:30-11:30a.m.
Wednesday: 15:00-16:30p.m.
Friday: 09:30-11:30a.m.

The Chinese Embassy in Antigua and Barbuda provides reception of the public (consular affairs), register of Chinese nationals established outside China, identity cards and passports, civil status: marriages, births ..., other steps (legalization of signature, driver's license...), elections, national service and assembly of nationals abroad.

United Kingdom

United Kingdom High Commission in Antigua and Barbuda

Address: PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 11 Old Parham Road P.O. Box 1531, St. John's
Tel: (+1 268) 561 5046
E-Mail: Contact and ukinantigua@fcdo.gov.uk
Social Media: https://twitter.com/ukincaribbean and https://www.facebook.com/UKinBarbadosandEC/

The British High Commission in St John’s does not provide consular services. For consular assistance, contact the British High Commission in Barbados

Honorary Consulates in Antigua and Barbuda

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in Antigua and Barbuda, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other country, often Castries in St. Lucia or Bridgetown, in Barbados for Antigua and Barbuda

Honorary Consulates in St. John’s

*It includes all French Embassies to the OECS Member States and Barbados in Saint Lucia, which includes Antigua and Barbuda, with consular jurisdiction over Trinidad-and-Tobago and the British Overseas territories of Anguilla, Monserrat and Tortola.