I tried to talk to some guy at the embassy if they could help me get a visa because Im from Tanzania and I have a ticket already to fly out on Sunday morning but nobody understood me. What are the odds? November 2012 in Addis Ababa there was same situation, the Czech embassy visa section was closed but they opened it just for processing my visa
Whenever things go wrong you have to Improvise, adopt and overcome, that’s what I did. I had to move from the hotel Embassy to the cheapest Eurika Highrise Hotel. The good thing about Hotel Embassy was free WI-FI, couldn’t be bored in Nairobi when connected to internet. The crazy thing about Eureka Hotel is everybody keeps giving me a wrong password for the WI-FI connection and the good thing is free breakfast and cheap accommodation but you wouldn’t need to stay at this Hotel at all. 2 Night clubs without sound proof are within the building, I couldn’t sleep the whole weekend as I could feel my bed was moving because of big speakers on full burst. It was morning; it was evening the next day.
2nd February 2014
What kind of a city is this? Now the clubs are closed and the evangelist church is open just above my room on 5th floor, I can’t even talk over the phone, it’s too noisy people dancing gospel music, stumbling in the room and stomping the floor
3rd February 2014
Here we go again with Ethiopian visa application Saga. At 08:55 I was at the gate of Ethiopian Embassy, I was told by the gate keeper that I have to wait until 9 o’clock…Ok, 9 o’clock it is
It is time, we are three Tanzanian going in, before getting in we must undergo maximum security check as if we are Arabs getting in the US Embassy. One of us final destination is Addis Ababa another one is going to Sudan via Ethiopia for coffee machines installation, I wonder if he has military combat trainings, why would he go to work in a war zone? And me?…I’m mercenary of compassion going to the freezing point. My fellow Tanzanian going to work in Sudan he certainly needs military training, AK 47 and colt 45 to keep him alive but I only need warm clothes and winter shoes
We both filled visa application form, went out again for payments at CBA bank..it is 20 dollars for tourist visa, fair enough. Went back to the embassy, undergone maximum security check again then we submitted our visa payments receipts to the receptionist, I was shocked when she said we should comeback for visa collection at 4pm, “what the……!”, I have to check in at Jomo Kenyatta airport at 3pm
“Excuse me” I talked to the receptionist, “I have to check in at 3,is there any possibility that my visa can be issued before that? “I’m no sure about that, may be you can try to come back at 2” she said. Wooow! She just said maybe I can try at 2, ok I will try at 2 then.
2:00pm I was at the gate, maximum security check again then went in, I waited for about 20 minutes.. Here comes my passport with the visa I’m good to go.
Left the embassy for busiest airport in East Africa, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, one hour later I was in the airport checking in for boarding Ethiopian Boeing 777-200.
At 18:05 we flew out of Kenyan airspace heading to Addis Ababa’s Bole International airport. At 19:30 we landed in Addis Ababa, the new gate way to Czech Republic for Tanzanians, Rwandese, Comorians, Ugandans and Burundians. Kenyans can apply for Czech visa at the Slovak embassy in Nairobi.
Addis Ababa-4th February 2014
At 08:50 I was standing at the gate of the embassy of the Czech Republic, 2 other Ethiopians were waiting to get in. 4 more Ethiopian applicants came to join us.
After the two were done I went in, the gate has minimum security check up. Inside the Embassy at the reception desk I met a Czech old woman who I think is an assistant to visa consular, she doesn’t look like Czech but she speaks Czech and she wasn’t here when I came in 2012. She took all my documents and realized that I have to fly to Prague on 7th in the morning….”This is impossible, you can’t get a visa in two days, you must apply 15 days before you fly to Prague” she said to me. In my mind I was thinking how was it possible before I could get a visa in three days and sometimes my visa was processed when the visa section was closed? Never mind may be it is a new policy.
“Wait, let me talk to the consular” she said, after phone conversation lasted over approximately 5 minutes I was allowed to get in a visa section room for interview. I had to wait again for like 5 minutes and a young officer showed up, he looks like fresh from school. He was also not here in 2012; looks like so many things have changed in this embassy in one year.
After greetings he took my documents and was also shocked about my departure date, then took my finger prints. I have never gone through this process before. “I can’t guarantee you will have a visa in two days, he said. I replied “I know… but I’m from Tanzania, it’s too far to do all these as required”. We continued with questions and answers, he was noting my answers and going through my old visas, after like 30 minutes of the interview he kept my passport, asked me to pay visa fee of 1,540Birr (approximately 80 US dollars) and told me to call on 6th at 14:00 to check if my visa is ready.
I left the embassy without being sure if my visa will be issued on 6th but as time passed by I was positive that I will get my visa on 6th. It was 4th then 5th , it was morning it was evening, the next day.
6th February 2014 - 19 hours before my departure to Istanbul.
Should I call the embassy or just go physically to ask for my visa? May be I should call but then if my visa is ready I still will have to go collect it. So now I don’t know the sense of making a call before I go.
At 11:00am I picked up my phone and made a call to the Embassy,
“Hello, am I speaking to the Czech Embassy?
“Yes, who do you need to speak to? A woman answered.
“Well my name is Christopher from Tanzania”
“Aaah You are calling to ask for a visa?
“Yes Mum”
“Your visa is ready just come and get it”, she replied.
“Thank you very much”.
“You are welcome, she finished the conversation
I caught a bus to the embassy to get my passport and other documents I left two days ago. I arrived there at 14:00. At the gate of the embassy there were lots of Ethiopians probably waiting for visa interview, I went straight to the gate keeper told him my name and ask for my documents. In 10 minutes all documents were handled to me. I’m good to go .
Hakuna maoni:
Chapisha Maoni