Kim Hoogcarspel has been a consular officer for five years at the Consulate General of the Netherlands in San Francisco. She often meets Dutch citizens when their West Coast vacation has gone wrong.

"Fires, car accidents, theft. Whenever a Dutch citizen needs help, we try to do whatever we can," she said. "Sometimes we receive a call from panicking Dutch tourists who lost their passports. We give out an emergency passport so people can get home, but we also offer some calming words and try to comfort them.”

The consular task of the Dutch consulates often goes unnoticed because they deal with private matters, but it forms the backbone of the Dutch diplomatic presence in the United States.

Hoogcarspel emphasized the multifaceted role her work: "Dutch citizens know that a consulate is the place to go to whenever they're in trouble on vacation, but we do so much more. From advising on the interpretation of laws to informing about upcoming elections. The global slogan of our services is: Here to help. Wherever you are."

This includes helping Dutch citizens living in the United States, mainly through renewing their Dutch passport and issuing passports to new citizens. 

“We don’t know exactly how many Dutch citizens reside in the United States," she said. "They don’t have to register, but we suspect about 30,000 on the West Coast, between Hawaii and Colorado.”

Every year the consulate hosts two naturalization ceremonies to welcome new Dutch citizens, often through a Dutch parent, or through marriage. “People are so proud to become Dutch, these are highlights of my year," she said.

The Consulate General in San Francisco has a consular desk where Dutch citizens can apply for a new passport, and issues over a thousand passports every year.

The enormous distances in the United States do create financial obstacles for Dutch citizens to renew their passport, Hoogcarspel said. As a solution, the consulate general recently opened a passport desk in Los Angeles through VFS Global and hosts a Pop-Up Consulate twice a year in different cities.

As they expect a peak in passport applications next year, the consulate is embarked on a Pop-Up Consulate West Coast Tour, renewing passport of Dutch nationals in six West Coast cities in two months’ time. The Pop-Up Consulate West Coast Tour enables Dutch citizens in the US to renew their passports without the need for a journey to San Francisco, saving time and money.

Deputy Consul General Agnes Koppelman expressed her excitement in a recent press release: "I am thrilled that through this traveling passport service, we can support hundreds of Dutch citizens locally. The Dutch government is dedicated to innovation and enhancing services for Dutch citizens abroad. The Pop-Up Consulate West Coast Tour not only saves valuable time and money but also contributes to a greener environment by reducing air travel."

The pop-up tour and opening of a passport desk in Los Angeles are all examples of how the Dutch government improves its services for Dutch citizens abroad. And that doesn’t stop with passports and travel: “We care about the safety and well-being of Dutch citizens, including Dutch citizens in US prisons. We visit them and provide support where possible. We’re also in touch with US Department of Justice, the Probation Service, and attorneys.”

It's not always an easy job, Hoogcarspel acknowledged. “We’re helping people who are often going through something traumatic. That's an emotional part of the job, but we want to help Dutch citizens anywhere, anytime, it has to be done. ”