Romanian diplomatic missions propose setting up 148 travelling consulates in 26 states

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) informs that, based on the public consultation process carried out until mid-January, 40 diplomatic missions and consular offices proposed setting up 148 travelling consulates in 26 states this year, compared to 64 travelling consulates set up in 2021.

At the same time, MAE says that, since the beginning of this year, five travelling (mobile) consulates have already been organised in the proposed calendar in: the Italian Republic, the Republic of Malta, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Australia and the United States.

This calendar was developed based on the new methodology approved for this purpose in 2021 by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, which introduces as a central element of the methodology the consultation of Romanian communities to establish cities and periods of organisation of travelling (mobile) consulates.

By extending the practice of organising travelling (mobile) consulates, MAE aims to respond as efficiently as possible to the needs of Romanian citizens abroad, from communities far from the diplomatic missions or consular office headquarters. Thus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aims to "ensure access for Romanian citizens to quality consular assistance and services, provided in conditions similar to those in the usual work spaces of the missions."

The travelling or mobile consulate is an occasional activity that involves moving a mobile consular team to a locality where there is a Romanian community, located at a distance from the permanent diplomatic missions or consular offices, in order to provide consular services requested by members of that community. The mobile consular teams consist of consuls and consular officers of the diplomatic missions or consulates, who organise this activity and are equipped with the necessary technical equipment to take over and process the consular services offline. On the occasion of these travelling (mobile) consulates, a very varied range of consular services can be processed, such as notarial deeds, travel and civil status documents, obtaining documents from Romania, etc.

The novelty element introduced by MAE through the new procedure for setting up travelling (mobile) consulates, approved in 2021 by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, aims at consulting the Romanian communities so that, when establishing cities and periods for organising travelling consulates, the suggestions and requests of the Romanian communities, expressed directly, are taken into account.

In 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised 64 travelling (mobile) consulates, within which over 15,000 consular services were processed, thus performing seven times more consular services than in the 21 travelling (mobile) consulates set up in 2020. (AGERPRES)