Three technological solutions to facilitate consular operations and promote safer travel were presented at a ceremony chaired by the exiting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz. Self-service modules, a mini website and a mobile device application will be available in the upcoming days.
Santiago, March. – Thousands of citizens travel monthly to other countries, not only for vacations but for business or studies. Like them, another important number of Chileans living abroad, need to access various technological tools to obtain consular documents or travel information. That’s why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs developed three technological solutions to facilitate their stay abroad.
The exiting Minister of Foreign Affairs Heraldo Muñoz, announced the instruments’ operation and noted that “we’re working to modernize consular services, due to the high demand that is reflected in the more than one million three hundred thousand consular actions registered by the Directorate General of Consular Affairs and the Consular Network. Technological initiatives are being implemented that allow us to bring our country closer to all Chileans, no matter where they are.”
With the Digital Government Unit’s support, the ministry will install self-service totems, initially in three cities – which will be reported soon – that don’t have consular offices, so that users can obtain the most requested documents by the State’s public services network, Fonasa membership/contribution certificates, cessation of coexistence, death, marriage and pensioner quality. These modules are manufactured by the Chilean company Vigatec, which works with the one-touch technology that correlates the applicant’s identity card and fingerprint to verify their identity.
Marcelo Díaz, Vigatec commercial manager considers that installing this equipment is a contribution to the nationals abroad, since it puts all the necessary services at their reach while saving them time and money. He states that “digitalizing certain State processes means that we can think that, in the future, citizens will be able to perform a greater number of procedures that could include the presidential vote.”
The other tools presented are the “Chile goes with you” application (Clvacontigo), designed to provide safety recommendations for trips to the 50 most visited tourist destinations, as well as information about the identity documents required for entry to each country, cultural information, among others. The microsite serviciosconsulares.gob.cl will be available on the chancellery website and aims to give easy access to the procedures that users demand the most, information about document legalizations, birth, marriage, death registrations, visas, apostilles, among others.
In the picture, Hugo Méndez, Vigatec sales assistant manager, Juan José Muster, modernization issues adviser to the Directorate General of Consular Affairs and Immigration and Marcelo Díaz, Vigatec sales manager.