Moscow (September 2002). Decades, the governments of the free countries of the West had criticized the communist countries that the people could not freely travel from there to other countries. What hypocrisy! Hardly introduced the new democratic Russia the right to travel, the Europeans had nothing else to do, as the entry requirements for Russians to tighten dramatically. All EU candidate countries had to order from Brussels to introduce visa requirements for Russians. Towards the end of the nineties Years, there were hardly any countries in Europe that could have been a German-Russian pair without complicated bureaucratic procedures can visit.
summer sales in the German Consulate
The German visa office in Moscow was in any case as a deterrent foreign missions. And not just because the asbestos in former East German Consulate on Leninsky Prospekt was located.
In summer, the Russians stayed on the street in front of the visa section. Some had traveled thousands of miles to make its application. Some were screaming from the premises because they were by the bank employees because of a lack of paper sent home. For hours the people had to rain or freezing at the gate to endure visa section, in the hope that it might create before the end of the day on the site. Not always succeeded in the first attempt. A kind of Mafia sold some waiting near the entrance.
No space for mobile phone
Just a few years ago, eliminates the biggest mess when you get an appointment in advance to face meeting with the Germans had, mind you on a pay phone number. For 2,50 € per minute. Since then, the queues were shorter, but in return, the increased processing times for visas to several weeks. In the summer, Russians regularly had one and a half months before the travel date to seek their visa. Freedom of movement actually looks different.
The first major hurdle for all applicants was also a house entrance, where identity cards checked and the bags were searched for weapons. Occasionally, the consulate was thinking of new harassment: At some point, it was suddenly forbidden to take mobile phones with in the visa section. At the entrance they could not deliver. "Ask any of the insurance agent on the street" snapped, the bouncers, if anyone dared to ask her if you throw it away because his telephone was now. The sellers of health insurance hung around the front of the consulate, were delighted with the vagaries of visa offices line. They had now a lucrative additional income. exacerbated
long already, before the grant of visas under the so-called "visa scandal" once again, all applicants had to "interview" compete, a survey that had to go through all travelers in person, if not their visa for a lot of money on dubious intermediary firms bought. Which there was at any time after the "visa scandal" only increased the price of something. For those who could not pay several hundred euros, was no getting past the personal interview. Finally, the visa section had all Applicant screened out, which would probably apply for asylum in Germany, steal cars or engage in prostitution wanted. Single women had it from the start already very slim chance of a visa, any more than Caucasians.
Where are you are driving, Anna?
The German Consulate employees and their Russian auxiliaries name basis with the applicant, accosted around you and behaved in every way that you would have as a German for his country should be ashamed. If you would have been for it and would not have given the strict rule that German had not admitted to the visa section. Not even as a husband I could to the so-called interview with my wife.
"They have no deadline," grumbled the bouncer, and drove me back to the road. These bouncers were really a hard job, because their prohibitions were not always implemented: after all, the site could be accessed through other gates. Quickly into another snake found thought the bag inspections any reason why I bent into the consulate had ("Will issue an invitation for my friend."), After checking into the visa section and already was the object lessons begin, as a German authority should not work more comfortable with:
Employees laid behind their glass panes in Interview with applicants interesting peculiarities of the day: "Where are you going, Anna," was still one of the friendly questions, to listen to the (adult) visitors were given. Once a Russian who dared to contradict the official in charge, subject to the usually behind the blinds of the window, stood up and let the applicant sitting helpless on the other side of the glass wall. Hissed like to young women through the glass pane from the grandmother Province: Never before had to fill out the applications made someone so stupid. The pensioners looked then lowered to the ground.
Even after we were married in Moscow, we were the first visa for the summer holidays in Germany initially denied: With the very reasonable grounds that Anna should request a "family reunification" and not a tourist visa. The idea that a family could possibly live in Moscow and possibly not even had the desire in the Golden West überzusiedeln, the consulate staff did not come until the second visit in the head.
Slovak visa section on course for Europe
Over the years, increased my dislike of the German visa center in Moscow indefinitely. However, other consulates outbid each other in increasingly arbitrary demands, conflicting regulations and a possible appearance of haughty for the Russian applicants. As well, I thought that there was Slovakia. Just the right place for a getaway. Although the Slovaks Russian tourists were the only country with a visa. But at least they made it red tape, and above all without a formal invitation from the country. It's all a matter of minutes, I thought.
When I arrived with Anna's Russian passport and a completed application to the Slovak Embassy, the good mood was instantly gone. Here too, a long line of people waiting on the crowded street, which was moving slowly forward. In the barely lit, gloomy visa section itself, the people crowded in front of several switches, where consular staff behind a thick glass window sat and talked only through a microphone with the visitors. Everything, like the Germans. The clerk leafed
bored by our documents. "Where are you?" She asked.
"I do not know. Since liked where we like it, we rent a hotel room. "
This answer her at all. She grimaced, "You must specify the exact address in Slovakia. Otherwise I can not accept the request. "
" But it is nothing in your rules. "
" So what. This is the rule. Book a hotel and you come back. "
"Why do you think here of rules that are nowhere written down officially?"
"arrangement of the ambassador. We do not accept applications if no exact address is known. "
behind the glass seemed a major problem for our planned vacation to appear. My increasingly angry arguments made no impression. "Listen lady, I know what," I finally called the phone system so loud that all could hear in the waiting room. "We're going to Austria, as there is already beautiful mountains as yours. Good-bye. "I turned around and left.
"Hey Wait, you all. "A Russian who was standing at the exit, holding a dozen passports in hand, gave me a hand signal. I stopped.
The man took me aside and briefly introduced himself as a courier for a travel agency that visa procured. "We always do it: For all our customers, we just always assume that they stay in our Hotel Bratislava in Bratislava. Since there are never "problems, he revealed.
I thanked him, wondered whether the consulate would aunt after the dispute ever again speak to me, added, including the visa application and went back to the counter. The waiting, who had followed the heated debate with the clerk left me over immediately to the queue.
"Hello, Miss," I said, grinning. "We have now decided where we want to spend our holidays. Here, you see. Hotel Bratislava in Bratislava »
The woman saw me for a long moment, surprised. "But is it not yet," she then said with narrowed eyes.
"Of course it's not true," I replied as amiable as it could. "They wanted me the name of the hotel. And now here he is written so that everything is done right. "
little bit unsure, she took my documents, muttered something they have never experienced. They could not guarantee whether under these circumstances will be issued a visa, she said. And then - in three days I was to come back to pick up the completed passport.
The European consulates in Moscow were not all places that a normal person would have attended voluntarily. And yet there was at least a visa office has friendly staff and the applications processed quickly and easily. Several times I was on the way out of time and reached the consulate only when it was actually already closed. "Please," I then told the guard, "I've taken an extra half day leave to apply for the visa." The man in uniform said a father, I should go next time please some hurry, let me pass and then proceed to the switch. Heavenly situation, given the otherwise customary practices. The country with the single-friendly visa office in Moscow was called Belarus. Belarus. Europe's last dictatorship.
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