Diplomatic courier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A diplomatic courier is an official who transports diplomatic bags as sanctioned under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Couriers are granted diplomatic immunity and are thereby protected by the receiving state from arrest and detention when performing their work. Couriers may be assigned on an ad hoc basis, but in those cases they are released from immunity once their bags have been delivered. All couriers are provided documentation that reports their status as couriers and the number of packages currently being transported in the diplomatic bag. Diplomatic bags may be transported under the authority of commercial airline captains, but they are not diplomatic couriers.
[edit] United Kingdom
Diplomatic bags of the United Kingdom are carried by the Queen's Messengers, who work for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
[edit] United States
The US Department of State lists the Foreign Service Diplomatic Courier as one of its careers with a starting salary of $35,864 to $52,667.[1] Couriers are trained for approximately six weeks in Washington, D.C., and then may be assigned to one of nine US diplomatic courier offices in Dakar, Senegal; Bangkok, Thailand; Frankfurt, Germany; Manama, Bahrain; Pretoria, South Africa; Seoul, Korea; Miami, Florida, and Washington, DC.[1]
