29/06/2012 Canary Islands - Following the previous announcement of operational changes, the British Consulates in Las Palmas and Tenerife have today released a poster to advertise the new opening hours.
The poster reads as follows:
New opening hours to the public from 1st July 2012: Tuesdays and Fridays: 08.30 – 13.30hrs
Notarial services: Appointments should be made by calling 902 109 356 or +34 91 334 2194 or by email to notarialservicescanaries
fco.gov.uk
Emergencies: Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 902 109 356 or +34 91 334 2194
Website: http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk
These new opening hours are to deal with non-emergency and non-time sensitive work only. Meanwhile the current surgeries on Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and the south of Tenerife will be replaced with regular outreach visits to these areas, which are designed to source, nurture and develop support networks for vulnerable British nationals. It is hoped that these changes will enable Consular staff to dedicate more time to victim support, emergency assistance cases and outreach work, improving the way the Consulates serve both British tourists and residents. Maria Leng, British Consul for the Canaries said: “We need to adapt our opening hours for non-emergency enquiries to allow our staff the time to dedicate to those most in need. Up until now, the staff dealing with these cases could be interrupted at various stages by customers requiring certificates or making general enquiries. We hope to drive down avoidable, nonessential assistance work.”
