consulado
nounCEFR B2
What does “consulado” mean in English?
the official office of a consul, representing a foreign government's interests in a city
Example sentences
Tuvo que acudir al consulado para renovar el pasaporte antes de que caducara.
She had to go to the consulate to renew her passport before it expired.
El consulado emitió un comunicado recomendando a sus ciudadanos evitar la zona afectada por las protestas.
The consulate issued a statement advising its citizens to avoid the area affected by the protests.
How to use it
El consulado (noun, masculine) means 'consulate' — the diplomatic office that handles visas, passports and citizen services abroad. Distinguish from la embajada (embassy, the main diplomatic mission, usually in the capital) — a country may have several consulados but typically one embajada per country.
Common mistake
Consulado (consulate, handles visas/passports/citizen services) is not the same as embajada (embassy, the main diplomatic mission). A country can have consulados in several cities but usually only one embajada.
Reference
This entry’s teaching guidance follows Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes (Instituto Cervantes), B2 Nociones específicas: trámites y buro.