Mexican nationals in Tulsa have to drive more than 100 miles to Oklahoma City if they need services from the consulate.
They have to consider the cost of gas and taking time off work to drive to OKC. These can be an economic factor preventing people from traveling to see the consulate.
The Consulate of Mexico in Oklahoma City was established in 2023, and is one of 53 consular offices in the United States. The consulate offers various services to the state’s Mexican nationals and dual citizens, such as passports and visas. It can also provide resources to people interested in traveling to the country.
To help curb distance barriers, the Mexican consulate hosts a mobile version of its office across Tulsa and other cities to help people connect more to its services.
Here’s what you need to know about the consulate and its mobile unit.
Who is the head of the consulate?
Edurne Pineda is the head consul, overseeing the Oklahoma City consulate’s operations since it opened in 2023.
In her role, she places an emphasis on connecting more with local communities and teaching them about the relevance of Mexico as an ally of the U.S.
What does the consulate do?
A consulate is dedicated to offering consular services to nationals from the origin country, Pineda said.
Foreign countries have political representation in the capital of other countries called embassies. They can also have consulates focused more on services and creating commercial, cultural and economic relations with the state they’re based in, she said.
They have offered assistance with over 100,000 procedures and services across various aspects of consular work.
Services include:
- Passport
- Consular Registration
- Voter ID
- Mexican Birth Certificate (Dual Nationality)
- Marriage between Mexicans
- Gender Identity Registration
- Mexican Death Certificate Registration
- Notarial Public Faith Procedure (Notarial Power of Attorney, Will, Revocation, Repudiation of Inheritance Rights or Parental Authority Agreement in Mexico)
People can also declare power of attorneys for certain situations at the consulate office.
“For example, if your grandmother dies and leaves you a piece of land, a small ranch or something else, and you can’t go to Mexico to follow up on that matter, well, the person you grant power of attorney to can handle that matter on your behalf,” Pineda said.
Who can visit the consulate for its services?
The Mexican consulate in Oklahoma City offers its services to the roughly 400,000 Mexican nationals across the state. However, any Mexican national residing in the U.S. can visit the office or the mobile unit to receive services.
The Mexican population in Oklahoma is extremely diverse, Pineda said.
“We have first-generation, second-generation and third-generation people in the Mexican population,” she said. “We have migrants who are here with work permits and other migrants without work permits.”
There are people of all ages who can use the services, she said.
If someone is a dual citizen or wants to become one, they can also use the services to register as a Mexican citizen.
Mexican citizens who are in the country illegally can also benefit from their educational programs, such as how to manage bank accounts, how to navigate financial systems, how to buy a house and how to pay for taxes.
The consulate also offers legal help to those who may need it.
When can you visit the office in OKC?
The consulate offers its services from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Fridays in Oklahoma City, located at 1131 W Sheridan Ave.
You currently don’t need an appointment to visit the consulate in Oklahoma City. The demand is controlled, Pineda said.
What is the mobile consulate?
The mobile consulate is a version of the consulate on wheels. It offers limited appointments and is hosted roughly 10 times a year across the state.
Each time they visit a city they provide services over the span of two days, Pineda said. Appointments are required for the mobile consulate.
“We visit Tulsa frequently, because it’s a city that has a lot of demand for our services because there’s a large Mexican community,” Pineda said. “And the truth is that today, given the current immigration context, there is some fear in our community about driving.”
The consulate will offer its services Saturday and Sunday at El Centro, an organization aimed at empowering immigrants in Tulsa. El Centro is located at 1801 S. Garnett Road. The consulate of Mexico in Oklahoma City brings between 20 to 22 staff members with her when servicing cities with the mobile consulate.
Although all 615 appointments have filled up, Pineda recommends people stay connected through Facebook on upcoming events.
The mobile consulate focuses on issuing the following services:
- Passport
- Consular Registration
- Voter ID
“It is very important that our people carry valid and current identification with them at all times,” she said. “In case of any emergency or interaction with local authorities, it is always very convenient for them to have a way to identify themselves.”
The mobile consulate will often have other agencies at their event, such as organizations supporting victims of domestic violence and organizations focused on health.
How can someone make an appointment?
People can make an appointment for the in-person office in Oklahoma City at 424-309-0009, or you can send a WhatsApp message to the same number.
People must receive a folio number at the end of the appointment process for confirmation.
This article was produced as part of a partnership between the Tulsa Flyer and La Semana, a Tulsa-based bilingual Spanish-English newspaper serving Latino communities in Oklahoma.
News decisions at the Tulsa Flyer are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
