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’s interests in Reunion, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in Reunion.

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 Reunion 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 also has 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 another 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 Reunion, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in La Reunion

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends on 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 citizens residing abroad.

La Réunion is an overseas department and region of France located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. As such, it is part of the European Union and follows French diplomatic protocols.

Since La Réunion is not an independent country but a part of France, the capital of La Reunion, Saint-Denis does not host any embassies.. Embassies are typically established in capital cities of sovereign nations.

However, there are 13 consulates located in Saint-Denis, Reunion. All consulates and honorary consulates are located in Saint-Denis.

You will find below a list of countries that have a diplomatic mission in Reunion. The list includes all consulate contacts.

Consulates in La Reunion

Several countries have established consulates or honorary consulates in La Réunion. These serve to represent the interests of their citizens on the island and to facilitate trade and cultural relations.

For most consular services, residents of La Réunion would typically need to contact the relevant embassy or consulate in mainland France or in nearby countries. Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in La Reunion, it is advised to contact diplomatic representations located in other countries, often the consulate or embassy located in Paris, in France or Port Louis, in Mauritius, as Réunion is officially a department and region of France.

General Consulates in Saint-Denis

• Belgium
• China (chinaconsul_re_fr@mfa.gov.cn)
• Comoros (consulat.comores.reunion@gmail.com)
• Germany (st-denis@hk-diplo.de)
• India (cons.reunion@mea.gov.in)
• Italy (saintdenis.onorario@esteri.it)
• Madagascar
• Mauritius
• Netherlands (vcnlreunion@orange.fr)
• Norway
• Seychelles
• Spain
• Switzerland (reunion@honrep.ch)

Many countries are represented by honorary consuls in La Réunion. These are often local residents appointed to act as official representatives of a foreign government.