2024-04-22 21:16:29
Interacting with the consulate in London digitally or by mail can save Portuguese emigrants time and money, said this Saturday the Consul General of Portugal in the British capital, Luís Leandro da Silva, during a seminar with community leaders.
Changing the address digitally, for example, avoids having to go to the consular post twice, once to request the change and the second to confirm the new address.
Another example is online birth registration because, in addition to protecting parents and baby, it automatically triggers the appointment for the issuance of the child’s citizen card and passport.
For all these consular acts, he stressed, it is necessary to obtain the Digital Mobile Key (CMD), a means of authentication and digital signature certified by the Portuguese State that allows the user to access various public or private portals.
It is possible to activate the CMD through a cell phone application or a citizen card reader connected to a computer.
Every month, the consulate makes around a thousand appointments available on the electronic scheduling platform exclusively for CMD holders to renew citizen cards or passports, carry out civil registration or notary acts.
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The consul general stated that “thousands” of Portuguese people already use this modality and believes the increased use of digital and postal means could “have a significant impact” in reducing the demand for in-person service.
“I’m not going to give an exact number, but it’s perfectly reasonable to think that it’s possible to dispose of 10% of everything done at the consulate through digital means or by mail,” he told Agência Lusa.
Luís Leandro da Silva said that the seminar at the headquarters of the association A Família, in London, with association leaders and community representatives aims to maximize the dissemination of the potential of digital tools and postal services.
The Councilor for Portuguese Communities, António Cunha, praised the initiative, because “it allows people to learn how to do things for themselves”.
“In this way, people can resolve their issues without giving documents and information to third parties, who can take advantage and charge money”, he highlighted.
The director of the support organization for victims of domestic violence Respect, Maria João Melo, agreed that the use of CMD can “make life easier” for beneficiaries without digital skills.
However, he reminded many people that many people do not have smart phones to activate CMD nor computers or email addresses to use digital services.
2024-04-22 21:16:29