Chargé d’affaires ad interim
A chargé d’affaires ad interim is a member of a diplomatic mission who temporarily acts as head of mission when the permanent head is absent or the post is vacant.
Article 19 of the Vienna Convention provides for notification of the person acting as head of mission. This temporary capacity differs from a chargé d’affaires accredited as head of mission under Article 14.
Clear designation ensures continuity of representation, decision-making and protocol during leadership transitions or absences.
When an ambassador is travelling, the designated senior official may act as chargé d’affaires ad interim and be notified to the receiving foreign ministry.
DCM and chargé d’affaires ad interim are not the same job; an incumbent DCM may act as chargé.
Closely related entries kept separate because each carries a distinct institutional meaning.
- Deputy Chief of Mission
The deputy chief of mission (DCM) is, in diplomatic services using that title, a senior embassy official who supports the head of mission and commonly oversees internal coordination and management. Titles and specific duties differ across foreign services; “vice ambassador” is not a universal formal equivalent.
- Ambassador
An ambassador is a state's highest-ranking diplomatic representative accredited to another state or, in a different institutional form, to an international organization. An ambassador normally leads an embassy or permanent mission, represents the sending state's positions, and acts under the authority and instructions of the sending government.
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