Thursday, November 08, 2007

Paperwork Pain

I am renewing my passport at the Philippine Embassy in Paris. Mr. Tornilla, the guy I had been speaking to over the phone since I began the process, has been very helpful, which helps alleviate a lot of the headache involved.

To get a brand-new version of our precious green-covered booklet, I have to submit my current passport, a birth certificate authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, my baptismal certificate (thank goodness my mom keeps these things!), my voter's certification record, and two current IDs. I'm giving them copies of my French driver's license and residence card. On top of all that, I'm required to submit a piece of paper with the title "Sworn Statement," in which Item No. 3 states, "I came to France using the following ASSUMED/FALSE/ FAKE birth and personal data:"

Mr. Tornilla said that it has become necessary to be strict about these things because of the number of our countrymen coming into Europe illegally, and that to item no. 3, I should just put "not applicable." Since I detest paperwork, however, right now I'm being really tempted to write that I came here as Fatima Alvir, Misty Blue, or Miss Bella Flores.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

LOL! I had to do the same here in DC. I queued with a couple of yayas and drivers, including one old lady whose charge lived at the Ritz Carlton. She forgot to bring an extra passport photo, and the lady in the window waved her through. I was not so lucky. But I got it!

Have you filed the form "Marriage Contracted Abroad?"

decorator said...

bwahahahhahahahah!!!!


san galing si fatima alvir?!?!

Anonymous said...

What's new about bureaucracy ? Anyhow, we should just understand them, it's their job kahit minsan nakakainis nga :( !

Anonymous said...

Don't you have the option of applying for a french one yet? Perhaps that might be a better option. I got my Cdn. passport over a year ago now while my Philippine one is valid until next year. Initially, I thought I should still keep my Phil. passport active but I got so discouraged when in May 2006, my family and I went to New York and because I was carrying the green passport, I was fingerprinted and even photographed (but not my hubby and kids) !!!

Apol said...

KAT, Ritz Carlton, wow sosyal :) Yeah, I submitted this marriage form along with the passport application. The papers I submitted made a pile about an inch thick!

GWYN, heehee, she's just one of the teenagers I remember most from That's Entertainment.

HAZE, I do understand them, don't blame them at all! They've actually been super-helpful. It's just me and paperwork make a terrible mix.

TESS, nope, I'm not eligible for citizenship yet. You were fingerprinted???

Anonymous said...

LOL, guess we are all on the same boat..i already pulled out all my hair for all these documents that i needed to submit (reacquisition of my filipino nationality, declaration of my baby, and renewing my passport) bref, tons of paper works...just like you it shocked me too the item no 3..do they really think we all came here with fake passports... but anyways im still at level zero coz i still dont have the courage to start processing them.. :-)

kala said...

I heard the new Philippine passport is colour brown and that it has the microchip that's required for entering the US; I suppose this is the passport they'll be issuing now. Like Hilda I'm supposed to reacquire the Philippine nationality, but paperwork bores me to death as well, and the Philippine Embassy in Doha is MOST unhelpful...