List of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom


This is a list of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, excluding honorary consulates. The UK has one of the largest global networks of diplomatic missions. UK diplomatic missions to capitals of other Commonwealth of Nations member countries are known as High Commissions. For three Commonwealth countries, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office still uses the term "Deputy High Commission" for Consulates-General, although this terminology is being phased out.
In 2004, the FCO carried out a review of the deployment of its diplomatic missions, and subsequently over a two-year period closed its missions in Nassau, Asunción, Dili, Maseru, Mbabane, Antananarivo, Nuku'alofa, Tarawa, and Port Vila. Additionally several consulates and trade offices were also closed, including those in Fukuoka, Vientiane, Douala, Porto, along with Frankfurt, Leipzig, and Stuttgart in Germany, and Phoenix, San Juan, and Dallas in the United States. Other consulates in Australia, Germany, France, Spain, New Zealand, and the US were downgraded and staffed by local personnel only. In 2012, Foreign Secretary William Hague announced the opening of embassies in Liberia and Haiti, the re-opening of embassies in Laos, El Salvador, and Paraguay, and the opening of a Consulate-General in Recife. He also said that by 2015, the UK would have opened up to eleven new embassies and eight new Consulates or Trade Offices. In 2013, a UK government office was established in Seattle. In 2014, all services at the former UK Consulate in Orlando were transferred to the nearby UK Consulate-General in Miami. In 2015, the UK Consulate-General in Denver was reclassified as a UK Government Office.
In 2018 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has announced that new High Commissions will open in Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Grenada, Lesotho, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Swaziland, Tonga and Vanuatu and a British office in Somaliland like the one in Taipei, Taiwan

Africa

The United Kingdom is one of two countries, the other being Thailand, that uses diplomatic flags abroad. These special flags are flown on their embassy and consulate buildings. For High Commissions, the Union Flag is used. In addition, there is a flag in use for British consular vessels in international or foreign waters.
FlagUseDescription
Flag used by British EmbassiesA Union Flag defaced with the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
Flag used by British High CommissionsA Union Flag
Flag used by British Consulates and Consulates-GeneralA Union Flag defaced with the Royal Crown
Flag used by Consular officials onboard vesselsA Blue Ensign with the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom