Policy on the Accreditation of Service Staff
Circular Note No. XDC-0531 of April 27, 2005
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade presents its compliments to Their Excellencies the Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Chargés d'affaires, a.i. accredited to Canada and has the honour to update and clarify its policy governing the accreditation of "members of the service staff" as referred to in Articles 1(g) of the (VCDR) and 1(f) of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR).
This note supersedes Part I(1)(a) of the Department's circular note XDC-2482 of February 10, 1999 and should be read in conjunction with s. 3 of circular note XDC-1760 of October 30, 1997.
Members of the service staff are defined as either members of the staff of the mission in the domestic service of the mission, which includes the official residence, or those employed in the domestic service of a consular post. These persons are paid directly by, and considered as representatives of, the sending State, and should therefore not be presented as members of a particular household or suite for the purpose of accreditation. Further, given Articles 1(i) of the VCDR and 1(j) of the VCCR, the Department would like to emphasize that long-standing Canadian policy does not provide for the accreditation of members of the service staff who exercise their functions outside mission or consular premises and/or reside in the residence of a diplomatic agent or consular officer.
The Department of Foreign Affairs takes this opportunity to renew to Their Excellencies the Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Chargés d'affaires, a.i. accredited to Canada the assurances of its highest consideration.
OTTAWA, April 27, 2005
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