International Focus Magazine Premiere Edition | Page 9

Many Houston-based consulates
provide U.S. citizens and citizens of
other countries with visas to travel
abroad and notary services. Having consulates based in the city saves
Houstonians valuable time when inperson interviews are required to obtain travel documents.
With regard to protecting the nationals of the countries they represent, consular officials provide many
services. For example, should a national from the country represented
be arrested, local law enforcement
agencies have a duty to notify the
consulate in that jurisdiction at the
detained person’s request. Consuls
also provide the nationals they represent with documents such as passports, temporary travel documents,
birth certificates and national identification cards.

The Vienna Convention

(consulates) of consular officials are
inviolable; however, residences and
cars of consuls can be searched. If a
consul has consular files at home or in
the vehicle, those particular files can’t
be searched. Likewise, we would not
expect local authorities abroad to violate U.S. consulates or embassies.

Useful Terminology

Co