Protocol Guidelines
2. HEADS OF MISSION
2.1 Agrément
2.2 Australian citizens and permanent residents of Australia
2.3 Multiple accreditation
2.4 Arrival in Australia
2.5 Order of precedence
2.6 Presentation of credentials2.6.1 Form of address for letters of credence and recall
2.6.2 Presentation of working copies
2.6.3 Ceremony of presentation2.7 Calls
2.7.1 Secretary and Officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
2.7.2 Ministers and dignitaries
2.7.3 Prime Minister
2.7.4 Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
2.7.5 States and Territories
2.7.6 Diplomatic Corps2.8 Absences - appointment of Chargé d'Affaires a.i./Acting High Commissioner
2.9 Departure
2.10 Non-resident Heads of Mission2.10.1 Initial visit
2.10.2 Working visits
2.10.3 Departure
2.1 Agrément
Requests for agrément for new Heads of Mission are submitted to the Chief of Protocol. Such requests may be made in the form of a note or letter from the mission concerned in Canberra, or from the Foreign Ministry of the sending State or, in the case of non-resident missions, by communication through the Australian mission in the capital where the Head of Mission resides. A formal response to a request for agrément can usually be expected within four to six weeks.
Australia has a strict practice of maintaining confidentiality of Head of Mission nominations until agrément has been formalised.
2.2 Australian citizens and permanent residents of Australia
A person who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident will not be accepted as a Head of Mission by the Australian Government except in exceptional circumstances. If agrément is given for such an appointment, the privileges and immunities of the Head of Mission concerned will be those provided for in Article 38(1) of the VCDR (ie solely in respect of "official acts performed in the exercise of his functions").
2.3 Multiple accreditation
In accordance with Article 5(1) of the VCDR, the Department should be notified of any proposal by a sending State to accredit a Head of Mission concurrently to another State. The Department would prefer that notification of multiple accreditation be sent by note verbale.
The Department expects a Head of Mission normally resident in Australia to present credentials in Australia before presenting in other countries of accreditation.
2.4 Arrival in Australia
The Head of Mission-designate will normally arrive in Australia at either Sydney or Melbourne airport. If the Department is given advance notice of the itinerary, airport facilitation can be arranged. Such facilitation is only available to the Head of Mission on his/her first arrival in Australia. Missions should note carefully, in this context, Section 5.5 of these Guidelines.
Diplomatic or consular officials meeting a Head of Mission-designate should request facilitation in accordance with Section 14.5 of these Guidelines.
On arrival at Canberra Airport, if this is during normal working hours, the Head of Mission-designate will be met by the Chief of Protocol or a representative. Missions are requested to make the necessary arrangements for handling the Head of Mission-designate's baggage and for transport. The Chief of Protocol or his/her representative will take leave of the incoming resident Head of Mission-designate at the airport.
2.5 Order of precedence
Ambassadors and High Commissioners who present Letters of Credence/Commission officially take up their functions upon presentation of their Letters to the Governor-General. Credentials are presented strictly in the order of Heads of Missions’ arrival in Canberra (not from the date of arrival in Australia).
Those High Commissioners who represent countries where the Queen is the Head-of-State present Letters of Introduction to the Prime Minister rather than Letters of Credence to the Governor-General and take up their functions and assume precedence from the date of arrival in Canberra.
A Head of Mission-designate who has presented the working copies of the Letters to the Chief of Protocol (Section 2.6.2) may perform limited official acts while waiting for presentation. These may include a call on the Dean of the Corps, calls on the Secretary of the Department and other senior officials, and on other Heads of Mission. Generally, it is not regarded as appropriate for a Head of Mission-designate to host official functions or to call on Ministers until credentials have been formally presented.
2.6 Presentation of credentials
The Department will make the necessary arrangements for those High Commissioners who present Letters of Introduction to call on the Prime Minister for this purpose. The Chief of Protocol will accompany the High Commissioner on the call, but there is no ceremonial element.
The following sections deal with the formal procedures for the presentation to the Governor-General of Letters of Credence/Commission signed by Heads of State.
2.6.1 Form of address for letters of credence and recall
Letters of credence and recall should be addressed to:
"His Excellency Major General Philip Michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia"2.6.2 Presentation of working copies
In Australia, the working copies of Letters of Credence and Recall (in the original language with English translations) are presented to the Chief of Protocol as the Foreign Minister's representative.
For this purpose, the Chief of Protocol will receive the incoming Head of Mission within a day or two of arrival in Canberra. During that meeting, which the Chargé d'Affaires a.i. or the Acting High Commissioner may also attend, the Chief of Protocol will brief the Head of Mission-designate on the ceremonial procedures for the presentation of the Letters to the Governor-General.
The call on the Chief of Protocol will be followed by calls on relevant senior Departmental officials. Where time permits and/or other pressures allow, a call on the Secretary of the Department will be scheduled prior to the presentation of credentials.
2.6.3 Ceremony of presentation
Every effort will be made to give the Head of Mission-designate, before arrival in Australia, an indication of when credentials may be presented. Since the ceremonies take place strictly in the order in which Heads of Mission-designate arrive in Canberra, no firm commitment on a date and time can be given before the Head of Mission-designate reaches Canberra and presents working copies of Letters to the Chief of Protocol.
Please note that usually at least two Heads of Mission-designate and no more than four can present at any one credentials ceremony. Credentials ceremonies are tentatively scheduled once a month.
To allow adequate time for the necessary preparations to be made, the ceremony will usually take place at least one week after the Head of Mission-designate's arrival.
Heads of Mission-designate will be asked to provide biographical details of their spouse and the names of up to three members of the diplomatic staff who will accompany them for the occasion.
Should a Head of Mission-designate or spouse wish to use a language other than English during the ceremony, and hence need the services of an interpreter, the longest possible advance notice of this requirement is sought.
The ceremony takes place at Government House, Yarralumla. A detailed program for each ceremony is issued by Government House and is delivered to the residence of the Head of Mission-designate on the day before the ceremony. The ceremony lasts approximately 25 minutes.
Dress for the occasion may be national dress, dark business suit, day dress (hat and gloves are not worn), or diplomatic or military uniform with full decorations (no sword).
On the day of the ceremony, at the time advised in the program, the Deputy Chief of Protocol, with appropriate motor vehicles including a motorcycle escort, will arrive at the Head of Mission-designate's residence. The Deputy Chief of Protocol will then accompany the Head of Mission-designate, plus spouse if attending, and the nominated staff members of the mission, to Government House.
On arrival at the State Entrance to Government House, the Head of Mission-designate is met by the Chief of Protocol and an Aide to the Governor-General. The spouse of the Head of Mission-designate is met by the Personal Secretary to the Governor-General's spouse. The Head of Mission-designate and accompanying staff members stand on the steps of the State Entrance to receive a general salute, with musical honours, from a Guard of Honour. The general salute takes only a short time and is given as a mark of respect to acknowledge the arrival of the Head of Mission-designate. During the general salute, the Head of Mission-designate should stand to attention facing the honour guard but should not return a hand salute unless wearing military uniform.
After the general salute, the Head of Mission-designate and staff members are conducted to the drawing room. The Chief of Protocol presents the Head of Mission-designate to the Governor-General. With a few suitable words, the Head of Mission-designate then hands the Letters of Credence/Commission, and Recall as appropriate, to the Governor-General. The Governor-General shakes hands with the Head of Mission and presents him/her to his spouse and then to the Foreign Minister's representative (usually a Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and to the Official Secretary to the Governor-General.
The Head of Mission in turn presents his or her spouse to the Governor-General and his spouse; the Governor-General presents the spouse to the Foreign Minister's representative and the Official Secretary; and the Head of Mission presents the staff members to the Governor-General and his spouse, the Minister's representative and the Official Secretary.
Following a short general discussion, the Governor-General, attended by the Foreign Minister's representative, then invites the Head of Mission to his study for a brief (approximately 10 minutes) discussion. The Governor-General's spouse invites the Head of Mission's spouse to accompany her to the morning room. The staff members remain in the drawing room with the personal staff and the Protocol Branch officers.
Gifts are not exchanged.
Photographs are taken outside (weather permitting), comprising a formal picture of the whole group and an informal one of the Head of Mission and spouse with the Governor-General and his spouse. The Head of Mission and spouse take leave of the Governor-General and his spouse, and depart by the State Entrance.
The Head of Mission is conducted onto the lawns to a Saluting Point in front of the Guard of Honour, where a Royal Salute is given and the national anthem of the Head of Mission's country is played. The Head of Mission will then be invited to inspect the Guard of Honour and the Band before departing. On completion of the inspection of the Guard of Honour, the Commander of the Guard will take leave from escorting the Head of Mission - by coming to attention, saluting and raising his or her ceremonial sword. Having inspected both the Guard of Honour and the Band, the Head of Mission acknowledges (with a simple nod of the head) the Band Master and the Guard Commander respectively. The national anthem is played again as the official vehicles leave Government House.
In the event of rain, the portions of the ceremony involving the Guard of Honour and the Band are modified.
Protocol Branch has commissioned a video showing the main features of the credentials ceremony. Heads of Mission-designate are encouraged to borrow this to assist with their preparations for the occasion.
The Governor-General hosts a lunch for all new Heads of Mission, usually on the same day as the credentials ceremony.
2.7 Calls
2.7.1 Secretary and Officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Protocol Branch arranges appointments for a Head of Mission-designate to call on relevant senior Departmental officers, and the Secretary where time permits and other pressures allow, before presentation of credentials (Sections 2.5 and 2.6.2 refer).
If an appointment with the Secretary has not been arranged before the presentation of credentials, one will be scheduled as soon as practical after the credentials ceremony. The Secretary also hosts lunch in the R G Casey Building for new Heads of Mission several times throughout the year.
2.7.2 Ministers and dignitaries
Protocol Branch informs the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Trade respectively of a Head of Mission's presentation of credentials. The Minister for Foreign Affairs will receive a Head of Mission for a brief courtesy call. The Minister for Trade may also receive courtesy calls if specifically requested. Arrangements are made by Protocol Branch. In principle, this occurs soon after presentation of credentials, though other pressures on the Ministers' time and their frequent absences from Canberra may result in some delay.
Heads of Mission are welcome to make courtesy or business calls on other Ministers of the Australian Government with whom they expect to have dealings. They may make arrangements for such calls direct. They may do the same with senior officials of Departments other than the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, subject to the normal rule that policy matters are conducted through, or with the knowledge of, the Foreign Ministry (Article 41(2) of the VCDR).
Protocol Branch will advise the following offices that the Head of Mission has presented credentials. The Head of Mission should make arrangements to call on them direct.
- The President of the Senate
- The Speaker of the House of Representatives
- The Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia
- The Leader of the Opposition
(Section 2.7.5 deals with calls on the governments of Australia's States and Territories.)
2.7.3 Prime Minister
It is not customary for Heads of Mission to make introductory or farewell courtesy calls on the Prime Minister. High Commissioners who present Letters of Introduction are, of course, an exception. If a Head of Mission subsequently has instructions to raise a matter of importance with the Prime Minister, the request for an appointment should be submitted through the International Division of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
2.7.4 Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
The Director-General and senior representatives of AusAID are pleased to receive Heads of Mission who have an interest in the subjects for which these officers are responsible. These calls should be arranged directly with AusAID.
2.7.5 States and Territories
It is common practice for Heads of Mission to make official visits to State and Territory capitals early in their tour of duty. They arrange such visits direct, through the respective Premiers' or Chief Ministers' Departments. The arrangements will vary, but calls are normally made on the Governor of the State, the State Premier and the Lord Mayor of the State capital. In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), a call is normally made on the Chief Minister. In the Northern Territory, calls are normally made on the Administrator, the Chief Minister, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Chief Justice, the Leader of the Opposition and the Lord Mayor of Darwin.
2.7.6 Diplomatic Corps
It is customary for a courtesy call to be made by the Head of Mission-designate on the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps as early as possible, preferably before the presentation of credentials. Arrangements should be made direct with the office of the Dean. The Dean may advise a Head of Mission-designate of the practice in Canberra for making calls on diplomatic colleagues.
2.8 Absences - appointment of Chargé d'Affaires a.i./Acting High Commissioner
The nomination of a Chargé d'Affaires a.i. or an Acting High Commissioner should be made as provided for in Article 19 of the VCDR. Where the nomination is made by the Head of Mission, a letter to the Chief of Protocol will suffice. Where the Head of Mission is already absent from Australia and a Chargé d'Affaires a.i./Acting High Commissioner is to be nominated to replace a Chargé d'Affaires a.i./Acting High Commissioner, the nomination must be made by the relevant Foreign Ministry (as required by Article 19 of the VCDR) in a direct communication with the Chief of Protocol or with the Australian mission in the sending State.
2.9 Departure
The Chief of Protocol should be notified in writing of the impending final departure of a Head of Mission. Where possible notification is required at least six working weeks prior to the intended departure date in order to give notice to the Governor-General. Once notified, Protocol Branch will seek a farewell call on the Governor-General and, if time permits, on the Foreign Minister and the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Where time permits and if specifically requested, the Minister of Trade may also receive farewell calls.
Heads of Mission are free to make farewell calls on other dignitaries, Ministers and officials by direct arrangement.
Farewell visits may be made to the States and Territories. Arrangements for these should be made direct, as for introductory visits.
Where time permits, a senior Departmental representative hosts a farewell lunch for a departing Head of Mission, if Ministers have not already made arrangements to do so. The lunch will usually be held in the R G Casey Building.
Departing Heads of Mission are welcome, but not obliged, to make a formal call on the Chief of Protocol.
Final departure details should be provided to Protocol Branch by note verbale as soon as they are known. Protocol will then advise the appropriate airport authorities in Canberra and the Department's State and Territory Offices.
There will normally not be an official representative from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the airport as the actual departure of a Head of Mission is considered a private occasion.
Protocol Branch must be notified by note verbale or letter of Chargé/Acting High Commissioner arrangements before the departure of the Head of Mission.
Arrangements should be made for the return to Protocol Branch of the identity cards of the Head of Mission and spouse. The Head of Mission's Parliamentary Pass should be returned directly to the Parliament House Pass Office.
2.10 Non-resident Heads of Mission
Non-resident Heads of Mission coming to Canberra, whether to present credentials, make working visits or pay farewell calls, have special needs beyond those of resident Ambassadors and High Commissioners. The Department attempts to assist in meeting those needs to the maximum extent possible.
2.10.1 Initial visit
What follows is in addition to the information provided above for resident Heads of Mission.
The Australian mission in the city of residence of the Head of Mission-designate will liaise between the Head of Mission and Protocol Branch to fix a date for presentation of credentials. The Head of Mission-designate should show to the mission the working copies or photocopies, of the Letters of Credence and Recall.
The Head of Mission-designate is asked to arrive in Canberra at least two working days before the date scheduled for the presentation of credentials. Before arrival in Australia, the Head of Mission-designate will be provided with a program that will include calls on the Chief of Protocol and relevant officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and other interlocutors as appropriate. Every effort will be made to include a call on the Foreign Minister, but this cannot be guaranteed during the Head of Mission's initial visit to Canberra.
Please note that as Heads of Mission are unable to perform many of their duties in Australia until their credentials have been presented, resident Heads of Mission will be given precedence in allocating places at credentials ceremonies.
Arrangements for meeting an incoming Head of Mission-designate are as given in Section 2.4 above, except that Protocol Branch will make the necessary arrangements to transport a Head of Mission-designate and party, if accompanied, to the hotel.
A non-resident Head of Mission wishing to visit State and Territory capitals may do so under the arrangements set out in Section 2.7.5. For full value to be obtained from such a visit, planning needs to be made well in advance.
Apart from arrangements made for arrival and for presentation of Letters of Credence, a non-resident Head of Mission is responsible for organising his or her own transport requirements. Protocol Branch can provide, on request, details of car hire and taxi services in Canberra.
A Head of Mission who requires an interpreter for working calls will need to make individual arrangements. Interpreter On-Site, tel 1300 655 082, is able to provide interpreters on a commercial basis. Other professional interpreters are also available.
2.10.2 Visits
A non-resident Head of Mission who makes working visits to Canberra during a term of appointment is provided, on request, with a suitable program by the relevant geographical area of the Department.
2.10.3 Departure
A non-resident Head of Mission leaving Canberra after presenting credentials should make arrangements for transport to the airport. There is no formal farewell. On final departure through Sydney or Melbourne, airport facilitation will be arranged. Requests for facilitation should be submitted to Protocol Branch or the Department's State Office in the relevant State capital city.