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 Timor-Leste, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in Timor-Leste.

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 Timor-Leste 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 Timor-Leste, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in Timor-Leste

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.

Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, is a relatively young nation that gained independence in 2002. As a small country, it has a limited number of foreign diplomatic missions. The capital of Timor-Leste, Dili hosts 17 embassies.

There are also 6 consulates and three other representations located in Timor-Leste.

All consulates and honorary consulates are located in Dili, except for those countries who own an embassy in the capital of Timor-Leste and might have another diplomatic mission outside the capital.

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

Embassies and Main Consulates in Dili

Several countries maintain embassies in Dili, the capital city of Timor-Leste.

Australia

Embassy of Australia in Timor-Leste

Address: Avenida dos Martires da Patria, Dili
Tel: (+670) 3322 111
E-Mail: austemb_dili@dfat.gov.au
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/AustralianEmbassyTimorLeste

The Australian Embassy in Dili provides consular assistance to Australian and Canadian citizens travelling and living in Timor-Leste. To find out more about our role, and what services we can and can't provide, please read our Consular Services Charter.

Please note the Australian Embassy cannot provide any medical care or advice to Australian citizens living or travelling in Timor Leste.

Brazil

Embassy of Brazil in Timor-Leste

Address: Avenida Governador Serpa Rosa, Farol, Dili
Tel: (+670) 332 4203, 332 1728, 332 2290 (Consular Section)
E-Mail: administ.dili@itamaraty.gov.br and brasemb.dili@itamaraty.gov.br
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/EmbaixadaBrasilDili/
Opening hour: From 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm (Monday to Friday)

The Embassy of Brazil in Timor-Leste provides passports and ID cards’ services, nationality, family and inheritance matters, criminal records, visa and entry, lawyers, doctors and translators and customs service, etc.

China

Embassy of China in Timor-Leste

Address: Avenida Governador Serpa Rosa, Dili
Tel: (+670) 332 5166
E-Mail: chinaembtp@mfa.gov.cn and consulate_tmp@mfa.gov.cn
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 09:00 - 12:00

The consular section provides a range of services such as document authentication and legalisation processing, as well as notary certification and marriage registration, visa affairs and consular protection to all Chinese living in Timor-Leste.

Japan

Embassy of Japan in Timor-Leste

Address: Avenida de Portugal, Pantai Kelapa, Dili (P.O. Box 175)
Tel: (+670) 332 3131
E-Mail: japan.embassy.in.timor-leste@di.mofa.go.jp
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/people/Embassy-of-Japan-in-Timor-Leste/
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 08:45 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 17:30

The Japanese embassy provides a range of consular services such as visa* and passport processing as well as document legalisation (birth certificate, marriage, and death certificate, etc…) and police clearance certificate.

*Visa applications are accepted only in the morning.

Indonesia

Indonesian Embassy in Timor-Leste

Address: Rua Karketu Mota-Ain N*2, Suco Motael, Sub Distrik Vera Cruz, Dili
Tel: (+607) 332 3684
E-Mail: dili.kbri@kemlu.go.id
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/IndonesianEmbassyDili and https://twitter.com/indonesiadili and https://www.instagram.com/indonesiadili/

The Embassy of Indonesia in Timor-Leste, based in Dili, offers consular services to handle the processing of passports and visas, Civil Registry queries (births, marriages, deaths, acquisition of nationality, family books), inquiries about the electoral process, registration and cancellations in the Consular Registration Registry, CERA and to carry out notarial procedures (powers of attorney, minutes of statements, wills, etc.), among others.

USA (United States of America)

Embassy of the United States of America in Timor-Leste

Address: Avenida de Portugal, Praia Dos Coqueiros, Dili
Tel: (+607) 332 4686
E-Mail: PADili@state.gov and ConsDili@state.gov
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/USEmbassyDili/ and https://twitter.com/USEmbassyDili
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 08.00 to 17.00

The US representation in Timor-Leste provides a range of consular services such as regular passport applications and renewals, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA), and notarial services, assistance on death of a U.S. Citizen and emergency financial assistance, etc.

Honorary Consulates in Timor-Leste

Some countries may have consulates rather than full embassies. However, the number of consulates is limited. Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in Timor-Leste, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other countries, often Jakarta, in Indonesia for Timor-Leste.

General Consulates and embassies in Dili

• Brunei (embbruneidili@mfa.gov.bn)
• Republic of Korea (koreadili@mofa.go.kr)
• Malaysia (mwdili@kln.gov.my)
• Mexico (consularino@sre.gob.mx)
• New Zealand (dili@mfat.govt.nz)
• Philippines (dili.pe@dfa.gov.ph)
• Portugal (atendimento.dili@mne.pt)
• Thailand (thaidli@mfa.go.th)