The status of consular posts in the context of international law is defined in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 24 April 1963. The Convention recognizes two types of consular posts: 

• consular posts headed by career consular officers and  
• consular posts headed by honorary consular officers.

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations does not make a distinction between the two categories of consular posts as regards the appointment of heads of consular posts and the exercise of consular functions.

However, there are differences in status between the two categories of consular posts, especially with regard to their privileges and immunities. The special status of honorary consuls is explained in detail in Chapter III of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

The two categories have also different tasks assigned to them under the laws and regulations of the Czech Republic and of the EU. In general, the honorary consulates of the Czech Republic do not perform all tasks pertaining to consular posts headed by career consular officers. For example, honorary consuls do not issue visas or organize voting in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary or presidential elections.

Powers and competences of the honorary consul are established by the Statute of the Honorary Consular Officer of the Czech Republic and specified in further detail in the Instructions relating to the Exercise of Consular Functions, supplied to each honorary consul when he takes up his functions.

The network of honorary consulates began to redevelop immediately after the major political reforms that occurred in former Czechoslovakia after the November of 1989. In June 1990, the then federal government approved the project of establishing honorary consulates and the first honorary consulates opened in the same year. Many of the newly appointed honorary consuls continued their work after the establishment of the independent Czech Republic on 1 January 1993. 

Persons appointed as honorary consuls should be responsible and respected individuals, who live in the region on a long-term basis and are familiar with local administration as well as with economic and cultural life, and who have a network of good local contacts in the region. A proposal to appoint an honorary consul and to establish an honorary consulate is usually presented by the Czech diplomatic mission, i.e. the Embassy of the Czech Republic, in the given country. The honorary consul is then appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. His appointment is subject to the consent of the receiving State in which the honorary consul will represent the Czech Republic.

The role of an honorary consul is to voluntarily serve the interests of the Czech Republic abroad. His work is supervised by the head of the Czech Republic’s diplomatic mission accredited to the given country, or by a career consul general. The honorary consul should further the economic, commercial and cultural interests of the Czech Republic, promote bilateral relations in these fields and, last but not least, provide assistance to Czech nationals, especially in cases of emergency. He should also help promote tourism and direct contacts between the people of both countries.

It is evident that, in many respects, honorary consuls play an important role in helping Czech diplomacy abroad to fulfil its objectives. In today’s globalized world, their contribution will be increasingly important.