Our embassy in Vienna

The British Embassy in Vienna is part of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), which has diplomatic missions in capital cities throughout the world. In Commonwealth countries these are known as high commissions and in other countries embassies. In some countries there are also consulates, which are smaller and based in major cities besides the capital. The Foreign Office also runs missions to international organisations, including the United Nations and the European Union.

The British Embassy in Vienna represents the British government in Austria. Its role is to liaise with the Austrian government and institutions on behalf of UK ministries and official institutions and to deliver the UK’s priorities in Austria. The head of the Embassy is the Ambassador, who is Her Majesty The Queen’s representative and as such the United Kingdom's official representative in Austria.

The UK diplomatic presence in Austria consists of three separate missions:

The British Embassy in Vienna
The UK Delegation to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (UKDEL)
The UK Mission to the United Nations in Vienna (UKMIS)

The three missions have a total staff of about 50 diplomatic employees, sent from the headquarters in London for periods of 3 to 4 years, and 35 locally employed staff.

Structure of the British Embassy in Vienna

The Embassy consists of the following sections:

Political Section

Political Section, also known as Chancery, is the main channel of communication between the UK and Austrian governments, and with the provincial governors of Austria and their offices. The Ambassador and Chancery officers maintain close links with Austrian ministers and officials in order to promote the views of the British government, understand those of the Austrian government and exchange views on matters of common interest.

Trade and Investment Section

Promoting British exports and inward investment into the UK is the Foreign Office's largest overseas activity. Trade and Investment Section works as part of UK Trade and Investment, a partnership between the FCO and the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform. It developes and promotes British trade overseas and promotes and advises on Austrian investment in the UK. For this purpose Trade and Investment Section staff provide a range of services to UK and Austrian businesses, drawing on their specialist knowledge of the Austrian market. For further information, visit the Doing business section of this website.

Consular Section

Consular staff protect the interests of British citizens visiting or living in Austria. This includes helping British citizens in distress. For further information, visit the Help for British Nationals and Passports sections of this website.

Visa Section

The British Embassy in Warsaw processes visa applications made at the British Embassy Vienna . Please go to the visa pages for more information on this.

Press & Public Affairs Section

This section is in charge of the Embassy's media and public relations. It runs an annual programme of public diplomacy work, to inform and engage individuals and organisations in Austria, to improve understanding of the UK and to help deliver the UK’s international strategic priorities in Austria.

UK in Austria