UPDATE: I TALKED WITH THE GREEK EMBASSY in Thailand. It was like a waste of time and money. On the other hand i got some answers from Jakarta
UPDATE 2: I received this articles by a blog reader. Just to show to people i am not the only one that has problems. The Greek state is invisible! IF you think iwas aggresive in my posts read this newspape
r.
You can run but you cannot hide! The Greek Bureaucracy can find you anywhere in the world and strike at you. You may try to leave Greece and live in a Normal foreign country but the scourge will follow you there. In this world there is a solution to everything except AIDS and Greek Ineffeciency. It seems they are right! You may ask why i am fuming around like a bull! Ok let me give you an unbiased version of my story, or as some people may call it my Odyssey... SOme of you may say it is my mistake other may say it is just a bad mess up I would like people to leave their comments about my Saga!I have to say thanx to all my fellow MBAS and some comments. I have received google queries to my site with the following keywords Greece Passport, Send passport via mail, renew passport greek foreign country, greek passports 2007, passport bureaucracy From the following countries: Peru, Phillipines, Japan, Ireland, Brazil, SOuth Africa and Rusia. It seems i am not the only victim of Bureaucracy. let me add a new piece of the story. I need to have a degree from my municipality, which shows my family status. Imagine if i didn't have any family in Greece! how would i be able to go to the embassy and get the application? And for your informaiton the consulate in SIngapore according to the secretary there, exists only for shipping interests and nothing else. bye!
Greece decided to issue some new passports. Allright! It also decided that new passports will replace the old ones on January of 2007. I was doing my military service during 2006 and so i couldn't go to renew my passport, due to laws forbidding you to apply for a passport while you are soldier(imagine how many people like the army service). To be honest the databases aren't online and the greek public sector is so inefficient that i could go and apply for a passport. Alas, i needed my civilian ID which i didn't have unfurtunately. SO i was unable to renew my passport until i was dischraged Anyway i had to leave Greece immediately after i Became a human again in order to start lessons at INSEAD, not to go travelling ot some exotic place. I had to start my MBA studies. At that time i had asked the Police force whether i would be able to use my passport after January 2007.I aksed the police force since they were responsible for issuing new pasports. I also tried ot have a new ID card. Their direct answer was "YES! as long as you do not trave to the USA for 1 year". I, young guy, of course fell for it. I didn't try to double check. The police officer at the station toldme not to worry about it and that i can renew it when i come back to Greece and that is 100% usable.
In Singapore now i was studying hard at iNSEAD and preparing my christmas trip. Last Sunday i started receiving a lot of phone calls from my parents. I have to admit i wasn't interested at what was happenning at Greece since i had left this country. It seemed that there was an uproar about the issuing of new passports. I had definetley to have a new passport, otherwise i won't be able to travel. Imagine my shock when i leared this.There were all these projects PLUS this new surprise.
So now the story gets interesting. First of all there is no Greek embassy in Singapore. So when i arrived in Singapore i thought there isn't any place where i can go and register, so they could notify me. So I have to go to Thailand to apply for a new passport. This apporach will cost me 2 travels to Bangkok, 1 time to apply for a new passport and one time to receive it again. It will take 2 months. No issue of temporary passport is possible, according to the Greek consulate in SIngapore(have still to verify this). THe reasooning is that there will be no temporary passports for security reasons.
Ok let's look at the faults of the first approach.
1:) I need to fly 4 times just to renew my passport just because my country doesn't have an embassy in Singapore. The Greek state doesn't cover for the travel expenses, it has to be self financed.
2:) Try a different angle. Since it will take a minimum of 2 months, even i f i go to bangkok on Thrusday the 22th of November, I will receive it in person on January the 22th. How can i travel to Bangkok if my passport is invalid? Remember there is no remote possibility to have a temporary passport.
just for the fun of it i will post the dialog with the public sector employee in Thailand
DRIN DRIN EMBASSY person 1: Hallo Greek Embassy, how may i help you please?
Zanat0s: I would like to speak with someone who talks Greek about the new passports.
Embassy person 1: Wait a moment please Music plays in the background
Mr X, : WHo is it? Zanat0s: hallo I am from Singapore and I just found out that I have to renew my passport at this embassy ASAP Mr X: Yes it is right. Zanat0s: Could you tell me how long it takes or what documents you want me to provide you with? Mr X: No sorry the person responsible for this is on leave.
Zanat0s: ON leave? When is he coming back?
Mr X: On December the 18th.
Zanat0s: I c. Why is that? THere is nobody who replaces him? I cannot believe that.
Mr X: Yes there is a replacement, but he is also on leave until the 1rst of December.
Zanat0s: What you are kidding me right? Who arranges how the vacations are distirbuted?
Mr X: I do not know. I am not responsible.
Zanat0s: Yeah yeah. Noone is for anything. So can you tell me when i can get my passport back if i come there by tomorrow afternoon?
Mr X: No you shouldn't. You should come after the 1rst of December when someone responsible will be here.
Zanat0s: No way. You are messing with me right? So what if i came uninvited will you just turn me away?
Mr X: I told you sir, noone here knows about this and the people responsible are on leave.
Zanat0s: But you work for the embassy. that's you job, to help Greeks in foreign lands. How can you do that when you cannot provide basic services.
Mr X: I do not know about this procedure. It is not my job to know about it. I am sorry i cannot help you. Call Greece, they can provide you with all the answers you need.
Zanat0s: is there any1 there than can give me information?
Mr X: no. why are do you ask the same questions over and over again? There is no1 here who knows how to answer your questions?
Zanat0s: THis is outrageous. I am calling to get some answers form my embassy and the only thing i learn is that only 2 people can inform me and both of them are on leave?
Mr X: I can do nothing to help you. You should call again next week.
Zanat0s: can i send you my documents via courrier?
Mr X: No you have to be here in person.
Zanat0s: So how will i receive my passport when it is ready?
mr X: you will come here again.
Zanat0s: but since it will be invalid? how can i come?
Mr x: you should ask the guys who know, not me
Zanat0s: can you at least provide me with temporary travel documents?
Mr X: Only to go back to Greece. Zanat0s: This is getting nowhere. i think i will call Jakarta.
Mr X: Good luck sir .
So the first apporach cannot happen, mostly for the 2nd reason.
I tired to call the Greek state at Greece. there is a webpage regarding this procedure. http://www.passport.gov.gr. Some remarks the page is only in Greek. What about the Greeks who live in a foreign coutnry and speak no Greek? no considreation for them or just bad planning. Secondly, if you want to contact them there is only a telephone number available. We are in 2006 and the greek state hasn't discovered the productivity benefits of emails. . What about the phone number? Most other coutnries have special numbers for citizens living abroad, no Greece doesnt! So I had to try to call Greece from Singapore, thanx to Estonias(yes Kart) for programming Skype! On tuesday i tried for 40 minutes to get somebody to talk to but no! I would always hear someone saying in Greek of course "Sorry all our lines are busy. Try again later!".So my apporach to get information failed.
In my desperation i tried to call the Greek Embassy in London. Yes! London, i thought that the Greeks in London may be of a bigger help than the Greeks in Greece. My first question "To whom can i talk about the new passports?" was greeted with the common greek answer "She is not here in the moment, Can you leave a message?". I wasn't going to admit defeat so easily! I started asking her questions, to which i would get another common greek response,"Sorry I do not know, i am not responsible for it". It was another waste of money and valuable time.
I had sent in the last 2 days emails to greek embassy in Thailand and Japan. After 3 days no replies yet. It seems they treat email like normal letters, they take their time replying ot them, after 1 week. Now it get even more interesting. I talked with my best friend and told him ot investigate the matter. He called me back confused. He got 3 different apporaches, all contradicting by 3 different departments. The easiest solution would be to send my passport back to Greece and have my parents renew it. BUT NO, we are greeks we do not like simple and convenient solutions.
This morning i called the french embassy, since there is no Greek authority here, for issuing passports. Alas, the friendly lady from the French embassy informed me that there is a Greek consulate. There was mention of the conslulate on any Greek website but not any contact information. So this discovery was announced to me by our glorious french counterparts. Just for the record, the consulate has no power to issue passports.
So the poor zanat0s decided to call the Greek consulate. The first thing i heard was scolding why i didn't register with theThis lady was friendly but not very helpful. She just told me that she is not "responsible" and she can only inform me. My question was what will happen to me if I am in Japan on the 2nd of January and i cannot leave the country? no answer was given. She told me that i should call the Japanese embassy and ask them. I asked her again what would happen if i were in SIngapore? would i be able to travel or would i be stranded?no answer was given again. She gave some paternalistic advice like i should have "renewed" my passport while i was a soldier! Clever advice. Other than that she suggested to go back to Greece and renew it in 3 days. Hmm! let's check the validity of that statement...
1) fly to greece, on my own expenses +1000 euro expense and miss my trips or classes.
2)it will take just 3 days, according to her! I wish it did. It takes around 15 days according to my friends.
So this option is the safest but also very time and money demanding. SO now i am writing this saga and contemplaitng my next move. i want to use this blog to praise the Greek state and the Greek mentality. I will use this saga as an example in LO. I am trading my greek citizenship with singaporean right now!I won't need a visa for USA and china, two huge benefits.
SO first thing today was to call the Greek Embassy in Thayland..... Guess what! The Empolyee responsible for the NEW passports is ON LEAVE until the 18th OF DECEMBER! I was calm and asked the man whether he has a substitute. Indeed he has but he is also on Leave until next Tuesday. Did this man on the phone give me any answers? No because he wasn't responsible for it. When i asked him why he is not informed he gave me a very persuading answer, "If you are a civil engineer i won't come to you and ask you about irrelevant stuff". I countereted by saying that all the employees at the embassy are there to give detailed information about our situation and also give the right advice. He did neither, just adviced me to call back after Monday. The only temporary passport they can use is one to go back to Greece. Just for the record even if i went there today they wouldn't help me because the employee is on leave. HE had no comment when i enquired who authorises this kind of vacations? it is outrageous that there is no1 at the embassy to ask about this matter at the moment. So i still do not know what happens if i go there renew my passport. WIll i be able to travel outside Thayland or do i have to stay there and wait? If i can go back to SIngapore(since my old passport is still valid by December) how can i visit Thayland again? Questions without answers. I will not say anything more about the efficiency of the Greek state outside Greece.....
TO show i am not unbiased i will give Kudos to Mr XXXX from the Greek Embassy in Jakarta. In the beginning he told me i shouldn't call him because the embassy in Jakarta is not responsible for Singapore. He was ready to hang up untill he heard that his counterpart in Bangkok was on leave for a month. He gave me concrete answers to all my questions, except the one regarding to what will happen to me on the 2nd of January. He concurrs that all this situtation is not to be taken seriously. The Greek embassies have lost their ability to issue passports, even emergency ones(those to the ones saying that to have an emergency passport is easy). He told me he can have it ready in 20 days. That's some relief but not ideal. The good news is i get to keep my passport, but he still doesn't know how i can pick it up if it is ready in 2007. My odyssey still goes on........................................................ let's see where i end up...
About temporary passports. Dr suess got his new temporary passport from the Austrian embassy in 15 minutes. Ok let's assume he is lying. he may ahve gotten it in 30 minutes(100%). Temporary passports are supposed to give you leeway when you need it. This is my last resort. But until now i haven't received a clear answer to whether i can or cannot use them. and for the ones who told me abou me being irresponsible i have to say that i told the sotry, i took my measures, but it seems you cannot even rely on the police. You may think i am overreacting, probalby you wouldhave done the same if you were in my shoes. But i am afraid I will end like TOM HANKS in TERMINAL! I will run and down in S ingapore without being able to leave the country.
SOit seems. ANyway the improtant fact is that my fellow MBA students stand by me and i will figure it in the end. But my question remains. SInce the consulate cannot issue passports. what would have happenned if i had lost my passport? WOuld i live like TOm hanks in the temrminal?
(I will post this on your blog too, Stefanos)
Well this is where you should go (I don't know if you can read greek). www.ydt.gr
(cite in greek follows)
Στην αλλοδαπή οι έμμισθες Προξενικές Αρχές , δέχονται τα δικαιολογητικά για την έκδοση διαβατηρίων των Ελλήνων πολιτών που διαμένουν στο εξωτερικό, ή βρίσκονται εκεί για εργασία, σπουδές, τουρισμό ή λόγους υγείας.
So in order to have your new passport, you have to go to the Greek Consulate. I had a similar problem while I was in Spain. Now I don't know if Singapore is updated but you are never too sure. If you'll need some assistance, mail me to see if I can help.
*replied to u by email. thanx for your help.
Posted by: Ditikos | November 22, 2006 at 21:35
They do not teach how to deal/overcome bureaucracies in business schools. Or to take account of regulations and laws (e.g. labor) in strategic planning! When you do get your MBA, you should not consider working in Greece because MBAs are pretty useless in such bureaucratic and over-regulated countries. Other professions are both "useful" and in "demand".
As per your passport saga, as a "Ulysses", you will find a solution. Even if it costs you 1000 Euro. Consider the cost equivalent to a do it yourself - self taught MBA elective in "Bureaucracy and Regulations 101".
Kali tyxi (with the passport and in the future with an MBA degree)
PS. If you get a Singapope citizenship, will you able to work in the UK and other EU exec job markets? NO! So think again! You are stuck being Greek. See the bright side of it (and life in general). You are not "Bridget Jones".
Regards from a fellow MBA who has learned the hard way the uselessness of an MBA degree in over-regulated, bureaucratic markets/economies/systems.
Posted by: fellow_MBA | November 22, 2006 at 23:03
Zanatos E-Global?
Well, first of all you could have replaced your passport while serving in the army. I guess nobody told you that... However it only took 4-5 days for most people I know to renew their passport. That was the best option since you should know that there is no Greek consular in Singapore.
So what should you do now? If you had lost your passport while in Singapore you could get an emergency passport from the local consul (or from another EU embassy) thus this solution could be applied to you.
Greeklover: You are the definition of Ellinaras :P
Posted by: Andrew | November 22, 2006 at 23:05
Why do Greeks who do not like Greece and complain all the time about all things Greek not either a) form the own party, come into power and then change things or b) work and live in another EU member state (courtesy ? Seems a simple binary decision "tree", does it not?
All this wragging, all the time !!! And to what effect? What is "MBA" about that?
Posted by: fellow_MBA | November 22, 2006 at 23:43
Man, if you need a wingman on your visit to Bangkok, let me know!
Posted by: Samuel | November 23, 2006 at 00:25
i am not the biggest fan of greek bureaucracy but your story is a bit on tha fanatic greek bashing side. *i have to concur, when i was writing my blood was boling
a) "no english version of greek public webpage which is supposed to inform greek citizens"
no shit! if they make a billingual version, first of all they should use Albanian, then maybe Italia, then German and then English!!
Plus i dont know any webpages who solely exist for citizens of country X and are written in a language not official in this country! Allover Europe its the same (i live between Germany and Spain)
*every country has webpages public ones at english too
b) "no Greek embassy in Singapore"
wow! i didnt know the greek taxpayer has to pay for an embassy in every damn place in the world in case someone will want to live there and forgets to renew his passport! I think the cost effective measure, respecting taxpayers rights, is to have embassies only where there is a real need. in your problem, i am afraid it is obvious you should fly to the closes point where there is sufficient demand, supply doesnt have to come to you!
*you didn't read my blog. I didn't forget
c) "no mention in the web o a consulate in Singapore"
they give MBA's to people who dont know how to google nowadays? what is this
d) "temp passports"
*according to them i cannot have one.
well, i have gotten one in Barcelona in about 5 minutes. And official greek passports need normally less than 10 days (i have gotten one in an emergency in 4 hours, ofcourse without knowing anybody or otherwise trying to bend the system), in Spain they need almost a month.
Like I said, I hate the greek buerocracy (like many others actually). But I find your rant nigh on ridiculous. The only persons with real ressponsibility are: the policemean who misinformed you AND well, YOU!
* you may ciriticize when you not are not directly involved.
but evading responsibility is another typical greek trait, right? ;-)
Posted by: S G | November 23, 2006 at 01:04
sorry, the link got lost
homepage with consulate listing is here
http://www2.mfa.gr/www.mfa.gr/el-gr/policy/geographic+regions/asia-oceania/bilateral+relations/singapore/singapore.htm
Posted by: S G | November 23, 2006 at 01:06
Dear Stefanos,
You wrote: "People here @ INSEAD have associated Greece with laggards and Zamamfou types" *was talking about the economy. Greeks are always on the Dean's list @ INSEAD.
That was not my experience when I was at INSEAD. On the contrary.
Now if you mean the Greek economy and Greek productivity in general, the strategic model for Greece to have (due to its climate, geo-position, and other "factors") is not that of an copy-cat industrialised economy, especially now that the (OECD at least) world is moving into not only Services but "intellectual products" mainly. In the meta-industrial economies it is not "hard work" (swet shop or factory or Tailor-epoch like measurement of productivity) which "counts", but creativity. That is what I got out of my INSEAD education and listening to the seminars of INSEAD profs in recent years (plus LBS' Markides and the Flees and Elephants theory from the great Charles Handy!
Greeks may defy some old economic modeling mentalities, but certainly are not out of sync with the ways to survive in globalisation - survival of the cheapest dynamics!
The Greek economic and work model will not and cannot ans should not copy the German, Japanese, or other such models.
I will thus not feel shame for teh fact that Greeks do not work like robots or animals. No human should and no MBA should adopt such management and business models. Those who adpot these biz models do not need to "waste" good money on an MBA education, especially from places like INSEAD, LBS, HBS, Wharton, IMD, etc. I think.
Give my regards to my meta-industrial, INSEAD professors, my human-centered-capitalism gurus!!!
*thanx so much for your illuminating post.
Posted by: Demosthenes | November 23, 2006 at 01:11
greece is greece
so come back as soon as you can :/
we dont want u trapped in singapore ^^
Posted by: babis | November 23, 2006 at 04:37
wah... that's complicated... i have a lot of problems with embassy n depts in belgium too... i guess govt depts tend to push the blames n problems to one another. so in the end, the problem is unsolved n more problems r created...
Posted by: chocolat pei | November 23, 2006 at 04:38
The whole passport thing in Greece is really outragous!In some countries even the Greek embasies don't have the right application and passport requests get rejected when the send them to Greece.
Really sad...
Posted by: Greece | November 23, 2006 at 08:39
It took Odyseus 10 years to get back home! Hope you have less troubles.
/Jan-Eidse
Posted by: Mellos | November 23, 2006 at 10:46
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. I HAD NO IDEA GREECE WAS SUCH A BACKWARD COUNTRY. IF THEY DO NOT REMEDY YOUR SITUATION, IT WILL PUT DOUBTS IN MY MIND ABOUT THE COMPETENCY OF THE GREEK GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNMENTS IN GENERAL. WHAT ARE YOU PAYING YOUR TAX DOLLARS FOR?
Posted by: Charles | November 23, 2006 at 11:27
I was pretty shocked with all the aggressive comments. I guess its typical, Greeks not willing to admit that the country is operating worse than a third world one (this summer I land crossed the borders between Tanzania and Kenya and then about a month later between Ayvalik and Mytilini - it was less chaotic to do the former and I am dead serious). For me it's the classic 'we live in the most beautiful country in the world', which means why bother complaining about everything that's wrong, why bother leaving this blessed place, why bad mouth the Greeks? Such BS...
The thing is, not all Greeks live in Greece, or want/ can spend a few weeks there sorting out passports or want/ can fly over or take more than a week without travelling due to work, education or other commitments! Its crazy that Singapore directs you to Thailand for passport issuance, it's unacceptable that the consulate and embassies are not authorized to issue the passports easily and quickly (why is it the police's responsibility I genuinely dont understand).
I also saw a few suggestions saying 'pretend you are ill', 'claim you have legal issues', 'play dump' whatever! NO! It's not an exercise to find the most believable lie! Why is the solution to lie to the state? And then we wonder why the country is corrrupt - everyone is looking for the scam!
Anyway, what I am doing is going to the Canadian embassy a couple of days before my flight to Greece in early Jan and tell them I need to go back home. They can keep me in Ottawa I s'ppose, but most likely they will get me a one off pass... I think the only thing you can do it go back before the end of the year - else I see you missing classes the first week. If you dont really care (though Horatio will kick you out) than just get a one off pass once you are ready in early January...
Luck xx
Posted by: m-papa | November 23, 2006 at 11:39
I can understand you perfectly :( I live in UK 4 years now permanently.
So it came the time to change my passport too. The Greek embassy in UK referred me to their website about the requirements to get new Greek Passport. Even for someone who live "closer" what they ask is outrageous.
First of all chemical processed photograph. I searched in Leeds (where I live), Manchester, Sheffield and in between cities and towns and all the photographers laugh on my request. (All use digital photography now)
Second I have to go twice down to London in person (that's few hundred quid in trains in the middle of the week).
Being partly self employed mean that I have to lose 2-3 days off.
So I decide to call the UK Home Office and ask them what I need to get British passport. They politely told me that being an EU citizen, I can use an EU "law" (came in force at 01/05/06) to choose the country I want to be member of by 30/04/06. After that date they can issue me a British passport. What they ask? Photos from an automatic machine (placed in Super Markets), and around £70 for the passport and the UK Citizenship exam. That's all.
I advice you to ask the French embassy what they need to be registered as French citizen. If not, just ask asylum in Singapore and get their passport. It will help you later on a lot.
And to top up the whole mess,
a) Greece wanted to be allowed from US in the countries you don't need visa to go into US (if they use high security "lol" passports). What US says atm is that no matter what Greece says (and few others), they should get visa, and don't want to change that.
b) People who got their passports before September they have to change them again before the end of the year since the (Police) machine who put the chip in the passports wasn't the correct one!!!! And those people should pay again to put the chip in their passports!!!!!!!
Posted by: Panos | November 23, 2006 at 23:33
don t blame yr irresponsibility to other.in life yu take choises and yu feel the consequences.grow up
Posted by: artemis | November 24, 2006 at 22:06
I am lucky enough to have finished my MBA and have a full time job with a US company... My company sent me back to Greece for 2.5 weeks during the summer (additional time off!) all expenses paid to deal with the Greek buraucracy...
Posted by: Evita | November 25, 2006 at 05:39
Several tribes in the world have their own coming-of-age ceremonies. In some parts of America, you have to initiate a gang-bang. The Kwakiutl tribe's youths have to blow their elders.
In Greece, the coming-of-age ceremony is getting f***ed by bureaucracy. You are not considered to be a Greek man unless you experience the chaos that is the Greek state in one way or another.
I remember the day I decide d to get my ID. My father told me "My boy, tonight you are going to be a man. YOu are going to get screwed by the government".
In all seriousness though, there is nothing more inefficient and corrupt than the Greek state, and I feel for what happened to you.
Posted by: Lensman | November 26, 2006 at 18:53
Hallo, I am a permanent resident of Quatar. I face exactly the same problem as our friend. I just found out that we have to renew our passports by December. I haven't set foot on Greek soil for the last 6 years.
I found out about this by searching for INSEAD blogs. I have been trying the last 4 days to check y alternatives, since my work requieres me to travel around the middle east.
I had no luck with the Greek Authorities. I didn't expect anything else. I wonder why Greece doesn't change its name into Banana Republic.
My employer will check the legal requirements for a quatar passport. I will gladly accept it. I understand why our friend doesn't miss Banana republic, oops I mean Greece.
I had to call 7 times at Saudi Arabia to get someone to talk to, who knew what was happenning.
To all of you who think we are irresponsible, it is easy for you to say anything while you are away. When the state decides for a change that will affect everyone it is its responsibility to notify them and inform them. Not the other way around. I cannot check what is happenning at Greece everyday since I have put Greece behind me.
So please, as long as you are in Greece you cannot imagine the incompetency of the Greek public sector, moreover when you are an expat.
Cheers XXX
Posted by: Victim... | November 26, 2006 at 20:04
feel your pain man
Posted by: triangle | November 27, 2006 at 01:52
I had approached the greek consulate in Johannesburg at the beginning of October 2006 to apply for the new passport. They told me what documents were required. I then obatined the necessary info and went back to the consulate. They said to me at the consulate complete a half a page document, and that they would call me in 10 days to finalise the process. I paid nothing and when I asked about photos they would call me in 10 days. I am starting a new job in January 2007 in Cyprus and I need an EU passport to get into country etc. My sister and brother went today to sort out their passport. They went to the consulate which apparently only processes 10 applications a day!!!!! They filled in a lot of forms and spent the whole morning there. My sister asked about my passport and they told her that I havent even started the application process. I am now stressing big time, and dont know what to do. They told my sister her passport will be ready in two months. I need the passport by the end of December. From other stories read above clearly the greek bureaucracy are not interested in peoples lives. I am seriously thinking of applying for a cypriot passport as my mom is cypriot as the Greek government is totally incompetent. Does anyone have any suggestions, as I need to go and fight with these people on Thursday, I am hoping I will get a passport by the end of Decemberand that they will speed up the process for me.(Wednesdays they are closed when people are stressing about their passoprts!!!!!!!!!!).
Posted by: Ioannis | November 29, 2006 at 06:11
I completely sympathize with you...I've been fighting with the Greek bureaucracy to try to get my residence permit here. I'm an American married to an EU citizen, so it should be easy under EU law, right? Wrong. Like you, no one could even tell me how to apply! In London the Greek embassy even has this scam where you have to pay a pound a minute to get information, but it just sends you to a recording. For a pound a minute you don't even get to speak to a real person! I ended up having to go to the Greek embassy in London and to stand in line where the helpful information they gave me was to hire a lawyer! I was outraged, but it ended up being good advice.
Have you thought about talking to a Greek lawyer? They might be able to apply on your behalf. I think you might have to get a notarized document of some sort giving them authority to act on your behalf, but they might be able to do it for you. And since they know people, it's faster. It might be cheaper than flying to Thailand too!
Posted by: Nicole | November 29, 2006 at 19:14
Hi - I completely sympathise with your situation. My husband is Greek and we live in Cyprus. We are due to travel to USA in less than 2 weeks. My husband applied for and received (within 24 hours back in August) a visa from the US embassy in Nicosia - so far no problem. Last Thursday we noticed (quite by accident as the notice was so small) an announcement in a local Cyprus newspaper that "old-style" Greek passports would be invalid from 1st January 2007 - first we knew of it! My first call was to the Greek embassy in Nicosia - no answer of course, and secondly to the embassy in UK - the man at the end of the phone seemed to find our situation highly amusing! We also called a variety of police stations in Greece to try and find one to issue a passport within 7 days - NO ONE CAN DO ANYTHING!! We now stand to lose over £3000 and have 2 extrememly upset children on our hands - this is the first time we would holiday as a family.
How can the Greek authorities issue this arbitrary instruction and not have the facilities to provide what they claim my husband has to have to travel.
I have spoken to the US embassy, virgin Atlantic and the Chief Immigration officer at Gatwick airport (as our trip will be via UK) and they do not forsee a problem - however we are extremely concerned and what was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime has turned into an absolute nightmare.
Posted by: TRACEY M | December 16, 2006 at 20:01
I WANT MY PASSPORT!
Posted by: STEFANOS | January 06, 2007 at 18:49
My girlfriend (a canadian permanent resident) is stuck in Greece right now because she did'nt know that she had to get a new passport... Her plane is on saturday!!! I don't understand how this could happend? I imagine she'll have to pay someone to get the paper (I think this is also the way to do it in some african countries). In fact, we were planning to move there permanently in few years but the recent comments of Nicole and Stacey make me expect the worst only to get a working visa. Just having bad winters isn't that bad after all...
Posted by: Mathieu | January 08, 2007 at 23:12