What is a U.S. Embassy? 

An  embassy  is the headquarters for U.S. Government representatives serving in a foreign country. 

It is normally led by an  ambassador , who is the U.S. President’s representative to the host country. An  embassy  is normally located in the capital city. It may have branches, known as consulates, in other cities. 

U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, as well as foreign embassies and consulates in the United States, have a special status. While the host government is responsible for the security of U.S. diplomats and the area around an  embassy , the  embassy  itself belongs to the country it represents. Representatives of the host country cannot enter an  embassy  without permission — even to put out a fire — and an attack on an  embassy  is considered an attack on the country it represents.