State visit

A state visit is the visit of a head of state to another state in his capacity as head of state.

Special

At a state visit all honors of diplomatic protocol usually be fully exploited. This means in particular the reception with military honors and a state banquet.

Visitors are mostly for safety when driving free ride and accompanying police protection granted ( escort ).

Previously endowed monarch other countries from only one state visit. Today, however, the follow-up visits by all stakeholders of governance are called state visit.

Accruals

A distinction is made state visits, study visits, working visits and appointment visits, each differing by their own protocol elements.

Also be distinguished from a state visit is the notion of state reception, the other in honor of a State received people - is given - for example, its own citizens.

Practices in certain countries

Vatican

The Pope equips no state visits (according to the parlance of the Holy Apostolic See pastoral visits ) from, but these visits from the "receiving" protocol will be treated, for the Pope is a subject of international law ( as a person, defined as the Holy See).

Switzerland

Switzerland can not pay state visits, which does not recognize the office of head of state. Instead abroad, the Swiss Federal President, who is at the same time also head of a specialized ministry, received with such. This approximation to the foreign protocol was created in 1993. Previously traveled the respective Swiss President only in exceptional cases abroad.