Structure

　　Main functions

　　The Department of Consular Affairs is responsible for facilitating and providing service to people-to-people exchange between China and foreign countries. The role includes:

　　· advancing China’s consular relationship with foreign countries, involving establishing consular posts, holding bilateral consular consultation, negotiating and signing consular conventions and agreements facilitating personnel exchange

　　· issuing diplomatic passports, service passports and passports for public affairs, providing consular-related notary and authentication services, processing overseas visa application for Chinese official visit, making out rules and regulations concerning all the above

　　· providing consular assistance and protection to Chinese citizens and drafting relating regulations, publishing travel advice and alert

　　· administering foreign consular posts in China, coordinating the handling of criminal and civil cases involving foreign nationals in China and making representations

　　· undertaking works relating to overseas Chinese

　　· providing support and guidance to Chinese diplomatic missions and consular posts overseas and the foreign affairs offices of local governments in delivering consular services.