A State Arrival Ceremony is a ceremony in which a foreign head of state or head of government is formally welcomed to the United States. It takes place on the South Lawn of the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States in Washington D.C., . The ceremony usually begins a state visit, and is the setting of the initial contact between the two heads of state during the visit. State arrival ceremonies held in recent years are given media coverage by the public affairs TV channel, C-SPAN.
Similar arrival ceremonies formally welcoming foreign defense ministers on official visits to the United States are held with full military honors at The Pentagon in nearby Arlington County, Virginia and are hosted by the Secretary of Defense.
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