- The Foreign Ministry announces a new way to schedule passport appointments in Mexico using WhatsApp.
- “WhatsApp will be a way to schedule appointments in all of the Foreign Ministry's offices. We're going to do it faster; we're going to do it better. We're going to open our eyes every day and think: What can I do today to make Mexico better? That is our task,” said Marcelo Ebrard.
- The chatbot will provide quick, easy service. Appointments can now be scheduled on a cell phone in any state within Mexico.
- This new option is in addition to the two that are currently available: the portal www.citas.sre.gob.mx and by calling (+52)55893-24827.
The Foreign Ministry today announced an official WhatsApp chatbot as a new way to schedule passport appointments in Mexico. To start using this service, just save the telephone number +52 55 8932-4827 in your contacts and write “Hello” to start a conversation with the virtual assistant. Follow the steps to schedule an appointment to apply for or renew your passport.
This new option is in addition to the two that are currently available: the portal www.citas.sre.gob.mx and by calling the same number (+52) 55893-24827. With the new WhatsApp option, Mexicans now have three different ways of scheduling an appointment at any office in the 32 Mexican states.
At the launch of the new system, Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, accompanied by Carlos Candelaria, Director General of Passport Offices, said, "The question, since we arrived, has been: How can we use the innovation and technology available today to change people's daily lives … for the better? ... Our first goal was to change the passport, because we had an analog passport... Today our service is already among the top three in the Federal Government. We want to be number one in many things, and we are going to be number one."
“Starting now, today, WhatsApp will be a way to schedule appointments in all of the Foreign Ministry's offices. We're going to do it faster, we're going to do it better, and every day, we're going to open our eyes and think: What can I do today to make Mexico better? That is our task," said Foreign Secretary Ebrard.
Íñigo Fernández Baptista, Director of Public Policies for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean at Meta—the company that owns WhatsApp—, said, “The company is committed to supporting projects that use technology to improve the life of society and help make people safer. The chatbot will not only make the process more efficient, it is also a measure to prevent online scams.”
“WhatsApp is very pleased to be able to work in partnership with the Mexican Foreign Ministry to develop this chatbot that will bring essential information and services closer to people in a simpler and more innovative way. This official Foreign Ministry channel reaffirms our commitment to connect users with secure and reliable sources of information through the WhatsApp platform,” said Paloma Szerman, WhatsApp Public Policy Manager.
Carlos Candelaria, Director General of Passport Offices, said that this new option is very innovative. "By using your cell phone and the WhatsApp platform, you can make your passport appointment anywhere in the country at any hour; you can do it in less than three minutes.
He added,"WhatsApp is a world leader in technology. It has 2 billion global users and will be useful for connecting with the Mexican population and offering them better services."
He also highlighted the Foreign Ministry's achievements, mentioning the new buildings for 17 of the 45 passport offices; the extended business hours, seven days a week from 8 in the morning to 8 at night; and the new polycarbonate electronic passport with a chip and a new data sheet for the parent(s) or guardian(s) of children and adolescents.
The new appointment chatbot has many advantages. The service is quicker and easier, and a passport appointment can be made in minutes on a cell phone throughout the country at any passport or liaison office in the municipality closest to the applicant's place of residence.
Once the WhatsApp conversation has started, the virtual assistant will ask for the information of the person for whom the appointment is being made, including the CURP —which can be obtained on the RENAPO page ( https://www. gob.mx/curp ); data from the previous passport, for renewals; and the passport office selected. The chatbot will prompt people with the specific information needed.
The virtual assistant will not ask the user to send images, photographs or additional information. Only information that can be texted will be submitted. The chatbot will send a privacy notice, approved by the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Personal Data Protection (INAI), which should be read carefully. WhatsApp does not proactively contact users to request or confirm data. The new chatbot displays a green check mark on the contact name, which identifies it as a verified, trusted, and secure account for official interactions.
Once the appointment is scheduled, the user will receive confirmation in a few minutes on WhatsApp, including the selected office; the day and the time; three QR codes, which include the user's CURP, a link to the location of the office where the appointment was requested, and a payment form to help the user make the payment directly at the bank. The user will also receive a triptych detailing the requirements for obtaining or renewing a passport.
At this time, payment can only be made at a bank. The Foreign Ministry is working on a system that will make it possible to make electronic payments, which will be announced on a future date. The original payment receipt must be presented at the passport appointment.
All appointments made with the WhatsApp chatbot, over the phone or online can be made free of charge. The new chat option for appointments will allow the user to schedule up to five appointments per month on the same phone number. This means that parents can make appointments for their family, making the process safer, more personal, and faster.
Appointments can still be made over the phone and online; the WhatsApp method is an additional option.
Thanks to technological innovations such as the Foreign Ministry's WhatsApp chatbot, the Government of Mexico, together with the private sector, is reducing the operating costs of its procedures and can now offer a more expeditious process for citizens to obtain their Mexican passports.
