MFA: Agreement extended between the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Emergency Response Centre Agency – Foreign Ministry’s Consular Service Centre assists travellers in emergencies

Finnish citizens or foreign nationals with a permanent residence in Finland can get 24/7 advice and assistance from the Ministry when in distress or difficulties abroad due to an illness, accident or disaster or if they fall a victim of crime, for example. Consular services consist mainly of provision of advice and, if necessary, further assistance by the Finnish embassy or consulate in the country in question or by the Ministry’s Unit for Consular Assistance. Customers can contact the 24/7 Consular Service Centre by phone, email or Nettikonsuli on Facebook.

“In the past nearly two years, the cooperation with the Emergency Response Centre Agency has been very efficient. In addition to its domestic services, the Agency has handled the duties relating to assistance of travellers abroad in a professional and high-quality manner. We are also developing the services all the time, aiming at a smooth and well-targeted service from the customer's point of view,” says Antti Putkonen, Director of the Unit for Consular Assistance at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Jyrki Heinonen, Chief of Command and Control Centre at the Emergency Response Centre Agency, is also satisfied with the cooperation.

“We can help Finnish citizens both in Finland and abroad. Now that representatives of two administrative sectors are collaborating in the same place, we are able to speed up the provision of assistance to persons in distress. The trial phase has proved that collaboration between various authorities can be organised in a cost-effective and customer-oriented manner.”

Last year, the Command and Control Centre of the Emergency Response Centre Agency responded to nearly 7,000 requests of assistance related to consular services.

“After the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, requests for advice and assistance multiplied. However, the situation is now getting settled,” Heinonen says.

24/7 Consular Services: https://um.fi/paivystys-24/7

Inquiries:
Emergency Response Centre Agency
Jyrki Heinonen
Chief of Command and Control Centre

tel. +358 295 481 293
The Emergency Response Centre Agency’s email addresses are in the format firstname.lastname@112.fi

Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Antti Putkonen
Director, Unit for Consular Assistance
tel. +358 295 350 636
The Foreign Ministry’s email addresses are in the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi.