Changes in the Portuguese consular network

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs that, as part of the reorganization of the external network provided for in the new Consular Regulation (Decree-Law 51/2021, published on June 15th), it is preparing the reclassification of vice-consulates whose respective holders' terms of service will expire until September 2021.

Thus, the current Vice-Consulate of Portugal in Toulouse will be promoted to a Consulate, meeting the needs of the large Portuguese community living there, and the Vice-Consulate of Portugal in Vigo will become a Consulate-General, given the importance of the political, economic and cultural relations between the two countries, particularly between northern Portugal and Galicia.

The current vice-consulates will remain in operation as consular posts until a new category is assigned, and there is no question of abolishing the consular structure in places where there are vice-consulates.

As part of this network reassessment, the situation of honorary consulates is also being analyzed. Honorary consulates will remain as they are today, but the new Consular Regulations align their classification according to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, seeking to maintain a service based on proximity and quality which ensures the provision of all consular acts, namely by expanding the network of consular offices.

The new Consular Regulations thus gradually evolves to reinforce Portugal's external network, strengthening the existing consular offices and reinforcing the proximity network in places where it is needed. This network review, along with the application of the New Consular Management Model, which is currently being implemented, and the consolidation of emergency support mechanisms, is a key step in restructuring the response of consulates that the Government aims to achieve.