I can hardly believe it, but I have been in Moz one month today. Days follow a slower pace here but that doesn't stop them from passing quickly.
With the end of a month in country, I needed to renew my visa. As a tourist, I was only able to get a 30 day visa at the airport. My visa expired on Sunday, so we went to Imigração and waited in line. However, the line thing wasn't happening, because everyone seemed to just be pushing forward towards the two people working. The two people would take papers from various people, walk away to a back office, walk back, address one person...You get the idea. The complicating factor was language. As is the norm, no one spoke English and Dad has never needed to go through this process.
We finally were at the counter and gave my passport to the gentleman. He looked it over, took someone else's papers, walked away, and then returned and said something to the other person. He then stamped his papers, gave them back, and said something to us. Neither of us could get catch what he was saying to us. After he repeated us, we realized he was asking for some denomination of money. With the help of a lady behind, we understood that he wanted 50 meticais. We gave him the 50, he gave me a form and then we attempted to figure out what information I needed to submit. He stamped the form, and then motioned us to the cashier. We went to stand in the line for the cashier. He asked for more money. So, we gave him 2000 meticais and then needed to give him another 100 meticais. He stamped my papers, gave me a "recibo," and pointed us to the door. (By the way, the total was 2150 meticais, which is about $80.)
As we walked out, I looked at the form the man gave to me. I noticed that this form seemed to give my visa an new expiration date, but it was August 24, not the extra 30 days requested. We attempted to return to the cashier to clarify. He took the form, then crossed out August 24. He then hand wrote a new date of August 13! By this point, we decided to wait until Monday to return with someone to help translate.
After their class today, Dad and Mom were able to ask their new language instructor (whom I've nicknamed Mr. Bean) if he could come with us to Immigration. He agreed, and so off we went. Basically, we did everything we needed to except get my biometric data (photo and fingerprints), which needed to be done in another office. Then I was to leave my passport with the biometrics gentlemen and we are to return in six days to pick up my passport, complete with new visa for 30 days. I nearly stopped breathing when Mr. Bean said I needed to leave my passport. I hate leaving my passport anywhere. Mr. Bean double checked and the man told him I would get a recibo for my passaporte, and then in six days I could come get it. With a deep breathe and a prayer, we left the office and will return on Monday, hopefully to find my passport with a pretty new visa in it.
Thankfully, I have my passport details memorized. Yep, number, date of issue, date of expiration, place of issue...all that. It may sound odd, but I have written those details so many times...It made more sense to just memorize it. And yet, I have to think about my social security number! :)
1 comment:
This sounds so familiar!
I did not have a permanent Residence permit or the DIRE in Moz. Consequently, this exercise had to be repeated every month till I had a temporary residence permit.
However, there was a way around this - If you had a valid Zimbabwe Visa. I would travel from Beira to Mutare in Zimbabwe through the Machipanda Border Post on the day of expiration of my Visa, have a leisurely lunch in Mutare and then 'travel' back to Mozambique through the same border post. That way I could be classified as a tourist again and be granted a visa for the princely sum of USD20 (at that time).
Talk about bending the rules :).
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