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

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 Yemen 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 Yemen, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in Yemen

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.

The capital of Yemen, Sana’a hosts 19 embassies*. There are also 14 consulates and other representations located in Yemen.

*Note that Yemen's current situation regarding embassies and consulates is complex due to ongoing conflict and instability in the country. As of April 2024, most foreign embassies closed or relocated: Due to security concerns, many countries have closed their embassies in Sana'a (the capital) or relocated them to other cities or neighbouring countries.
Therefore, neighbouring countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Jordan are hosting the political and diplomatic representations.

Most countries provide consular services to their citizens in Yemen through embassies in other countries or through remote means.

Honorary Consulates in Yemen

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

As mentioned, Honorary Consulates are currently being supervised by diplomatic representations located in other countries, often Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia or Cairo, in Egypt for Yemen.

General Consulates and embassies in Sana’a

• Austria (maskat-ob@bmeia.gv.at). The Embassy in Muskat, Oman offers consular services for Austria in Yemen
• Bulgaria  
• Canada - For emergency consular assistance, call the Embassy of Canada to Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh (ryadh-cs@international.gc.ca)
• Egypt
• Iran
• Iraq
• Kuwait  
• Russia (yemenrusemb@mid.ru - Russian Embassy in Yemen (office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
• Sweden (ambassaden.kairo@gov.se - Embassy of Sweden in Cairo handle requests)
• Turkey (embassy.riyadh@mfa.gov.tr - Turkish Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is processing consular services for Yemen).

Some international organisations maintain a presence in Yemen to provide humanitarian assistance, often coordinating with local partners.