What Is the «e-Consul» System and Why Do Ukrainians Abroad Need It?

The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved a resolution on the information and communication system «e-Consul». The new system will ensure higher quality and greater accessibility of MFA services for Ukrainian citizens living or residing abroad.

Faster and more accessible services – that is the main goal of the «e-Consul» system introduced by Ukraine's MFA. In addition, officials aim to fully move certain consular procedures online, meaning that in order to receive services and process documents, a visit to the Ukrainian consulate abroad will no longer be required. To achieve this, the MFA will integrate the system with state registries and information databases.

In August, as part of the preparations for the launch of «e-Consul», a digital platform was created. Currently, it is being used to test an electronic queue, an applicant's personal cabinet, and a consul's personal cabinet. In restricted mode, tests are being conducted on automated notarial services and the issuance of certificates. The system is also undergoing security checks, vulnerability testing, evaluation of encryption algorithm strength, and stress testing for peak load resistance. All of this is intended to ensure stable and uninterrupted operation in the future.

How will the «e-Consul» system improve the quality of service delivery in practice? ▸ Citizens will not need to provide data or documents that the state already has on file. ▸ The above will make it possible to introduce remote services. This means that for many services, there will be no need to travel to the consulate at all (which is great news for Ukrainians living not in large cities where a consulate is located, but in remote small towns). ▸ According to MFA estimates, the operational time for delivering services to citizens will be reduced – by anywhere from 30% to as much as 80%.

When will Ukrainians be able to use the updated system? It is expected that «e-Consul» will launch as early as 2024.

In the coming year, the MFA will only accelerate the pace of digitalisation in the consular sphere. In particular, the share of remote services will grow, online payments will be integrated, and documents will be distributed through the Diia app in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Transformation. All these improvements and innovations will be rolled out gradually and with user feedback taken into account.

It is worth noting that the need to modernise the «e-Consul» system became especially pressing in the context of the full-scale war. According to MFA data, approximately 7.5 million Ukrainian citizens are currently abroad, the majority of whom left due to the Russian invasion since 2022. This category of applicants frequently requires consular assistance due to lost documents, property matters, children's schooling arrangements, and so on. Demand for such services remains extremely high, despite the MFA's intensified efforts over the past two years.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that those who wish to be among the first to use the updated services should prepare in advance by ensuring they have the option to complete remote identification via the id.gov.ua portal. Prior identification allows the system and the consul to begin processing the service request before a visit, or to eliminate the need for a physical appointment altogether.

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