Panaji: In a major relief to Portuguese passport applicants in Goa, Daman and Diu, Portugal has taken a step towards modernising its global consular services with the launch of the Consulado Virtual, an online platform designed to provide round-the-clock access to essential services.“Portugal’s diaspora numbers around five million people worldwide. We are here to serve our people and anyone who needs assistance from the consulate. Our goal is to ensure services are delivered in the best possible manner, and we will continue improving as best we can,” the consul general of Portugal in Goa, ambassador Maria Manuela de Macedo Franco, told TOI.In Goa, the platform is expected to reduce the need for in-person visits, cutting down queues and wait times at the consulate office in Altinho. Users can track applications, submit requests and access services remotely, making the system particularly beneficial for Portugal’s large overseas population.The ambassador said that over the past two to three decades, Portugal has invested heavily in digitisation, including the organisation and online availability of archival and administrative records.“Today, we are able to offer much better services without the need to send everything back and forth physically. However, this remains a complex system. It’s not simply about having documents available — there are multiple institutions involved, and each must adopt and integrate compatible digital systems,” she added.
