Chil's Point of View….

After many-many months, I finally got some news on my passport. But where the hell is it?

My passport was going to expire in July 2008. I had heard stories of the nightmare process to get it renewed with the Zambian embassy. But none-the-less, I decided to start my renewal process much earlier.

September 2007 – I submit my documentation to the Zambian embassy, complete with my payment. I make sure all documents are in place, including a prepaid express mail self-addressed envelope. Embassy documentation suggests that paperwork must be complete, else application will not be processed. With a few days, I finally get a receipt showing my application was accepted. Starting 10 months in advance should be enough time.

January 2008 – I call the Zambian embassy in Washington DC, to get status about my passport. I get attitude from whoever answers the phone, and their message is along the lines -

“There is nothing we can do. You just have to wait. Your papers are out of our hands, and they are in Zambia“.

I guess I just had to wait. I being extra cautious before on my last trip to Vancouver-Canada, the border did not go as smooth as in the past. I had to get out of the car, but cleared border control since I had all my documentation in place. Note to self – Don’t travel out of the country until passport is issued. 

April 2008 – There are now 3 months before my passport expires. I call to the embassy does not do anything. Again, i am told that the Zambian Embassy is still waiting for my documentation/passport to come back from Zambia. Pretty frustraiting again.

July 2008 – Only a few day before my passport expires. A call last month was uneventulfull, and so I set my parents to start inquring for my passport at Zambia passport office. No-one at the government offices can start looking because they want my original passport application receipt, and a copy of my ID. So I send all that stuff by expressmail to Zambia.

July 28th 2008 - today, my passport has officially expired. I can no longer go in nor out of the country! 

August 2008 - Good, and not so good news
Good news, my parents located my passport at the Zambian passport office.
Bad news, passport office says they do not have the passport. They already issued it, and passed it to the foreign affairs ministry. Next day, my parents make it to the ministry, and find that my passport was issued in may 2008, and it was sent to the Zambian embassy in Washington DC a few days later. The mail log shows the pouch was sent, and already recieved. So why does the Zambian Embassy say they don’t have it.
I call the Zambian embassy, and they still claim they do not have it. I share the details from the search, and I even tell them what my new passport number is (as shared by the foreign affairs ministry). No passport!

Still in August 2008 - Ministry of Foreign affairs in Lusaka, Zambia is told about passport not being in DC. Lusaka inisits it is in DC – but DC inisits they have not recieved it. The ministry says they will call the embassy so that they can track document. Next day, ministry calls me to let me know that Zambian Embassy in DC found my document, and all I have to do is call them to proceed with the process.
i call DC the next day, and the immediate reponse I am given is that my documents are in Zambia. I am persistant, and I get a lecture from the guy I am speaking to because he believes I have stayed in America too long, I have lost my accent, and I am being argumentative. But I was told the document was found. back and forth, and I tell them about the foreign affairs person I spoke to, and I eventually DC call the next day – and I am told that my passport just arrived that same day – I believe I am being lied to. So frustrating.

The next hurdle starts (August 2008) - The embassy tells me that I need to surrender my old passport before they can give me my new passport. I understand that is the process, but I am werry of being passport less. Plus, my visa in my expired passport is still valid. I also don;t understand because I still have my first passport, and I enclose it with my valid passports for visa purposes. The person I speak to suggests he will cancel my old passport, stick it to the new one, and send it back to me. They say they always do that – but why did they tell me they would keep it in the first place…… Oh well… So I send my passport express-mail and I keep track of the person I am dealing with. I track to see passport has arrived, and I give it a few days so that maybe the can proceed. No traction… So I decide to call the embassy, and I am directed to the person who should have recieved my passport. I am given a brief lecture, and I quote -

“Why did you not speak to the ladies at the front? Do you need the boss to do all the work? If the boss does all the work, what else will remain for the others to do?“.

Speechless, but I manage to suggest I was transfered, and I do not know which ladies he is talking about since I just called a number, and asked for passport renewal. Next, I am told they have not recieved my old passport! I tell them I am reading confirmation on the internet as my mailing was recieved, and I have the name of the person who signed for it. At that point, I am put on hold as they search. Back on the phone, and I am asked if I am sure I sent it. I insit; push on hold; and eventually, my old passport it found. They now have both my passports!

The next hurdle continues (August 2008) - next, I am told I did not send a postage paid self-addressed envelope! i have the tracking number from last october!!!!!!! And I quote the part in the application which suggests that documents will not be processed if things asked for are incomplete. I am told that then i will need to figure out how to get the passport to me, because the person I am talking to is not going to use his personal money to send me my documents. I am frustrated at this point, and I start figuring out how I can get documents picked up. I am told to set up FedEx account, pre-pay and then ask them to pick up document from embassy. At this point, it is not worth it to argure and decide I will go set up this FedEx account they asked for. While I am driving to setup account, I recieve a phone call from the Zambian embassy telling me that they embassy will pay for it, and I do not need to do anything. I speak back telling them they are not doing me a favor, and that they should know that I had paid for it. but none-the-less I thank them for getting going with the process.

August 17th 2008 - My passports have arrived. I am legal again!
Suprising, my old passport is not attached to the new one as suggested in one of the earlier interactions. There is definately some room to make changes in the process. I don;t think I can easily volunteer to engage with the Zambian embassy in DC anymore, unless I really have to. i definately did not like how I was being treated, especially since I was doing everything by the book – i followed their process (early), and I was still messed around.

I have my passport in my possesion! Hopefully things will be much better in another 10 years when it expires again.