Consul
Snapshot
Consuls represent governments in foreign institutions such as embassies in order to facilitate economic and political cooperation between the two nations. They protect the interests of their home nation and provide bureaucratic assistance to citizens living as expatriates or travelling in the host country.
Consuls are government representatives stationed in foreign countries, typically within embassies or consulates. Your days will involve a blend of diplomatic engagement, administrative tasks, and citizen support. You'll work to strengthen relationships between your home country and the host nation, ensuring smooth collaboration on various fronts. This role demands strong communication skills, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to handle diverse situations with professionalism and discretion.
- • Negotiating and facilitating economic and political cooperation agreements between nations.
- • Providing consular assistance to citizens of your home country residing in or travelling to the host country, including issuing passports and dealing with emergencies.
- • Representing your government's interests and advocating for its policies within the host country.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Chief executives, senior officials and legislators — 23 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Czechia, Slovakia.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (Australia, Malta, United Kingdom)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Assessed as balanced Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £89,835 2025-provisional | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0
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Future Outlook for consul
The outlook for consul reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could consul change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- offer assistance to national citizens
- issue official documents
- maintain relationships with government agencies
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- assess risk factors
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Management & Entrepreneurship
A typical day as a consul
09 09:00 · Morning assess risk factors
10 10:30 · Mid-morning develop international cooperation strategies
12 12:00 · Midday offer assistance to national citizens
14 14:00 · Afternoon advise on public finance
15 15:30 · Late afternoon build international relations
17 17:00 · Wrap-up consider economic criteria in decision making
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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maintain relationships with government agencies
Establish and maintain cordial working relationships with peers in different governmental agencies.
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develop professional network
Reach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up to date on their activities.
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build international relations
Build positive communication dynamics with organisations from different countries in order to build a cooperative relationship and optimise information exchange.
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create solutions to problems
Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.
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offer assistance to national citizens
Offer assistance to national citizens abroad in emergency situations or for matters related to the national jurisdiction.
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issue official documents
Issue and certify official documents to national citizens and foreigners such as passports and certificates.
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develop international cooperation strategies
Develop plans which ensure a cooperation between international public organisations such as researching different international organisations and their goals and assessing possible alignment with other organisations.
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advise on public finance
Advise public organisations such as governmental organisations on their financial operations and procedures, to ensure optimal efficiency.
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consider economic criteria in decision making
Develop proposals and take appropriate decisions taking into account economic criteria.
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assess risk factors
Determine the influence of economical, political and cultural risk factors and additional issues.
commercial law
The legal regulations that govern a specific commercial activity.
European integration
The evolving and ongoing process of economic, social, and political integration among European countries to enhance their cooperation, collaboration, and prosperity, as well as to overcome historical conflicts seeking peace and stability. European integration has its roots after the Second World War, although the development of the European Union represents its core element.
international commercial transactions rules
Pre-defined commercial terms used in international commercial transactions which stipulate clear tasks, costs and risks associated with the delivery of goods and services.
- foreign affairs
- foreign languages for international careers
- government policy implementation
- government representation
- public finance
- business management principles
- diplomatic principles
- economics
- family law
Path to become a consul
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Master's or equivalent level
437 programmes in 23 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 30 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs
Brussels School of Governance-Vesalius College · Belgium
Bachelor of International Organisation & Management
Arteveldehogeschool · Belgium
International Relations and International Organization
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen · the Netherlands
These are 6 of 467.
Sources
- 1. Source: Hogeronderwijsregister, Flemish government (hogeronderwijsregister.be). Flemish Community of Belgium only.
- 2. Source: YÖK Atlas, Council of Higher Education (yokatlas.yok.gov.tr).
- 3. Source: Study in Korea, National Institute for International Education (NIIED) (studyinkorea.go.kr).
- 4. Bron: DUO open onderwijsdata
- 5. Source: Malta Qualifications Registry, Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (qualifications.mfhea.gov.mt).
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does consul fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of education or experience is typically required to become a consul?
How does a consul’s role differ from that of an ambassador?
What are some of the biggest challenges a consul might face?
Is there a shortage of Consul in Europe?
Sources: ESCO ELA/EURES Cedefop Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data