If you have read the first part of this blog you will doubtlessly want to know if an apology is due. Well let's just say that if I have been wrong, or have made a mistake I like to think that I am big enough to admit it.
As soon as I finished jotting down part 1 of my Blog I popped into see my Asesor, who kindly volunteered to prepare all the necessary Residencia Application Paperwork for me. This Involved him completing a very simple form on my behalf and attaching a copy of my NIE and Passport ( He didn't say so , but I am sure the fact that the form was completed by a computer printer added a little weight to my application, as opposed to it being scribbled in biro ) - this in itself took less than 15 Minutes.
He had been fortunate in being able to make an appointment at the Residencia Office for the 3 of us for first thing the next morning ( Today ! ) so I was understandablly a little nervous about the fact that I had a prior engagement with a business meeting, 10 Miles away, at 11.00 am.
When I arrived at the the Residencia Office my heart sunk when I saw the queue of about 100 people around the corner. I had only 10 mins to spare until the time of my allotted appointment , and didn't want to miss it because I was stuck in a queue, so I called my Asesor ( I think it was the English Disease kicking in - I saw a queue and had the urge to join it ). He told me that I was one of the few lucky ones - basically I had an appointment and as such should just walk to the front of the queue and show my slip to the Policeman who would let me through.
It works like this : The Office essentially has 3 functions - Issuing NIE's & DNI's ; a Passport Office and a Residencia office. I don't know if this is the norm in every town, but here each section has 2 Desks attending to this : 1 desk for those who were lucky enough to have an appointment, and 1 For those who were prepared to join a queue resembling the line outside a Soviet bread shop during the Cold war years.
I felt like some kind of Trust fund Toff with a VIP pass at some Band Aid concert as I pushed through the unwashed masses, and once inside the whole process took about 5 Minutes. The attendant told me that my 2 year old daughter did not have an NIE Number (which was required in order to obtain residencia!), but that this wouldn't be a problem as she could issue it for me there and then !
The only slightly odd and frustrating thing about the whole event was the having to take my slip to the Bank up the road to pay the fee, and then return with the receipt in order to get my paperwork ( Isn't it odd that an official Government Building can not take payments by cash, card or cheque to streamline the whole process ? ).Even in the Bank up the road, when I attempted to pay the fee by Cheque or Card I was given a shrivelling glare - They were a Bank - “Why on earth would they accept anything other than cash?” - Why Indeed !
All in all the process took about 25 Mins. Painless and easy ? - Yes. Apology due ? - Begrudgingly so.
Costs :
- Fees for 3 x Residencia Applications - 30 Euros
- Bank Fees for 3 x Applications - 9 Euros
- Asesor Fees - 20 Euros *
- 3 x Sets of Passport Photo's - 18 Euros
* My Asesor Charges me Quarterly for a combination of other non-associated services at a rate of 90 Euros per Hour , so this is a Guesstimated cost
Tips :
- Ask your Asesor to Make your Appointment(s) at the residencia Office to prevent you from having to queue with the unwashed masses for hours on end.
- Ask your Asesor to provide the forms and Complete application for you
- Take cash with you to make payment at the Bank as this will speed things up.
- Don't forget to take your Original Passport, Your NIE, and at least 2 Passport quality photo's with you.