Living in New York | The Attaché Desk

For information only. This guide is an editorial orientation resource. It does not constitute legal, tax, or administrative advice, and does not recommend or encourage any specific course of action. Regulations, procedures and entitlements change; always verify current requirements with your mission or organisation, the relevant US authorities, and qualified advisers before taking any decision.

Overview

New York is unlike any other diplomatic posting city in the world in one specific respect: it simultaneously hosts the largest concentration of consular missions of any American city and the global headquarters of the United Nations, with 193 permanent missions accredited to it. These two communities occupy the same geography but operate under entirely different legal frameworks. Which framework applies to you is determined by whom you are accredited to, and it affects your status document, your vehicle registration, your tax exemptions, and the scope of your privileges and immunities.

Two communities, two frameworks

Bilateral consular staff are accredited to the United States government. Their missions, typically Consulates General or Consular Posts rather than embassies (which are located in Washington, D.C.), are regulated under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963), the Diplomatic Relations Act (22 U.S.C. §254a-e), and the Foreign Missions Act (22 U.S.C. §4301-4316). The body that manages their day-to-day status and services in the US is the Office of Foreign Missions (OFM), a directorate of the US Department of State, with a regional office in New York.

UN permanent mission staff are accredited to the United Nations, not to the US government. Their privileges and immunities derive from the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations (1946) and the Agreement between the United Nations and the United States regarding the UN Headquarters (1947). Their accreditation is processed by the UN Protocol and Liaison Service, and their services in the US, including vehicle registration, are handled through the OFM on the basis of the Headquarters Agreement rather than bilateral diplomatic relations.

The scope of immunities under the VCCR (consular officers) is narrower than under the VCDR (diplomatic agents). Most staff at consular posts in New York hold consular status, not diplomatic status, unless specifically designated otherwise. Confirm your exact category with your mission’s administrative office.

The Office of Foreign Missions (OFM) New York

For both bilateral and UN mission staff, the OFM New York regional office is the primary point of contact for status, vehicle registration, tax exemptions, and driver’s licences.

OFM New York 799 United Nations Plaza, 8th floor New York, NY 10017 Phone: (646) 516-6308 Email: OFMNewYork@state.gov

The OFM Washington, D.C. headquarters line (202-274-1217) is open Wednesdays, 09:00-13:00 Eastern for general enquiries. The New York office should be the first point of contact for New York-specific matters.

Status documentation

Unlike France or Switzerland, the United States does not issue a single physical diplomatic identity card as the primary status document. The OFM issues a Diplomatic Identity Card with colour-coded stripes indicating the holder’s category:

Red stripe: diplomatic agents (full diplomatic immunity under the VCDR)
Yellow stripe: consular officers
Blue stripe: administrative and technical staff
Green stripe: service staff

For UN mission staff, the UN Protocol and Liaison Service issues a separate ID credential. Many UN staff also hold a UN Laissez-Passer (UNLP) as their primary travel document.

UN General Assembly (UNGA) season

Every September, all 193 UN member states send delegations for the General Debate of the UN General Assembly. During UNGA week (typically the third and fourth weeks of September), New York sees an extraordinary concentration of heads of state, foreign ministers and senior officials. The security perimeter around the UN complex at First Avenue (42nd to 48th Street) is significantly tightened. Midtown traffic is extremely disrupted. The NYPD consistently designates multiple gridlock alert days during UNGA week.

For mission staff resident in New York: plan for significant commuting disruptions during UNGA and for the surrounding diplomatic calendar (bilateral meetings, side events, receptions). Housing demand also spikes during this period, making it worth confirming accommodation well before a September posting start date.

Housing

Missions and permanent delegations to the UN cluster along First Avenue and Second Avenue in the East 40s to 60s, which is the main diplomatic corridor in Manhattan. Residential areas popular with diplomatic and UN staff include:

Upper East Side (East 60s-80s): close to the UN complex, well-connected, high density of consular residences
Midtown East and Turtle Bay (40s-50s): walking distance to the UN
Upper West Side (West 70s-90s): popular with families, near Central Park, UNIS and Dwight School accessible
Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO: lower rents, 20-30 minutes by subway to Midtown; increasingly popular with diplomatic and international families

Rents in Manhattan for a two-to-three bedroom apartment suitable for a family range from approximately USD 4,500 to USD 10,000+ per month in the areas above, with significant variation by specific address and building quality. Begin searching before arrival; good inventory in the diplomatic corridor moves quickly.

Tax exemptions

Diplomatic and UN staff are generally entitled to exemptions from US federal, state and local sales taxes and certain other taxes, through the OFM. The scope of these exemptions depends on category and reciprocity. All exemption requests must go through the OFM; exemptions are not applied automatically at point of sale in most cases.

Emergency contacts in New York City

Number	Service
911	Police, fire, ambulance (emergencies)
311	NYC non-emergency city services
1-888-NYC-SAFE	Anti-terrorism tip line

Official sources

Last reviewed 6 July 2026.