Note: Last updated March 31 at 3:56 p.m. with the Israeli Consulate General’s Covid-19 Town Hall, set to take place April 2 at 3 p.m. on its Facebook page here.

Consulates in Atlanta, the physical outposts of foreign governments serving their nationals living in the Southeast U.S. from Georgia, face a balancing act as state and local governments issue “social distancing” directives to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

On one hand they’re obliged to follow recommendations of authorities to limit in-person contact. On the other, they have the well-being of their compatriots to think about — all at a tumultuous time of travel bans to Europe, limited social gatherings and a state of flux in U.S. relations with the rest of the world.

Many are using their social media platforms to keep their communities abreast of scheduling and availability changes and to circulate trustworthy information that will help people protect themselves during the public health crisis that is Covid-19. Most are working remotely, providing consular services in person only to those with urgent needs and by appointment only.

Below, Global Atlanta is compiling a dynamic list of changes, hours and useful links to help our readers from abroad navigate this time in partnership with their governments.

Consular officials can send updates to twilliams@globalatlanta.com or tweet @GlobalAtlanta.

Jump to a country:

Bahamas | Belgium | Brazil | Canada | Ireland | Netherlands | Israel | France | United Kingdom | Germany | Japan | Switzerland | Nigeria | Greece | Peru | Mexico | Guatemala | South Korea | Hungary | Taiwan | India | Austria | Cyprus | Italy| More Resources

Bahamas 

Canada

Canada’s consulate general pointed citizens to the government’s resources on Covid-19:

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

For information on COVID-19, please visit the Government of Canada’s official outbreak page and check our Travel Advice and Advisories. Make sure to register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad to get the latest updates at your destination.

It also posted notices on Facebook and Twitter that services would be limited as staffers work remotely, and those who have urgent needs for consular assistance to email ccs.scc@international.gc.ca.

Consul General Nadia Theodore is also active on Twitter and has been urging people to stay home:

Belgium

More from the Belgian consulate:

We are focusing our resources on emergencies and urgent consular matters involving Belgian citizens. We are open and accessible to anyone who needs us here.

Ireland


Netherlands


Israel

From the consulate’s website, which includes a list of Coronavirus updates:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates: Changes to Consular Services

In light of the circumstances, admission to the consulate and the Consular Section will be possible only in urgent cases and with advance coordination by telephone or mail. However, in such cases where admission to the consulate and Consular Section is coordinated in advance, entry will only be permitted with a protective mask and gloves.

See much more vital information on the consulate’s website here

Stay in touch with the Israeli consulate on Facebook or Twitter.

Join the Israeli Consulate General’s Covid-19 Town Hall April 2 at 3 p.m. on its Facebook page here

France

Latest information on consular operations here

Info in French on Covid-19

Follow the consulate on Facebook and Twitter


United Kingdom 

The British Consulate General in Atlanta’s staff is increasingly working from home, according to a new tweet from the consulate:

Earlier posts issued the government’s guidance on the Covid-19 response and the latest on travel restrictions from the U.S. to the U.K.:


Germany

From the consulate:

Due to COVID-19, the Consular service in Atlanta will be limited to emergency services for German citizens and emergency visa processing. Appointments that have already been booked will be honored.

Please note that you are required to schedule an appointment for passport applications (for each family member) and visa applications as well as for all consular matters via our appointment systems. See all information here

UPDATE on visas 3/18: Due to COVID-19, general visa questions cannot be answered at this time. Visa applications will only be processed after entry restrictions for Germany have been lifted. If you have an extreme emergency and entry to Germany is not banned for you, please contact us via email. LINK

More on Twitter:

 

Japan

View the consulate’s website, which under announcements includes the latest restrictions on travel into Japan as of March 10, including a sample questionnaire outlining travel history

Update Wednesday, March 18, from the Japanese consulate:

Our consular service hours remain the same, 9:00-12:30/13:30-16:00 Monday through Friday, while temporarily reducing our on-site presence at the Consulate General from March 19th to 31st.

Due to the reduced on-site presence, longer processing time should be expected. For those living in remote areas, please make sure to contact our consular section before deciding to send applications by mail.

Visit our website for more information at https://www.atlanta.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html

 

Switzerland


Nigeria

Nigeria has shut down consular services as of March 17, including passport/biometrics interviews, but it is still processing emergency travel certificates from a consulate in Atlanta that covers 15 states. View the latest on the website here and see the staff here.

“The Consulate General will continue to monitor the situation and announce resumption of services in due course.”

Greece 

From the consulate’s website:

Due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, as of Monday, March 16th, 2020, the Consular Office of the Embassy of Greece in Washington DC will provide exclusively urgent service and only by appointment (tel. 202 939 1300).

The Consular Section will not be able to host you at our premises unless you have made an appointment and implement thoroughly all the CDC measures

In case of an emergency, please call (+1) 202 578 3361. You can also reach the Consular Section through email grcon.was@mfa.gr

We thank you in advance for your understanding and your kind cooperation.

The health of visitors and staff, along with the safety of the community, are our top priority.

Peru

No specific information on the consulate’s website, but the Facebook page has a notice (in Spanish) on the closure of its borders and information on measures for fending off coronavirus:


Brazil

Brazil’s consulate general is operating in “emergency mode” as of March 17, which means that all face-to-face services are suspended and visas are only being processed via mail. Details and emergency numbers can be found on the consulate’s website here. Follow the consulate on Twitter here.

More detail can be found on the consulate’s Facebook page, including more detailed posts in Portuguese:

The consulate recommends daily monitoring, as the situation is fluid and there is a chance it could shut down altogether temporarily:

There is a real possibility that the CG will temporarily cease to be operational. Daily monitoring of the situation is recommended by the CG’s website (http://atlanta.itamaraty.gov.br). Messages will also be published on the CG page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/cgbrasilatlanta/).

The CG hopes to be able to function normally as soon as possible, always committed to seeking to serve the community in its area of ​​jurisdiction in the best possible way (states of Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee).

Latest, as of Monday, March 23:

Mexico

Mexico’s consulate said on its website it will suspend all information sessions at the consulate and in a Facebook post that is attending to emergencies only:


Guatemala 

The Guatemalan consulate posted this video message along with other notices on its Facebook page:

—

South Korea

South Korea has been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus, but the consulate’s website shows little in the way of schedule changes. Its Facebook page includes information about donating supplies and funds to Korea via reputable sources, and the most recent post shows Consul General Young-jun Kim meeting with former Democratic gubernatorial candidate (and some say vice presidential hopeful) Stacey Abrams: 

The consulate also has on hand a PDF update from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in English on the Covid-19 outbreak, which shows the massive testing blitz has helped contain the outbreak.

Hungary

The honorary consulate general of Hungary in Atlanta is letting citizens know about opportunities for repatriation to the country via Slovakia:

Taiwan

The latest information as of March 25 can be found here, or follow the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office on Facebook below:

India

As per news outlet NRIPulse, the Indian consulate general has launched a helpline related to Covid-19. From the newspaper:

People who need help for travel in an emergency or for a compelling reason may contact the Consulate General of India in Atlanta.

The Consulate can be reached via email or, in the case of an emergency, the numbers below.

Email: cons.atlanta@mea.gov
Emergency number: 404-910-7919
Alternate emergency number: 404-924-9876

Also, Miscellaneous Consular Services like attestations, power of attorney, PCC, birth certificates etc will be rendered through regular mail with effect March 13, 2020. Applicants are requested not to visit the Consulate for over-the-counter services till further notice. Any queries in this regard may be addressed to cons.atlanta@mea.gov.in along with cell number.

More details at www.indiainatlanta.gov.in.

The consulate also posted the latest travel restrictions on its Twitter and Facebook pages:

As of March 27, the consulate is no longer processing passport or OCI applications, per a press release on its website:

The Consulate General of India, Atlanta has taken the following decisions with immediate effect in light of the existing advisories associated with the coronavirus and movement restrictions in several States:

(i) OCI applications will not be accepted, including by postal mail, until further notice.

(ii) Passport applications will not be accepted, including by postal mail, until further notice. However, applicants requiring passports on emergency basis may kindly send an email to cons.atlanta@mea.gov.in explaining their emergency situation. Once the request has been approved, the applicant will be informed to complete the application process and send the papers by postal mail to CKGS for further processing.

(iii) Miscellaneous consular services shall continue to be accepted only by postal mail until further notice. Applicants should factor in that it may take longer and there could be delays in providing miscellaneous services due to the current situation.

Austrian Honorary Consulate

Kindly note that due to COVID-19 the Austrian Consulate in Atlanta offers limited public services until further notice. We do offer emergency consular services for Austrian citizens on an appointment basis (E Consulate@SeefriedProperties.com, T +1-404-264-9858). In urgent cases please contact the Austrian Embassy in Washington DC (E Washington-ka@bmeia.gv.at, T +1-202-895-6700).

Cyprus

The consulate of Cyprus had this terse message on Facebook:

More information at the organization’s website: ttps://www.friendsofcyprususa.org/links

Italy

Emergency numbers to the consulate in Miami. Learn more here.  

Durante l’emergenza sanitaria questo Consolato ha in funzione i seguenti numeri per fornire informazioni e assistenza.

Dal lunedì al venerdì dalle 9 alle 16 al +1 305 549-5518, al +1 305 779-5085 e al +1 305 779-5089 e scrivendo a miami.urp@esteri.it o assistenza.miami@esteri.it.

Per emergenze e’ sempre possibile contattare il +1 305 753-0532 attivo 24/7 o scrivere a miami.emergenza@esteri.it.

Il Consolato continuera’ ad assicurare SU RICHIESTA DEGLI INTERESSATI tutti i servizi essenziali e urgenti (con riferimento particolare a passaporti e documenti di viaggio).

Le attivita’ NON essenziali e urgenti verranno rimandate.
Pertanto, gli appuntamenti degli altri settori (notarile, cittadinanza, AIRE, stato civile, scuola, visti) saranno assicurati soltanto se ritenuti realmente urgenti.

In tale ultimo caso, e’ possibile scrivere un email a miami.emergenza@esteri.it

More Resources

View Global Atlanta’s full consulate directory here

See the City of Atlanta’s Covid-19 FAQs list here, as well as translations in Korean, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish

As managing editor of Global Atlanta, Trevor has spent 15+ years reporting on Atlanta’s ties with the world. An avid traveler, he has undertaken trips to 30+ countries to uncover stories on the perils...

2 replies on “How to Access Consular Services Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak”

  1. Pingback: Israeli Consulate Plans Virtual Covid-19 Town Hall April 2 - Global Atlanta
  2. Pingback: Consulates and COVID-19: How Japan, Bahamas and the United Kingdom Are Coping, Learning - Global Atlanta

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