The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is getting closer: the government will launch the “e-Consul” system for Ukrainians abroad
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a resolution on the implementation of the “e-Consul” information and communication system, which will ensure a new level of quality and accessibility of consular services for Ukrainians living abroad. informs Foreign Office.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba noted that the updated “e-Consul” system will make the services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs more accessible and faster for Ukrainian citizens living or temporarily staying outside the country. Some consular procedures will be completely transferred to an online format, which will avoid the need for a personal visit to the consulate. Other services will become faster and more convenient thanks to automatic uploading of documents from state registers.
As of August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already created a digital platform on which the updated electronic queue, personal offices for applicants and consuls, as well as automated pilot services in the field of notary and certificate issuance are being tested. Connecting the system to state registers and information bases will reduce the time of providing consular services by 30-80%.
“The new system will gradually eliminate the need to provide the state with documents that are already at its disposal and will open the possibility of introducing the first remote services that will not require a visit to the consul. It is expected that Ukrainians will be able to use the updated system already this year.”, says the message of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
After the launch of the “e-Consul” system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to continue the active digitization of the consular sphere during 2025.
According to the agency, there are currently about 7.5 million Ukrainians abroad, many of whom were forced to leave the country due to the Russian invasion. This category of citizens especially needs consular support due to lost documents, unresolved property issues and other problems. Despite the heavy workload, Ukrainian consuls have carried out more than 2 million consular actions over the past two years, but the demand for these services still exceeds the capabilities of the consular services of most countries of the world.
