Well, I really did think it would be straightforward. I mean, efficiency and security must have been at the forefront of the Embassy Management’s mind when they implemented the new rule to send passport applications to the central office in Düsseldorf, Germany. Surely?
What is more secure than walking to your secure Embassy with one of the most important documents you will possess, in your OWN hand, handing it over YOURSELF along with the form and then being able to pick it up YOURSELF and walking out of the secure Embassy with your new very important personal document in your OWN hand and costing only the price of the renewal application?
Oh, ok…maybe handing to a courier representative (I’m not having a go at the courier here; it took about 36 hours for the application to get to Düsseldorf from their offices in Seeb) and winging it 3328 miles to Europe, not knowing whose hands the application is in and then to hopefully have it couriered back, is more secure and efficient.... Really?
Meanwhile, costs:
- COURIER - 20 OMR (£32.40) to Dusseldorf;
- ACTUAL FEE - I’m a little confused here… http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Passports/howlongittakesandurgentappplications/DG_174109 quotes £77.50, http://centralcontent.fco.gov.uk/en/passports/fees quotes £119.00.
- RETURN COURIER - quoted €22 (£18.62/11.500 OMR) return courier service.
- Minimum total = £128.52/79.200 OMR/€152.
So this is the general situation…I should let you know the progress I am making. I received an email last night from the Foreign Office in Dusseldorf saying thanks for my application, but before they can proceed they need the following:
“1) Fill in section 2 on page 2 of the C1 application form, if any one of your parents was born in the UK or,
2) Send us a copy of your naturalisation certificate.”
Both my parents are British and therefore a Naturalisation certificate was never required.
You may remember that the original issue was that I was not born in the UK. Oh, and I was not born after 31.12.1982. I read it as being born after that date whether in the UK or abroad. But it seems they are two separate criteria.
Lesson learned: fill in ALL sections of EVERY form and you might get somewhere.
So I think I need to complete that part of the form and the central office do not accept scanned copies then that’s at least another 15 OMR (£24.30) to send. It would be so much easier for me to discover this problem in my own Embassy here in Oman. I could recomplete the form and return it in a morning. Email correspondence (I'm currently waiting to hear back from Alan in FCO) and resending the form will add at least 3 days to this process.
I cannot go ANYWHERE until I get my passport and visa back.
I should pay attention to my own opening words of my blog: “a contemplative and thankful glance at the mountains, the sea or the blue sky and sanity is quickly restored!”
Watch this space….
Sources
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Passports/howlongittakesandurgentappplications/DG_174109
http://ukingermany.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/how-to-apply/oman#much
What is more secure than walking to your secure Embassy with one of the most important documents you will possess, in your OWN hand, handing it over YOURSELF along with the form and then being able to pick it up YOURSELF and walking out of the secure Embassy with your new very important personal document in your OWN hand and costing only the price of the renewal application?
Oh, ok…maybe handing to a courier representative (I’m not having a go at the courier here; it took about 36 hours for the application to get to Düsseldorf from their offices in Seeb) and winging it 3328 miles to Europe, not knowing whose hands the application is in and then to hopefully have it couriered back, is more secure and efficient.... Really?
Meanwhile, costs:
- COURIER - 20 OMR (£32.40) to Dusseldorf;
- ACTUAL FEE - I’m a little confused here… http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Passports/howlongittakesandurgentappplications/DG_174109 quotes £77.50, http://centralcontent.fco.gov.uk/en/passports/fees quotes £119.00.
- RETURN COURIER - quoted €22 (£18.62/11.500 OMR) return courier service.
- Minimum total = £128.52/79.200 OMR/€152.
So this is the general situation…I should let you know the progress I am making. I received an email last night from the Foreign Office in Dusseldorf saying thanks for my application, but before they can proceed they need the following:
“1) Fill in section 2 on page 2 of the C1 application form, if any one of your parents was born in the UK or,
2) Send us a copy of your naturalisation certificate.”
Both my parents are British and therefore a Naturalisation certificate was never required.
You may remember that the original issue was that I was not born in the UK. Oh, and I was not born after 31.12.1982. I read it as being born after that date whether in the UK or abroad. But it seems they are two separate criteria.
Lesson learned: fill in ALL sections of EVERY form and you might get somewhere.
So I think I need to complete that part of the form and the central office do not accept scanned copies then that’s at least another 15 OMR (£24.30) to send. It would be so much easier for me to discover this problem in my own Embassy here in Oman. I could recomplete the form and return it in a morning. Email correspondence (I'm currently waiting to hear back from Alan in FCO) and resending the form will add at least 3 days to this process.
I cannot go ANYWHERE until I get my passport and visa back.
I should pay attention to my own opening words of my blog: “a contemplative and thankful glance at the mountains, the sea or the blue sky and sanity is quickly restored!”
Watch this space….
Sources
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Passports/howlongittakesandurgentappplications/DG_174109
http://ukingermany.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/how-to-apply/oman#much
