List of diplomatic missions of the Holy See
Nuncio postings outside the Vatican
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of diplomatic missions of the Holy See. Since the fifth century, long before the founding of the Vatican City State in 1929, papal envoys (now known as nuncios) have represented the Holy See 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, Laos, Comoros, Kosovo, and Somalia) and for the territories and countries without diplomatic relations with the Holy See in three regions (the Arabian Peninsula, the Caribbean, the Pacific Ocean). For Vietnam, the 21st-century appointees of the Holy See have been given the title "pontifical representative".[a] In keeping with the "one China" policy, no representative is appointed for mainland China, and the Holy See is represented in Taipei by an apostolic nunciature, headed not by a nuncio, but only by a chargé d'affaires.
In addition to the countries mentioned above that have apostolic delegations, the following nations do not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See: Afghanistan, Bhutan, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Tuvalu.[3]
Description
In most respects the status of the diplomatic missions of the Holy See 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.[citation needed] The Holy See, which does not issue visas, does not have consulates.
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 in Malta, the site of Saint Paul's grotto, and Harissa in Lebanon where Maronite, Greek Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic Church 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 to the capital, New Delhi; and in Australia the mission moved from Sydney to Canberra. In Israel, the nunciature is located in Tel Aviv.
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 Council of Europe and the Arab League.[4]
Africa
Americas
Asia
Armenia
Bangladesh
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Georgia
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Malaysia
Pakistan
Palestine
- East Jerusalem (Apostolic Delegation)[75]
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Syria
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
- Hanoi (Papal Resident Representative Office)
Europe
Oceania
Multilateral organisations
Gallery
Apostolic Nunciature in Berlin
Apostolic Nunciature in Bern
Apostolic Nunciature in Bogotá
Apostolic Nunciature in Brasília
Apostolic Nunciature in Buenos Aires
Apostolic Nunciature in Canberra
Apostolic Nunciature in Guatemala City
Apostolic Nunciature in Jakarta
Apostolic Nunciature in The Hague
Apostolic Nunciature in Kyiv
Apostolic Nunciature in Lisbon
Apostolic Nunciature in London
Apostolic Nunciature in Mexico City
Apostolic Nunciature in Minsk
Apostolic Nunciature in Montevideo
Apostolic Nunciature in Moscow
Apostolic Nunciature in Ottawa
Apostolic Nunciature in Paris
Apostolic Nunciature in Prague
Apostolic Nunciature in Pretoria
Apostolic Nunciature in Sarajevo
Apostolic Nunciature in Seoul
Apostolic Nunciature in Sofia
Apostolic Nunciature in Taipei
Apostolic Nunciature in Tel Aviv
Apostolic Nunciature in Tirana
Apostolic Nunciature in Tokyo
Apostolic Nunciature in Valletta
Apostolic Nunciature in Vienna
Apostolic Nunciature in Vilnius
Apostolic Nunciature in Warsaw
Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C.
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Nunciatures that have ceased to exist
The following nunciatures are among those that have ceased to exist:
See also
Notes
- They are Leopoldo Girelli appointed 13 January 2011[1] and Marek Zakewski appointed 21 May 2018[2]
- Also accredited to
São Tomé and Príncipe. - Also accredited to
Equatorial Guinea. - Also accredited to
Oman, & the 
Arab League. - Also accredited to
Djibouti, 
Somalia, & the 
African Union. - Also accredited to the
United Nations Environment Programme & 
United Nations Human Settlements Programme. - Also accredited to
Gambia & 
Sierra Leone. - Also accredited to
Comoros, 
Mauritius, & 
Seychelles. - Also accredited to the
Economic Community of West African States. - Also accredited to
Cape Verde, 
Guinea-Bissau, & 
Mauritania. - Also accredited to
Antigua and Barbuda, 
Bahamas, 
Barbados, 
Belize, 
Dominica, 
Grenada, 
Guyana, 
Jamaica, 
Saint Kitts and Nevis, 
Saint Lucia, 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 
Suriname, 
Caribbean Community. - Also accredited to the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. - Also accredited to
Kyrgyzstan & 
Tajikistan. - Also accredited to
Azerbaijan & 
Turkmenistan. - Also accredited to
Luxembourg. - Also accredited to
Montenegro. - Also accredited to
North Macedonia. - Originally the Apostolic Nunciature to Czechoslovakia, it was renamed as the Apostolic Nunciature to the Czech Republic after the country's division into the Czech and Slovak republics in 1992. A separate mission to Slovakia was created in 1993.
- The Apostolic Nunciature's jurisdiction covers both the independent Irish republic and Northern Ireland, which is a constituent country of the United Kingdom.
- Also accredited to
San Marino. - Also accredited to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
- Established in 1920 as the Apostolic Nunciature to Serbia (Yugoslavia). After numerous renamings during the Interwar Period, the mission was renamed the Apostolic Nunciature to Yugoslavia in 1929. This lasted even after the dissolution of Yugoslavia into successor states in 1992. As each successor state subsequently conducted diplomatic relations with the Holy See, the mission's jurisdiction shrank to cover only the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro in 2003, leading to its renaming as the Apostolic Nunciature to Serbia and Montenegro. In 2006, following the breakup of said union, the mission was renamed for the final time as the Apostolic Nunciature to Serbia.
- Established in 1993, after the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which led to the renaming of the resident mission in Prague into the Apostolic Nunciature to the Czech Republic.
- Also accredited to
Liechtenstein & 
Monaco. - Even though other diplomatic missions are appointed to the United Kingdom, that of the Holy See is appointed to Great Britain. The Apostolic Nunciature's jurisdiction covers only 3 of the 4 constituent countries of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, and Wales; on the other hand, Northern Ireland, is under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Nunciature to Ireland.
- Also accredited to
Cook Islands, 
Fiji, 
Kiribati, 
Marshall Islands, 
Micronesia, 
Nauru, 
Niue, 
Palau, 
Samoa, & 
Vanuatu. - Also accredited to
Solomon Islands. - Also accredited to the
International Fund for Agricultural Development & World Food Programme. - Also accredited to the International Organization for Migration &
World Trade Organization. - Continues as an Apostolic Nunciature to Germany.
- Continues as an Apostolic Nunciature to Italy.
- Continues as an Apostolic Nunciature to Austria.
