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Agovernment-in-exile (GiE) is a political group that claims to be the legitimategovernment of asovereign state orsemi-sovereign state, but is unable to exercise legal power and instead resides in a foreign country.[1] Governments inexile usually plan to one day return to their native country and regain formal power. A government in exile differs from arump state in the sense that the latter controls at least part of its remaining territory.[2] For example, duringWorld War I, nearly all ofBelgium wasoccupied byGermany, but Belgium and its allies held on toa small slice in the country's west.[3] A government in exile, in contrast, has lost all its territory. However, in practice, the distinction may be unclear; in the above example, theBelgian government at Sainte-Adresse was located in French territory and acted as a government in exile for most practical purposes.[citation needed] Governments-in-exile and associated organisations employ strategies such as investigative reporting and diaspora mobilisation to sustain political visibility, engage supporters, and address ethical and operational challenges.[4]
Governments in exile tend to occur during wartime occupation or in the aftermath of acivil war,revolution, ormilitary coup. For example, during German expansion and advance inWorld War II, some European governments sought refuge in theUnited Kingdom, rather than face destruction at the hands ofNazi Germany. On the other hand, theProvisional Government of Free India proclaimed bySubhas Chandra Bose sought to use support from the invadingJapanese to gain control of the country from what it viewed asBritish occupiers, and in the final year of WWII, after Nazi Germany was driven out of France, it maintained the remnants of the Nazi-sympathizingVichy government as a French government in exile at theSigmaringen enclave.
A government in exile may also form from widespread belief in the illegitimacy of a ruling government. Due to the outbreak of theSyrian Civil War in 2011, for instance, theNational Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces was formed by groups whose members sought to end the rule of the rulingBa'ath Party.
The governments in exile may havelittle or no recognition from other states. The effectiveness of a government in exile depends primarily on the amount of support it receives, either from foreign governments or from the population of its own country. Some exiled governments come to develop into a formidable force, posing a serious challenge to the incumbentregime of the country, while others are maintained chiefly as a symbolic gesture.
Governments in exile predate the formal use of the term. In periods ofmonarchical government, exiled monarchs or dynasties sometimes set up exile courts, as theHouse of Stuart did when driven from their throne byOliver Cromwell and again at theGlorious Revolution[5] (seeJames Francis Edward Stuart § Court-in-exile). TheHouse of Bourbon would be another example because it continued to be recognized by other countries at the time as the legitimate government of France after it was overthrown by the populace during theFrench Revolution. This continued through the rule ofNapoleon Bonaparte and theNapoleonic Wars from 1803–04 to 1815. With the spread ofconstitutional monarchy, monarchical governments which were exiled started to include aprime minister, such as theDutch government during World War II headed byPieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy.
Thecapital of a government-in-exile is known as a capital-in-exile, located outside the government's proclaimed territory. This differs from atemporary capital, which is located somewhere inside the government's controlled territory.
These governments once controlled all or most of their claimed territory, but continue to control a smaller part of it while also continuing to claim legitimate authority of the entire territory they once fully controlled.
| Name | Year of exile | Territory that the government still controls | Government presently controlling claimed territory | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Republic of China | 1949 | Taiwan and associated islands |  People's Republic of China | The currentlyTaipei-basedRepublic of China government does not regard itself as a government-in-exile, but is claimed to be such by some participants in the debate on thepolitical status of Taiwan.[6] In addition to theisland of Taiwan and someother islands it currently controls, the Republic of China formally maintains claims over territory now controlled by thePeople's Republic of China as well as some parts ofAfghanistan,Bhutan,India,Japan,Mongolia,Myanmar,Pakistan,Russia, andTajikistan. The usual formal reasoning on which this "government-in-exile" claim is based relies on an argument that the sovereignty ofTaiwan was not legitimately handed to theRepublic of China at the end ofWorld War II,[7] and on that basis the Republic of China is located in foreign territory, therefore effectively making it a government in exile.[8] By contrast, this theory is not accepted by those who view the sovereignty of Taiwan as having been legitimatelyreturned to the Republic of China at the end of the war.[9] Both thegovernment of the People's Republic of China and thePan-Blue Coalition (including theKuomintang) in the Republic of China hold the latter view. However, there are also some who do not accept that the sovereignty of Taiwan was legitimately returned to the Republic of China at the end of the war nor that the Republic of China is a government-in-exile, and China's territory does not include Taiwan. The currentDemocratic Progressive Party in Taiwan is inclined to this view. | |
 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | 1976 | Southeastern parts of Western Sahara |  Morocco | Proclaimed on 27 February 1976, following theSpanish withdrawal from what was until thenSpanish Sahara after thePOLISARIO insurgency. It is not strictly a government in exile since it does control 20–25% of its claimed territory. Nevertheless, it is often referred to as such, especially since most day-to-day government business is conducted in theTindoufrefugee camps inAlgeria, which house most of the Sahrawi exile community, rather than in the proclaimedtemporary capital (firstBir Lehlou, moved toTifariti in 2008). |
These governments in exile were founded bydeposed governments or rulers who continue to claim legitimate authority of the state they once controlled.
| Name | Exile since | State controlling its claimed territory | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic | 1919 |  Republic of Belarus | See also:Belarusian Democratic Republic andPolish–Soviet War It is the oldest government in exile in the world, led byIvonka Survilla since 1997; based inOttawa, Ontario. Declared an "extremist formation" in Belarus.[10] | [11][12] |
 National Unity Government of Myanmar | 2021 | Republic of the Union of Myanmar (State Security and Peace Commission) | See also:2021 Myanmar coup d'état This government was formed in response to the2021 Myanmar coup d'état. The cabinet members of the National Unity Government are in hiding within Myanmar. | [13][14][15] |
These governments in exile were founded bydeposed governments or rulers who continue to claim legitimate authority of the state they once controlled, even if their claimed territory is now controlled by another country.
| Name | Exile since | State controlling its claimed territory | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Central Tibetan Administration | 1959/2011 | People's Republic of China (Tibet Autonomous Region) | Founded by theDalai Lama inDharamsala,India with cooperation of IndianPrime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru. | [16][17] |
 Republic of South Maluku | 1963/66 |  Republic of Indonesia (Province of Maluku) | TheRepublic of South Maluku was an unrecognized independent state that existed between 1950 and 1963. Between 1963 and 1966, the Head of governmentChris Soumokil was imprisoned onJava. In 1966, after his execution by firing squad by order of PresidentSuharto,Johan Manusama formed a government in exile; based in theNetherlands.John Wattilete is its president. | [18] |
 Chechen Republic of Ichkeria | 2000 |  Russia (Chechen Republic) | Some members are fighting as rebels against theRussian Armed Forces; based inLondon. There are contested claims that it has been succeeded by theCaucasus Emirate and theIslamic State – Caucasus Province. In October 2022, during theinvasion of Ukraine, as a response to Russia's recognition of theDonetsk People's Republic andLuhansk People's Republic as independent nations, the government ofUkrainevoted to recognized the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria as an independent nation. | [19][20][21][22] |
 Government of Artsakh | 2023 |  Republic of Azerbaijan (Karabakh Economic Region,East Zangezur Economic Region) | TheRepublic of Artsakh was supposed to dissolve on 1 January 2024, after Artsakh surrendered in the2023 Azerbaijani offensive against Artsakh. Amass exodus occurred soon after the announcement, and a government-in-exile was set up inYerevan. 10 days before the state would be dissolved, the President of Artsakh,Samvel Shahramanyan annulled its dissolution, and despite pushback from the Prime Minister of Armenia,Nikol Pashinyan, it stayed in Yerevan. | [23][24] |
These governments in exile claim legitimacy of autonomous territories of another state and have been founded by deposed governments or rulers, who do not claimindependence as a separate state.
| Name | Exile | Current control of claimed territory | Notes | References | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| since | as | by | as | |||
| Fujian Provincial Government | 1949 | Province | People's Republic of China (Fujian) | Province | Chinese provincial government seat was exiled from its capitalFuzhou (Foochow) inFukien in 1949 during the closing years of theChinese Civil War toJincheng Township inKinmen County. Government moved toHsintien Township inTaipei County,Taiwan Province in 1956 due to increased militarization. Seat relocated back to Jincheng in 1996. Despite the provincial government'sde facto dissolution in 2019 and replacement with theKinmen-Matsu Joint Services Center, this province continues to existde jure without administrative function. | |
| Sinkiang Provincial Government | 1949 | Province | People's Republic of China (Xinjiang) | Autonomous region | Relocated toTaipei,Taiwan in 1949 afterSinkiang fell to the communists. Despite the provincial government'sde facto dissolution in 1992 after theTaiwan government accepted the"One China" Consensus, this province continues to existde jure without administrative function. | |
  Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia | 1993 | Autonomous republic |  Republic of Abkhazia | de facto independent state | Georgian provincial government, led byRuslan Abashidze, whose territory is under the control ofAbkhazseparatists; based inTbilisi. | |
 Provisional Administration of South Ossetia | 2008 | Provisional administration | Republic of South Ossetia | Georgian provincial administration, led byTamaz Bestayev, whose territory is under the control of South Ossetian separatists; based inTbilisi. | ||
  Autonomous Republic of Crimea | 2014 | Autonomous republic | Russia | Republic of Crimea | Ukrainian autonomous republic,whose territory was seized andannexed by Russia in March 2014, following adisputed status referendum; was based inKherson until the 2022Russian invasion of Ukraine, now operating remotely inUkraine.[25][26] | |
 Sevastopol | Special city | Federal city | Ukrainian special city,whose territory was seized andannexed by Russia in March 2014, following adisputed status referendum; was based inKherson until the 2022Russian invasion of Ukraine, now operating remotely inUkraine. | |||
 Luhansk Oblast | 2022 | Oblast | Luhansk People's Republic | Ukrainian oblast, whose territory waspartially seized (approx. 30%) by theLuhansk People's Republic (LPR) in 2014, and then subsequentlycompletely seized in 2022 during the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russiaannexed the LPR on 30 September 2022. Previously, the LPR was abreakaway state formed byRussian-backed separatists. Currently operating remotely inUkraine, despite Ukraine regaining control of a small slice of Luhansk Oblast's territory nearKharkiv Oblast during the2022 Ukrainian eastern counteroffensive.[27] By July 2025, Russian forces had captured the last Ukrainian-held areas in Luhansk Oblast, bringing the entire Luhansk Oblast under Russian occupation again.[28] | ||
These governments have been founded in exile bypolitical organisations andopposition parties, aspire to become actual governing authorities or claim to be legal successors to previously deposed governments, and have been founded as alternatives to incumbent governments.
| Name | Claimed exile | Exile proclamation | Government presently controlling claimed territory | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Committee for the Five Northern Korean Provinces | 1949 |  North Korea | Based inSeoul, theSouth Korean government's provisional administration for the five pre-1945 provinces which became North Korea at the end ofWorld War II and thedivision of Korea. The five provinces areNorth Hamgyeong,South Hamgyeong,Hwanghae,North Pyeongan,South Pyeongan. | [29] | |
 National Council of Resistance of Iran | 1981 |  Islamic Republic of Iran | Political umbrella coalition of Iranian opposition political organizations, the largest organization being thePeople's Mujahedin of Iran. Led byMaryam andMassoud Rajavi, based in Paris with the aim to establish the "Democratic Republic of Iran" to replace the current religious rule in Iran. | [30] | |
 National Council of Iran | 2013 | Political umbrella coalition ofIranian opposition political organizations, led by PrinceReza Pahlavi; based inPotomac, Maryland. | [31] | ||
 Third Republic of Vietnam | 1990 | 1991 |  Socialist Republic of Vietnam | The Third Republic of Vietnam, previously named the Provisional National Government of Vietnam, was formed inOrange County,California, by former soldiers and refugees fromSouth Vietnam. Declared aterrorist organization in Vietnam.[32] | |
 Progress Party of Equatorial Guinea | 2003 | Republic of Equatorial Guinea | ProclaimedSevero Moto President of Equatorial Guinea; based inMadrid. | [33] | |
| Ukraine Salvation Committee | 2014 | 2015 | Ukraine | After theRevolution of Dignity, Prime MinisterMykola Azarov, as well as pro-Russian andpro-Yanukovych members of theSecond Azarov government fled toRussia and set up a government in exile. Aims to restore the Azarov government.[34][35] Widely seen as a pro-Russian puppet government.[36][failed verification][37][better source needed] | |
 The Provisional Government of Free Joseon | 2017 | North Korea | Based inSeoul, notable for protecting the family ofKim Jong-nam (includingKim Han-sol) followinghis assassination in Malaysia.[38][39] | ||
| Coordination Council United Transitional Cabinet | 2020 | Republic of Belarus | OpposesAlexander Lukashenko's rule, led by candidateSviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (exiled inLithuania) her alleged victory over Lukashenko[40] indisputed election sparkednationwide protests in order for him to be removed from power. In 2020, Tsikhanouskaya was recognized as the legitimate president by theRada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. Declared an "extremist organization" in Belarus.[41] | ||
 Congress of People's Deputies | 2022 | Russian Federation | The Congress of People's Deputies is a meeting of former deputies of different levels and convocations from Russia, claiming to be the transitional parliament of the Russian Federation or its possible successor. Former State Duma deputyIlya Ponomarev became the public initiator of the congress. Sessions of the 1st Congress were held on 5–7 November inJabłonna,Poland. Does not recognize the results of the2024 Russian presidential election. Declared an "Undesirable organization" in Russia. | [42][non-primary source needed] | |
These governments have been founded in exile by political organisations, opposition parties, and separatist movements, and desire to become the governing authorities of their territories as independent states, or claim to be the successor to previously deposed governments, and have been founded as alternatives to incumbent governments.
These governments in exile are governments ofnon-self-governing or occupied territories. They claim legitimate authority over a territory they once controlled, or claim legitimacy of apost-decolonization authority. The claim may stem from an exiled group's election as a legitimate government.
TheUnited Nations recognizes theright of self-determination for the population of these territories, including the possibility of establishing independent sovereign states.
| Name | Exile since | Government presently controlling claimed territory | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 State of Palestine (Palestinian Authority) | 1988 |  State of Israel (Palestinian territories) | From thePalestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988 in exile inAlgiers by thePalestine Liberation Organization, it has effectively functioned as the government in exile of thePalestinian State. In 1994, however the PLO established thePalestinian National Authority interimterritorial administration as result of theOslo Accords signed by the PLO, Israel, the United States, andRussia. Between 1994 and 2013, the PNA functioned as an autonomy, thus while the government was seated in theWest Bank it was not sovereign. In 2013, Palestine was upgraded to a non-member state status in the UN. All of the above founded an ambiguous situation, in which there are two distinct entities: The Palestinian Authority, exercising a severely limited amount of control on the ground and the State of Palestine, recognized by the United Nations and by numerous countries as a sovereign and independent state, but not able to exercise such sovereignty on the ground. Both are headed by the same person—as of 2022, PresidentMahmoud Abbas—but are judicially distinct. |
| Name | Exiled or founded (*) since | Defunct, reestablished (*) or integrated (°) since | State that controlled its claimed territory | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Republican Government of Siena | 1555 | 1559 |  Grand Duchy of Tuscany | After theItalian city-state ofSiena was defeated in theBattle of Marciano and annexed to theGrand Duchy of Tuscany, 700 Sienese families did not concede defeat, established themselves inMontalcino and declared themselves to be the legitimate Republican Government of Siena. This lasted until 1559, when Tuscan troops arrived and annexed Montalcino, too. | |
 Exile government of theElectoral Palatinate | 1622–1623* | 1648° |  Electorate of Bavaria | In the early stages of theThirty Years' War,Maximilian I,Elector of Bavaria, occupied theElectoral Palatinate and was awarded possession of it byFerdinand II,Holy Roman Emperor. In late 1622 and early 1623, the fugitiveFrederick V,Elector Palatine organised a Palatinate government-in-exile atThe Hague. This Palatinate Council was headed byLudwig Camerarius, replaced in 1627 byJohann Joachim Rusdorf. Frederick himself died in exile in 1632, but his son and heirCharles Louis was able to regain the Lower Palatinate following thePeace of Westphalia in 1648. | |
 Privy Council of England | 1649 | 1660° |
| Based for most of theInterregnum in theSpanish Netherlands and headed byCharles II; actively supported Charles' claim to the thrones ofEngland,Scotland andIreland | |
| East Tennessee | 1861 | 1862 | State of Tennessee | ||
 Confederate government of Missouri | 1861 | 1865 | State of Missouri | Missouri had bothUnion andConfederate governments, but the Confederate government was exiled, eventually governing out ofMarshall, Texas. | [56] |
 Confederate government of Kentucky | 1861 | 1865 | Commonwealth of Kentucky | Kentucky had both Union and Confederate governments. The Confederate government was soon forced out of the state, and was an exiled government traveling with the ConfederateArmy of Tennessee, except for during a short return when theConfederate army briefly occupiedFrankfort. | |
| Restored Government of Virginia | 1861 | 1865 |  Commonwealth of Virginia | ||
 Hanover exile court/Guelphic Legion | 1866 | 1878 |
| On 20 September 1866Prussia annexedHanover. Living in exile in Austria, atHietzing andGmunden, KingGeorge V of Hanover never abandoned his claim to the Hanoverian throne and from 1866 to 1870 maintained at his own expense an exile Hanoverian armed force, theGuelphic Legion.[57] George was forced to give up this Legion after the Prussian lower chamber passed in 1869 a law sequestering his funds.[58] George V died in 1878. Though his son and heirPrince Ernest Augustus retained a formal claim to be the legitimate King of Hanover until 1918 (when all German Royal Families were dethroned), he does not seem to have kept up a government-in-exile. | |
 Hawaiian Kingdom | 1893 | 1895 |  Republic of Hawaii | Royal government exiled following theHawaiian Revolution of 1893, dissolved after the abdication of QueenLiliuokalani in response to theHawaiian Counter-revolution of 1895. | |
 Belgian government at Sainte-Adresse | 1914 | 1918 |  German Empire | Formed in 1915 by theGovernment of Belgium following the German invasion duringWorld War I. It was disbanded following the restoration of Belgian sovereignty with theArmistice with Germany. | |
 Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea | 1919* | 1948° |  Korea | Based inShanghai, and later inChongqing; afterJapan's defeat in World War II,PresidentSyngman Rhee became the first president of theFirst Republic of South Korea | |
 Government of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in Exile | 1921 | 1954 |  Soviet Union | Formed after theSoviet invasion of Georgia of 1921; based inLeuville-sur-Orge. | |
 Government of the Ukrainian People's Republic in exile | 1921 | 1992 | Formed after theSoviet invasion of Ukraine of 1921; disbanded following theDissolution of the Soviet Union. | ||
 Sublime State of Persia | 1923 | 1943 | Imperial State of Iran | TheQajar dynasty went into exile in 1923 and continued to claim the Iranian throne until the death ofMohammad Hassan Mirza in 1943. | |
 Spanish Republican government in exile | 1939 | 1977° |  Spanish State | Founded afterFrancisco Franco's coup d'état; first based inParis from 1939 until 1940 whenFrance fell to the Nazis. The exiled government was then moved toMexico City and stayed there from 1940 to 1946, when it was moved back to Paris, where it lasted until Franco's death and democracy in Spain was restored in thetransition. | |
 Generalitat de Catalunya | 1939 | 1977° | Spanish State | In 1939, as theSpanish Civil War ended with the defeat of theRepublic, theFrancoist dictatorship abolished theGeneralitat de Catalunya, the autonomous government ofCatalonia, and its presidentLluís Companys was tortured and executed. However, the Generalitat maintained its official existence in exile from 1939 to 1977, led by presidentsJosep Irla (1940–1954) andJosep Tarradellas (1954–1980). In 1977 Tarradellas returned toCatalonia and was recognized by the post-Franco Spanish government, ending the Generalitat's exile. | |
 Polish government-in-exile | 1939* | 1990° |
| Based inParis,Angers andLondon, it opposedGerman-occupied Poland and theSovietsatellite state, thePeople's Republic of Poland; disbanded following thefall of communism in Poland. | |
 Estonian government-in-exile (Tief) | 1940* | 1953 | Soviet Union | Split into 2 factions in January 1953 followingOtto Tief's removal by August Rei and the dispute over succession. | [59] |
| Estonian government-in-exile (Rei) | 1940/1953* | 1991° | Established inSweden by several members ofOtto Tief's government loyal toAugust Rei; it did not achieve any international recognizion. In fact, it was not recognized even by Estonian diplomatic legations that were seen by western countries as legal representatives of the annexed state. However the government in exile was recognized by the restoredGovernment of Estonia when the government in exile ceased its activity in 1992 and gave over its credentials to the restored Republic of Estonia. A rival electoral committee was founded by another group of Estonian exiles loyal toAlfred Maurer in the same year inDetmold,North Rhine-Westphalia,West Germany, but it was short lived. | [59] | |
 Latvian diplomatic service-in-exile | 1940* | 1991° | |||
 Lithuanian diplomatic service-in-exile | 1940* | 1991° | |||
 Philippine Commonwealth in exile | 1942 | 1944° |
| After Japanese forces took control over the Philippine islands, the Philippine commonwealth government led byManuel Quezon fled first toMelbourne and later toWashington, D.C. It existed from May 1942 to October 1944 before returning to the Philippines along with U.S. forces during thePhilippines campaign (1944–1945). | |
| Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia | 1948* | 1949° |  Dutch East Indies | Based inBukittinggi; led bySjafruddin Prawiranegara, founded afterOperatie Kraai in December 1948. Disbanded afterRoem–Van Roijen Agreement. | |
 All-Palestine Government | 1948 | 1959 | The All-Palestine government wasproclaimed inGaza in September 1948, but was shortly relocated toCairo in fear of Israeli offensive. Despite Egyptian ability to keep control of theGaza Strip, theAll-Palestine Government was forced to remain in exile in Cairo, gradually stripping it of its authority, until in 1959 it was dissolved byPresidentGamal Abdel Nasser's decree. | ||
| President of Ukraine (in exile) | 1948 | 1992° |  Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic | Founded on 10 July 1948, when was adopted a "Provisional law about the reorganisation of the State Center of the Ukrainian People's Republic in exile" which was coordinated between various Ukrainian political organizations. It was disbanded on 22 August 1992, when after an extraordinary session of the Ukrainian National Council on 15 March 1992 adopted a resolution "About handing over authority of the State Center of UNR in exile to the state power in Kiev and termination of work of the State Center of UNR in exile". | |
 Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic | 1958* | 1962* |  French Algeria (France) | Established during the latter part of theAlgerian War of Independence; after the war, a compromise agreement with theArmée de Libération Nationale dissolved it but allowed most of its members to enter thepost-independence government | |
| Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland | 1961 | 2024 | South Korea | The CPRK was not a governmental body per se but rather an offshoot of the Korean Workers' Party's United Front Department; the distinction is intended to emphasise the North Korean government's position that the Southern government is illegitimate and should not be dealt with by official bodies.[60] Dissolved in 2024, when North Korea stated that it no longer seeks reunification.[61] | |
 Revolutionary Government of Angola in Exile | 1962* | 1992° |  People's Republic of Angola | Based inKinshasa; its military branch, theNational Liberation Front of Angola, was recognized as a political party in 1992 and holds two seats inAngola's parliament | |
 Namibian Government in Exile | 1966* | 1989° |  South Africa | Formed after opposition to theapartheidSouth African administration overSouth-West Africa, which had been ruled as illegal by theUnited Nations; in 1990,Namibia achieved independence after theSouth African Border War. | [62] |
 Provisional Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh | 1971* | 1972° |  East Pakistan | Based inCalcutta; led byTajuddin Ahmad, the firstPrime Minister of Bangladesh, during theBangladesh Liberation War in 1971. | |
 Crown Council of Ethiopia | 1974 | 2004° |  Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | See also:Ethiopian Civil War Formerly opposed theDerg and thePeople's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, sought to restore theMonarchy of Ethiopia; based in theWashington D.C metropolitan area. On 28 July 2004, the Crown Council redefined its role by redirecting its mission from the political realm to a mission of cultural preservation, development and humanitarian efforts in Ethiopia. | |
 Free Aceh Movement | 1976* | 2005 | Republic of Indonesia | Headquartered in Turkey; surrendered its separatist intentions and dissolved its armed wing following the 2005 peace agreement with theIndonesian government | |
 Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea | 1982* | 1993° |  People's Republic of Kampuchea | Established with UN recognition in opposition to theVietnamese-backed government.Elections in 1993 brought the reintegration of the exiled government into the newly reconstitutedKingdom of Cambodia. | |
 Council of Khalistan | 1984 | mid-1990s |  Republic of India | The organization was created On 12 April 1980, when separatist leaderJagjit Singh Chohan officially announced the formation of the Council of Khalistan at Anandpur Sahib and declared himself to be the president. Balbir Singh Sindhu as its Secretary-General. Chohan presented himself as the president of the Republic of Khalistan, set up a cabinet, and issued Khalistani passports, stamps, and currency. On 13 June 1984, Chohan announced agovernment in exile. | [63] |
 National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma | 1990 | 2012 |
| Led bySein Win and composed of members ofparliament elected in 1990 but not allowed by themilitary to take office; based inRockville, Maryland, andMontgomery County, Maryland. | [64][65] |
 Dubrovnik Republic (1991) | 1991 | 1992 |  Republic of Croatia | Formed inCavtat with the help of theYugoslav People's Army after Croatia declared independence fromYugoslavia. Claimed to be the historic successor of theRepublic of Ragusa (1358–1808). | [66] |
| Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh | 1994 | 2021° | Azerbaijan | Based inBaku; not a real government in exile, but anAzerbaijani association, founded on 24 March 1994 and led byTural Ganjaliyev, whose territory was under the control ofArmenianseparatists between 1991 and 2020. On 30 April 2021 was announced the dissolution of the association after the return of most of Nagorno-Karabakh under Azerbaijani control after the2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.[67][68] | |
 Kurdish Parliament in Exile | 1995 | 1999 |  Republic of Türkiye | Based inThe Hague; founded in April 1995 and led byYaşar Kaya. It was disbanded in 1999. | |
| Government of Free Vietnam | 1995* | 2013° | Socialist Republic of Vietnam | The Government of Free Vietnam was ananti-communist political organization centered inGarden Grove, California andMissouri City, Texas. It was disbanded in 2013. | |
 Bongo Doit Partir | 1998 | 2009 | Gabon | Founded by Daniel Mengara in opposition to presidentOmar Bongo; after Bongo's death in June 2009, Mengara returned to Gabon in order to participate in the country'selections | [69][70] |
 Quetta Shura | 2001 | 2021 |  Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | Based inQuetta, as a continuation of theIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan. After theTaliban were removed from power in the2001 Afghan war, the veteran high-ranking leaders of the former government includingMullahMohammed Omar, founder and spiritual leader of the Taliban, fled toQuetta,Balochistan Province,Pakistan where they set up Quetta Shura in exile to organize and direct the insurgency and retake Afghanistan which was achieved inAugust 2021. | [71][72][73] |
 Royal Lao Government in Exile | 2003 | 2023[citation needed] |  Lao People's Democratic Republic | See also:Laotian Civil War Opposedcommunist government in Laos, sought to institute aconstitutional monarchy until its self-proclaimed prime minister died; based inGresham, Oregon. | |
 Interim Government of Federated Shan States | 2005 | 2006 |  Union of Myanmar | Aimed to establish an independent state for theShan ethnic group; it became defunct within several months. | [74][75] |
 Syrian Interim Government | 2013 | 2025 |  Syrian Arab Republic | Wasopposed toBa'athist Syria, had ties to someFree Syrian Army groups; was based inAzaz. After thefall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the SIG coexisted for a short period of time with theSyrian caretaker government headed byMohammed al-Bashir in Damascus, while the SNC expressed its support for the caretaker government and called for the formation of a government that would be "inclusive of everyone."[76] On 30 January 2025, the SIG officially dissolved and was absorbed into the caretaker government.[77] | |
 New Zaire Government in Exile | 2017 | 2024 |  Democratic Republic of Congo | Established inBrussels by Congolese opposition politicianChristian Malanga of theUnited Congolese Party in May 2017. Malanga was killed during anunsuccessful attempt at overthrowing the Congolese government on 19 May 2024. |
Many countries established a government in exile after loss ofsovereignty in connection withWorld War II.
A large number of European governments-in-exile were set up inLondon.
Other exiled leaders in Britain in this time includedKing Zog of Albania andEmperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.
OccupiedDenmark did not establish a government in exile, although there was an Association of Free Danes established inLondon.[78] The government remained in Denmark and functioned with relative independence until August 1943 when it was dissolved, placing Denmark under full German occupation. Meanwhile,Iceland,Greenland and theFaroe Islands were occupied bythe Allies and effectively separated from the Danish crown. (SeeBritish occupation of the Faroe Islands,Iceland during World War II, andHistory of Greenland during World War II.)
ThePhilippine Commonwealth (invaded 9 December 1941) established agovernment in exile, initially located in Australia and later in the United States. Earlier, in 1897, theHong Kong Junta was established as a government in exile by the Philippine revolutionaryRepublic of Biak-na-Bato.
While formed long before World War II, theProvisional Government of the Republic of Korea continued in exile in China until the end of the war.
At thefall of Java, and the surrender by the Dutch on behalf of Allied forces on 8 March 1942, many Dutch-Indies officials (includingDr van Mook andDr Charles van der Plas) managed to flee toAustralia in March 1942, and on 23 December 1943, the Royal Government (Dutch) decreed an officialNetherlands East Indies government-in-exile, with Dr van Mook as Acting Governor General, on Australian soil until Dutch rule was restored in the Indies.[79]
In the later stages ofWorld War II, with the German Army increasingly pushed back and expelled from various countries, Axis-aligned groups from some countries set up "governments-in-exile" under the auspices of the Axis powers, in the remaining Axis territory - even though internationally recognized governments were in place in their home countries. The main purpose of these was to recruit and organize military units composed of their nationals in the host country.
| Name | Exiled or founded (*) since | Defunct, reestablished (*) or integrated (°) since | State that controlled its claimed territory | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Azad Hind | 21 October 1943* | 18 August 1945 |  British Raj | The Provisional Government of Free India, or Azad Hind, was a state founded to oppose theBritish Raj. It was based inRangoon and later inPort Blair.Subhas Chandra Bose was the leader of the government and the Head of State. The government was initially established in Singapore but later given control of Japanese-controlled territory in far eastern India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The government issued its currency notes and started establishing bilateral relationships with countries aligned against Britain. TheAzad Hind Fauj orIndian National Army (INA) was the official military ofGovernment of India led bySubhas Chandra Bose. This government was disestablished in 1945 following the defeat of theAxis powers in World War II. Thetrials of INA leaders after the war led to theRoyal Indian Navy revolt in 1946, which hastened the end of British rule in India. | |
 Montenegrin State Council | Summer of 1944 | 8 May 1945 |  Kingdom of Yugoslavia | After the Germans withdrew from Montenegro, the fascist leader Sekula Drljević founded a government-in-exile based inZagreb, capital of theIndependent State of Croatia (NDH). Drljević founded theMontenegrin National Army, a military force set up by him and the Croatian fascist leaderAnte Pavelić. However, his government was dissolved after the fall of the NDH. | |
 Legionary Romania | August 1944 | 8 May 1945 | Kingdom of Romania | Germany had imprisonedHoria Sima and other members of theIron Guard following theLegionnaires' rebellion of 1941. In 1944,King Michael's Coup brought a pro-Allied government to power in Romania. In response Germany released Sima to establish a pro-Axis government in exile in Vienna. It raised a Romanian National Army in the SS of 12.000 men that fought along Germany until the end of the war.[80] | |
 Sigmaringen Governmental Commission | 7 September 1944* | 23 April 1945° | Provisional Government of the French Republic | Members of the collaborationist French cabinet at Vichy were relocated by the Germans to theSigmaringen enclave in Germany, where they became a government-in-exile until April 1945. They were given formal governmental power over the city of Sigmaringen, and the three Axis governments—Germany, Italy and Japan—established there what were officially their embassies to France.Pétain having refused to take part in this, it was headed byFernand de Brinon. | [81] |
 Kingdom of Bulgaria | 16 September 1944* | 10 May 1945 | Kingdom of Bulgaria (Fatherland Front) | Formed after the1944 Bulgarian coup d'état brought socialists to power in Bulgaria, the government was based inVienna and headed byAleksandar Tsankov. It raised the1st Bulgarian Regiment of the SS. | |
 Hellenic State | September 1944 | April 1945 |  Kingdom of Greece | After theliberation of Greece, a new collaborationist government had been established atVienna, during September 1944, formed by former collaborationist ministers. It was headed by the former collaborationist ministerEktor Tsironikos. In April 1945, Tsironikos was captured during theVienna offensive along with his ministers.[82][83][84] | |
 Hungarian Government of National Unity | 28/29 March 1945 | 7 May 1945 | TheSzálasi government fled in the face of theSoviet advance through Hungary. It was first based inVienna and then inMunich. Most of its leaders were arrested in the following months, in the aftermath of the final Allied victory in Europe. | ||
 Slovak Republic | 4 April 1945 | 8 May 1945 |  Czechoslovak Republic | The government of the Slovak Republic, led byJozef Tiso, went into exile on 4 April 1945 to the Austrian town ofKremsmünster when the Red Army capturedBratislava and occupied Slovakia. The exiled government capitulated to the American GeneralWalton Walker on 8 May 1945 in Kremsmünster. In summer 1945, the captured members of the government were handed over to Czechoslovak authorities. | |
 Second Philippine Republic | 11 June 1945 | 17 August 1945 | Philippine Commonwealth | After the Allied forces liberated the Philippines from Japanese occupiers and the reestablishment of thePhilippine Commonwealth in the archipelago after a few years in exile in the United States, the Second Philippine Republic became a nominal government-in-exile[85] from 11 June 1945, based in Nara / Tokyo.[86] The government was later dissolved on 17 August 1945.[87] | |
 Croatian Government in exile | 10 April 1951 | 28 December 1959 |  Yugoslavia | Many former members of theGovernment of the Independent State of Croatia fled toArgentina. From there they founded a government in exile. | [88] |
Following theBa'athist Iraqiinvasion andoccupation ofKuwait, during thePersian Gulf War, on 2 August 1990,SheikhJaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and senior members of his government fled toSaudi Arabia, where they set up agovernment-in-exile inTa'if.[89] The Kuwaiti government in exile was far more affluent than most other such governments, having full disposal of the very considerable Kuwaiti assets in western banks—of which it made use to conduct a massivepropaganda campaign denouncing the Ba'athist Iraqi occupation and mobilizing public opinion in the Western world in favor of war withBa'athist Iraq. In March 1991, following the defeat of Ba'athist Iraq at the hands of coalition forces in thePersian Gulf War, the Sheikh and his government were able to return to Kuwait.
Following theTurkish Invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the displacement of manyGreek Cypriots fromNorth Cyprus, displaced inhabitants of several towns set up what are in effect municipal councils in exile, headed by mayors in exile. The idea is the same as with a national government in exile—to assert a continuation of legitimate rule, even though having no control of the ground, and working towards restoration of such control. Meetings of the exiledMunicipal Council of Lapithos took place in the homes of its members until the Exile Municipality was offered temporary offices at 37 Ammochostou Street, Nicosia. The current Exile Mayor of the town is Athos Eleftheriou. The same premises are shared with the Exile Municipal Council ofKythrea.
Also in theFamagusta District of Cyprus, the administration of the part retained by theRepublic of Cyprus, based inParalimni, considers itself as a "District administration in exile", since the district's capitalFamagusta had been under Turkish control since 1974.
Works ofalternate history as well asscience fictional depictions of the future sometimes include fictional governments in exile.
After four years of civil war, Chiang and the nationalists were forced to flee to the island of Taiwan. There they established a government-in-exile and dreamed of retaking the mainland.
There Chiang established a government in exile which he led for the next 25 years.
1949: Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists lose civil war to Mao Zedong's Communist forces, sets up government-in-exile on Taiwan.
after the inauguration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing on October 1, 1949, Chiang and the Nationalists installed the rival Republic of China (ROC) as a government in exile on Taiwan.
While on October 1, 1949, in Beijing a victorious Mao proclaimed the creation of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Chiang Kai-shek re-established a temporary capital for his government in Taipei, Taiwan, declaring the ROC still to be the legitimate Chinese government-in-exile and vowing that he would "retake the mainland" and drive out communist forces.
Chiang Kai-shek wanted to fight it out on an all-or-nothing basis. There are also reports that Chiang's advisors convinced him that if the ROC mission stayed to represent Taiwan, Chiang would be under pressure to demonstrate in some constitutional way that his Chinese government-in-exile represented the people of Taiwan rather than the vast population of China. Doing so would require Chiang to dismantle his existing regime (which was elected in 1947 on the Chinese mainland and continued to rule in Taiwan under emergency martial law provisions without benefit of elections), adopt an entirely new constitution, and install an entirely new government.
[Quoting from a declassified CIA report on Taiwan written in March 1949] From the legal standpoint, Taiwan is not part of the Republic of China. Pending a Japanese peace treaty, the island remains occupied territory in which the US has proprietary interests.
Following World War II, the Republic of China, under the Kuomintang (KMT) became the governing polity on Taiwan. In 1949, after losing control of mainland China following the Chinese civil war, the ROC government under the KMT withdrew to occupied Taiwan and Chiang Kai-shek declared martial law. Japan formally renounced all territorial rights to Taiwan in 1952 in the San Francisco Peace Treaty, but neither in that treaty nor in the peace treaty signed between Japan and China was the territorial sovereignty of Taiwan awarded to the Republic of China.
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