Tuvalu has no embassy in Washington. Its only presence in the United States is the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, on Third Avenue, established in 2001 after the country joined the UN in 2000 as its 189th member. It is a diplomatic mission rather than a consulate.
Quick facts
The mission itself explains why its network is so small: Tuvalu established it precisely because it lacks diplomatic representation in most capitals. With around eleven thousand people, the country concentrates its limited resources in one place.
Where things are handled
| Need | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Funafuti | Ask the mission whether it can assist |
| Emergency travel document | Ask the UN mission | Capacity is limited |
| Seafarer documents | Ask the mission | A recognised priority |
| Civil certificates | Funafuti | Through a relative |
| Documents for use at home | Confirm the route first | See the documents page |
Seafaring deserves a mention because the mission lists finding employment opportunities for Tuvaluan seafarers among its priorities. Merchant seamen are a significant part of the country’s working population abroad, and their document needs are a recognised part of its consular work.
How to proceed
- Contact the Permanent Mission in New York and ask what it can handle.
- If your matter concerns seafarer documentation, say so explicitly.
- Expect a passport matter to be dealt with in Funafuti.
- Establish whether a relative there can act for you.
- Use a tracked service and allow for very slow postage.
- Keep copies of everything before it travels.
Documents to have ready
- Current or most recent Tuvaluan passport.
- Birth certificate or other evidence of citizenship.
- Seafarer’s book or certificates where relevant.
- Proof of your status in the United States.
- Contact details for a relative in Tuvalu.
- Police report where a passport was lost.
Where to enquire
At the Permanent Mission of Tuvalu to the United Nations, on Third Avenue in New York.
Additional notes
Say if you are a seafarer
It is a recognised category of need rather than an unusual request.
A UN mission is not a consulate
Some assist nationals in practice; none are obliged to. Ask first.
English is official
No translation needed in either direction.
Allow long timescales
Postage between New York and a remote atoll nation is slow. Build it into any deadline.