From left: Commissioner Colin Farquhar, Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force; His Excellency Governor Roderick Todd; Talisha Simmons, Consular Agent, TCI; U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John Dinkelman and Commander of U.S. Coast Guard District Seven Rear Admiral William Baumgartner. (Photo courtesy TCI Sun News)

Nassau, Bahamas - On Monday, October 1, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau held a formal opening ceremony for its remodeled Consular Agency office in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (TCI). While a Consular Agent has been performing consular work in Providenciales since May 2011, the opening of the Consular Agency office marks the establishment of the first “brick-and-mortar” presence of the U.S. Embassy in TCI.

On hand for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony were U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John Dinkelman, Commander of U.S. Coast Guard District Seven Rear Admiral William Baumgartner, and His Excellency Governor Roderick Todd. During the opening ceremony Chargé Dinkelman noted that with roughly three thousand American citizens residing in TCI, and over 700,000 Americans expected to visit in 2013, the timing is ideal for the establishment of a permanent facility in Providenciales.

“With the opening of this office, we are celebrating the strength of the ties between the United States and the Turks and Caicos Islands,” said Chargé Dinkelman, “Ties that unite us through our common concerns for tourism and the safe travel of our citizens.”

The Chargé also expressed gratitude to the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force for providing unending support in cases involving American citizens.

The first American Consular Agency office in TCI will greatly reduce the need for TCI residents to make costly trips to Nassau to renew their U.S. passports or receive other Consular services such as notarizations and applications for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad for children.The official address of the new office is 2 Venture Ct., Grace Bay Suite 102E, Providenciales, TCI.