I was feeling quite upbeat untill another email from the British Consulate in Duesseldorf just 5 minutes ago, and so thought it would be good for me to complete this passport saga and get it off my chest. Maybe some of you out there have some good ideas on how I should proceed.
Before Christmas I was still feeling optistic about finding the lost passport, and caved in and paid for an emergency travel document to travel to Germany. It cost 58 OR, that is roughly 120 Euros. It also made the trip interesting, as no one on Muscat or Abu Dhabi international airport had ever seen such a document and viewed me with great suspicion. I was kept at the gate to board last.
I had a lovely trip and when I got back I finally decided the passport was not going to pop up and made the choice to start the process of applying for a new one. This was also after I was informed that the consulate would fine me 10 OR (20 Euro) for every day I was in Oman without a passport after 10 April. 10 April is the day my work visa expires here.The process begins with going to three different police stations to declare the passport lost and then having those documents translated. On the general Consulate website it says to go to the Omani site to find a list of official translators. Of course, there is no list.
I asked the consulate directly who told me to go to Polyglot, an institute which is a good 50 km from my home, one way. I balked at that idea and had it done at a place recommended by the HR.
When I sent the forms away by DHL, I was so relieved. It was endish February, if I was really really lucky, the passport would be back on time.
All quiet on the western front till around mid March, when I receive an email requesting that I send another set of photos. Along with the email is a guideline of 12 A4 pages on how the photos should be. My face was only 26mm in size and the minimum requirement is a facial size of 27 mm.
OK, another 22 OR for DHL and a nerve-wracking afternoon in the photoshop later, I have sent new photos.
Then starts all the other questioning, we need a naturalisation certificate... I don't have one, have never had one.. we need you birth certificate... Thank God,I have one..
It is as if I am applying for citizenship all over again. I don't understand why, all I have done is lost the passport. I have copies of the lost passport, I have also already sent the consulate in Duesseldorf the old passport prior to the lost passport.
Half way through the correspondence, I start dealing with another person who is an expert in this kind of law.
She says and still maintains, that they have no idea on what grounds I received citizenship in the first place.
The issue is that my grandparents were in India where my grandfather was serving in the RAF when my father was born. Therefore my father was born in Bangelore, in a military facility. This place is of course not the motherland. However,16 years ago, I was told that the military base was seen to be part of the Princely state and therefore regarded as British soil.
And, therefore, I could receive British citizenship.
Nooooow this German lady called Annika maintains that she has consulted experts in London who say that it was NOT regarded as British soil and therefore I am not a British citizen after all.
She is also not coming back to me on how to proceed.
At this point, I cannot bring myself to think about the implications of this, and I am convincing myself that all will be well, all will be well, all will be well.. I am just so taken aback, confused and flabbergasted by something which was just supposed to be the little red tape and a financial nuisance.
Any bright ideas, let me know as soon as possible. I feel I am at mercy of a consulate official who holds my life in her hands.
Before Christmas I was still feeling optistic about finding the lost passport, and caved in and paid for an emergency travel document to travel to Germany. It cost 58 OR, that is roughly 120 Euros. It also made the trip interesting, as no one on Muscat or Abu Dhabi international airport had ever seen such a document and viewed me with great suspicion. I was kept at the gate to board last.
I had a lovely trip and when I got back I finally decided the passport was not going to pop up and made the choice to start the process of applying for a new one. This was also after I was informed that the consulate would fine me 10 OR (20 Euro) for every day I was in Oman without a passport after 10 April. 10 April is the day my work visa expires here.The process begins with going to three different police stations to declare the passport lost and then having those documents translated. On the general Consulate website it says to go to the Omani site to find a list of official translators. Of course, there is no list.
I asked the consulate directly who told me to go to Polyglot, an institute which is a good 50 km from my home, one way. I balked at that idea and had it done at a place recommended by the HR.
When I sent the forms away by DHL, I was so relieved. It was endish February, if I was really really lucky, the passport would be back on time.
All quiet on the western front till around mid March, when I receive an email requesting that I send another set of photos. Along with the email is a guideline of 12 A4 pages on how the photos should be. My face was only 26mm in size and the minimum requirement is a facial size of 27 mm.
OK, another 22 OR for DHL and a nerve-wracking afternoon in the photoshop later, I have sent new photos.
Then starts all the other questioning, we need a naturalisation certificate... I don't have one, have never had one.. we need you birth certificate... Thank God,I have one..
It is as if I am applying for citizenship all over again. I don't understand why, all I have done is lost the passport. I have copies of the lost passport, I have also already sent the consulate in Duesseldorf the old passport prior to the lost passport.
Half way through the correspondence, I start dealing with another person who is an expert in this kind of law.
She says and still maintains, that they have no idea on what grounds I received citizenship in the first place.
The issue is that my grandparents were in India where my grandfather was serving in the RAF when my father was born. Therefore my father was born in Bangelore, in a military facility. This place is of course not the motherland. However,16 years ago, I was told that the military base was seen to be part of the Princely state and therefore regarded as British soil.
And, therefore, I could receive British citizenship.
Nooooow this German lady called Annika maintains that she has consulted experts in London who say that it was NOT regarded as British soil and therefore I am not a British citizen after all.
She is also not coming back to me on how to proceed.
At this point, I cannot bring myself to think about the implications of this, and I am convincing myself that all will be well, all will be well, all will be well.. I am just so taken aback, confused and flabbergasted by something which was just supposed to be the little red tape and a financial nuisance.
Any bright ideas, let me know as soon as possible. I feel I am at mercy of a consulate official who holds my life in her hands.
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