An embassy is the official office and residence of ambassadors and diplomats who represent their country in a foreign nation. When one country has an embassy in another, that building serves as an official home base where diplomats work to maintain friendly relations between the two nations, help their citizens traveling abroad, and handle important government business.

People sometimes think of an embassy as a little piece of one country existing inside another. For example, the Brazilian embassy in Tokyo represents Brazil, even though it sits in the middle of Japan. Inside, diplomats negotiate agreements, issue visas to people who want to visit their country, assist citizens who lose their passports while traveling, and keep communication flowing between the two governments.

Embassies are usually located in a nation's capital city. The embassy building often flies its home country's flag and may be designed to reflect that country's architecture or culture. Security at embassies is typically very tight because they handle sensitive government work and need to protect both the diplomats inside and the important documents and communications they manage.

Throughout history, countries have sent representatives to live in foreign lands and speak on their behalf, making embassies one of the oldest tools for peaceful international relations.