A foreign ministry, or ministry of state, is the executive office of a governmental department focusing on foreign affairs and diplomacy. This only pertains to executive functions of a national government, not to a provincial or local level.

The office directs foreign affairs and diplomacy at national level. A provincial or municipal office handling international contacts remains outside this definition, even if its work includes relations with foreign counterparts.

An embassy or consulate is a diplomatic mission facility. The foreign ministry is the executive department responsible for the subject, which distinguishes its offices from those of an individual mission.