This is a list of diplomatic missions of the Holy See. Since the fifth century, long before the founding of the

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

State in 1929, papal envoys (now known as

nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international ...

s) have represented the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

to foreign potentates. Additionally, papal representatives known not as nuncios but as apostolic delegates ensure contact between the Holy See and the Catholic Church in countries that do not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See. At present, there is one residential apostolic delegate, for Jerusalem and Palestine, as well as non-residential delegates for four countries (

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by th ...

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...

Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...

, and

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...

) and for the territories and countries without diplomatic relations with the Holy See in three regions (the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...

, the Caribbean, the Pacific Ocean). For

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

, the 21st-century appointees of the Holy See have been given the title "pontifical representative". In keeping with the "one China" policy, no representative is appointed for

mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the China, People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming Island, Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territorie ...

, and the Holy See is represented in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...

by an apostolic nunciature, headed not by a nuncio, but only by a

chargé d'affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassado ...

. In addition to the countries mentioned above that have apostolic delegations, the following nations do not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See:

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...

, and

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northea ...

Description

In most respects the status of the diplomatic missions of the

are identical with those of other countries, with the exception of the nomenclature: apostolic nuncios have ambassadorial rank and apostolic nunciatures are ranked as embassies. However, in most countries of central and western Europe and of central and southern America, as well as in a few countries elsewhere, the nuncio is granted precedence over other ambassadors and is dean of the diplomatic corps from the moment he presents his credentials. The Holy See, which does not issue visas, does not have

consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth co ...

s. Apostolic delegates and their missions do not have diplomatic status as nuncios and nunciatures do. In countries that allow it, the apostolic nunciature is sometimes, though rarely, located outside the capital, perhaps in towns with particularly important religious connections, such as the village of

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populatio ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, the site of

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

's grotto, and Harissa in Lebanon where

Maronite The Maronites ( ar, الموارنة; syr, ܡܖ̈ܘܢܝܐ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region of the Middle East, whose members traditionally belong to the Maronite Church, with the lar ...

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...

and

Melkite Greek Catholic Church el, Μελχιτική Ελληνική Καθολική Εκκλησία , image = Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Damascus, Syria.jpg , imagewidth = 200px , alt = , caption = , abbreviatio ...

authorities are located. In other countries that is not permitted: when India opened diplomatic relations with the Holy See, the apostolic delegation moved from

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

to the capital,

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...

; and in Australia the mission moved from

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

. In

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, the nunciature is located in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

. Listed below are the Holy See's apostolic nunciatures, apostolic delegations, and observer or representative missions to international governmental organizations — such as the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

, the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it has 46 member states, with a p ...

and the

Arab League The Arab League ( ar, الجامعة العربية, ' ), formally the League of Arab States ( ar, جامعة الدول العربية, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world, which is located in Northern Africa, Western Africa, E ...

.Pages 1343–1372 of the 2007 edition ()

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Oceania

* **

( Apostolic Nunciature) * **

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...

( Apostolic Nunciature) * **

Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...

( Apostolic Nunciature)

Multilateral organisations

* United Nations, New York ( Permanent Observer) * United Nations, Geneva ( Permanent Observer) * Council of Europe, Strasbourg ( Permanent Observer) * Paris ( Permanent Observer of the Holy See to UNESCO) * Nairobi UN agencies: UNEP and UN-Habitat * Madrid to UNWTO * Rome to FAO and food programs * Vienna (Perm Rep/Perm Obs to International orgs & U.N. in Vienna) *

United Nations Industrial Development Organization The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (French: Organisation des Nations unies pour le développement industriel; French/Spanish acronym: ONUDI) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that assists countries in ...

(UNIDO) *

International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 195 ...

(IAEA) *

International Committee of Military Medicine The International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM) is an international and intergovernmental organization consisting of more than one hundred states. The ICMM was established in 1921, in response to concerns over the lack of care provided d ...

(ICMM) *

International Institute for the Unification of Private Law UNIDROIT (formally, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law; French: ''Institut international pour l'unification du droit privé'') is an intergovernmental organization whose objective is to harmonize international priva ...

(UNIDROIT) *

International Organization for Migration The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a United Nations agency that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers. The IOM wa ...

(IOM) *

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force on 29 April 1997. The OPCW, with its 193 member ...

(OPCW) *

Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, or CTBTO Preparatory Commission, is an international organization based in Vienna, Austria, that is tasked with building up the verification regime of the Com ...

(CTBTO) ;Regional *

Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, mi ...

(ASEAN) * Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) * Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

Gallery

File:Be Apostolic nunciature 01.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Berlin File:Vatikanische Apostolische Nuntiatur in Bern, Schweiz.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Bern File:Nunciatura-Apostolica.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Bogotá File:Nunciatura apostolica BSB 02.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Brasília File:CABA - Recoleta - Nunciatura de la ciudad de Buenos Aires.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Buenos Aires File:Apostolic Nuncio in Canberra.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Canberra File:Apostolic Nunciature, Jakarta.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Jakarta File:Carnegielaan 5, Den Haag 02.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in The Hague File:Embassy of Vatican in Kyiv.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Kyiv File:Lisboa nuncjatura.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Lisbon File:Apostolic Nunciature (geograph 3452459).jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in London File:Nunciatura Apostólica de la Santa Sede en Ciudad de México.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Mexico City File:Apostolic nunciature in Minsk, Belarus 2.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Minsk File:Nunciatura apostólica Montevideo.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Montevideo File:Moscow, Tikhvinskaya 37-7.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Moscow File:Papal Nuncio, Ottawa.JPG, Apostolic Nunciature in Ottawa File:Nonciature apostolique en France, Paris.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Paris File:Apostolic nunciature Prague 3044.JPG, Apostolic Nunciature in Prague File:Apostolic Nunciature in Pretoria.JPG, Apostolic Nunciature in Pretoria File:Apostolic nunciature, Sarajevo 2.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Sarajevo File:Holy See Embassy, Seoul.png, Apostolic Nunciature in Seoul File:NunciatureSofia.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Sofia File:Apostolic_Nunciature_to_China_(2015-).jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Taipei File:Israel Batch 1 (85).JPG, Apostolic Nunciature in Tel Aviv File:Ambasada e Vatikanit, Tirane.JPG, Apostolic Nunciature in Tirana File:ローマ法王庁大使館正門.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Tokyo File:Rabat Malta Walk 19.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Valletta File:Apostolische Nuntiator Wien DSC 9195w.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Vienna File:Apostolic Nunciature to Lithuania in Vilnius.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Vilnius File:Nuncjatura Stolicy Apostolskiej w Polsce 2018.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Warsaw File:ApostolicNunciatureWashingtonDC.jpg, Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C.

Nunciatures that have ceased to exist

The following nunciatures are among those that have ceased to exist: *

Apostolic Nunciature to Bavaria Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Chur ...

* Apostolic Nunciature to Cologne * Apostolic Nunciature to Czechoslovakia * Apostolic Nunciature to Florence * Apostolic Nunciature to Gratz *

Apostolic Nunciature to the Emperor The Apostolic Nuncio to Austria is an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio with the rank of an ambassador. It originated as t ...

* Apostolic Nunciature to Naples * Apostolic Nunciature to Prussia * Apostolic Nunciature to Savoy * Apostolic Nunciature to Venice * Apostolic Nunciature to Yugoslavia

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Diplomatic Missions Of The Holy See Catholic ecclesiastical titles

Diplomatic missions