The Jaffna Regional Consular Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs marked it's one year anniversary last week on Friday 26 January 2018. 

In keeping with the aim to improve and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of consular related service delivery to the general public, particularly those in the Northern Province, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs opened a Regional Consular Office in Jaffna on Thursday 26 January 2017. The regional consular office is located at the District Secretariat in Jaffna. 

The Regional Office provides a range of consular services to the public that were previously only available through the Consular Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo.  These services range from attestation of birth, marriage and death certificates as well as educational certificates for their use abroad; extending assistance to family members of Sri Lankans who may be stranded abroad; facilitation of redress and compensation claims of families of migrant workers; and repatriation of human remains from abroad. 

Prior to the opening of the regional office, a mobile consular service had been held in Nallur, Jaffna from 28-31 August 2016, with staff of the Consular Division providing consular services with the Department of Immigration and Emigration, and participation of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau.

To date, the consular Office in Jaffna has attested over 10,364 documents, and served over 5000 people, who have been able to avail of consular services without travelling to Colombo. Through the Electronic Document Attestation System (e-DAS), the regional consular office is digitally linked with the Main Consular Affairs Division in Colombo, and can process documents, applications in real time. 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

30 January 2018