A de facto embassy is an office or organisation that serves de facto as an embassy in lack of regular/official diplomatic relations among countries (thus paradiplomacy). Diplomatic immunity and extraterritoriality are usually not granted.
In many cases, these organisations represent nations which lack full diplomatic recognition or regions with disputed borders. For instance, many countries maintain formal diplomatic relations with the PRC but operate unofficial 'trade missions' or 'representative offices' in Taipei to deal with Taiwan-related commercial and consular issues. Often, these delegations may forward visa applications to their nearest embassy or consulate rather than processing them locally.
France maintains a "French Institute" in Taipei, whose first apparent purpose is "cultural," but which also has consular and economic sections,[1] as does the United Kingdom's British Trade and Cultural Office.[2] Similarly, Taiwan (ROC) maintains Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices or Taipei Representative Offices in other countries, which handle visa applications as well as relations with local authorities.
In some cases, nations which have no direct bilateral ties will be represented by an "interests section" housed as part of the embassy of a third-country recognised by both; for instance, the United States of America is nominally represented by the Swiss embassy in both Iran and Cuba, with the corresponding delegations to the US housed as part of recognised Swiss or Pakistani diplomatic missions.
In the British Commonwealth of Nations, a High Commission is an embassy in all but name, but is formally titled to reflect a less-than-foreign status insofar that (for instance) the Queen of Australia in her rôle as head of state of the Commonwealth of Australia has no need to be represented diplomatically to the Queen of Canada as both are indeed the same person. While representing a head of government instead of a head of state, a High Commissioner within the British Empire and Commonwealth dominions has the full rank and all privileges of an accredited ambassador.
The Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been called "the de facto embassy of the exiled government in Taiwan" by Taipei Times chief staff reporter Loa lok sin.[3]
*: Government organization; flag positioned left: country of origin ("sending"); flag positioned right: location