Apostolic Nunciature
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![Vatican City State Diplomatic relations, resident mission, nuncio is of ambassadorial rank and with additional privileges[1] Diplomatic relations, non-resident accreditation with additional privileges Diplomatic relations, resident mission, nuncio has regular ambassadorial status Diplomatic relations, non-resident accreditation, regular ambassadorial status Formal contact with the government, but no diplomatic relations Representative to the Catholic communities only, no diplomatic relations](/uploads/202412/21/Holy_See_missions_accreditations_and_relations0349.png)
An Apostolic Nunciature is a top-level diplomatic mission of the Holy See, equivalent to an embassy, however, it does not issue visas nor does it have consulates.
The head of the Apostolic Nunciature is called a nuncio, an ecclesiastical diplomatic title. A papal nuncio (officially known as an Apostolic nuncio) is a permanent diplomatic representative (head of diplomatic mission) of the Holy See to a state or to one of two international intergovernmental organizations, the European Union or ASEAN, having the rank of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, and the ecclesiastical rank of titular archbishop. Papal representatives to other intergovernmental organizations are known as "permanent observers" or "delegates."