10.7.08

Extended Stay

As I prepare to leave the country in less than 2 weeks and with this unexpected extra week off, I decided to try to renew my German work and residence permit yesterday. It was set to expire while I was in Singapore.

Yes, time for another visit to the torture amt.

My initial permit was granted for a year and in August it will have been a year already. Woah!

I packed all possible documents and practiced with M. saying in German, I need to renew my permits and here are my documents. It is a highly strategic activity to get together all possible things they may ask for and I have learned to bring everything short of a note from my mom.

So with much dread I drove downtown to the KVR bright and early yesterday morning and noticed quite a few nice parking spots for once. Maybe a sign of a smooth day to come? I walked through the empty halls and thought, wow, I really picked the right day to come. Must all be on summer vacation! I walked to the S-Z check-in desk and had the dawning suspicion that something was amiss. Even the service desk was empty, the lights were dim and I was all alone in the massive waiting room.

Turns out they are closed on Wednesdays. I guess all the stress of dealing with foreigners on Mondays and Tuesdays warrants a break on Wednesday to recover and prepare for Thursday and Friday. All my careful preparations in vain!

I headed back at 7:30 this morning hoping to squeeze it in before my post-op doctors appointment at 9:30. Today was certainly livelier. I approached the service desk and said in my best German the phrases I practiced with M. The woman asked me a series of questions in German and (shock) I understood them all and could answer. I got a waiting number and sat with butterflies in my stomach waiting for the visit with the interviewer.

I initiated the conversation in German and was asked several questions. Again I could follow and spit out some answers and within 10 minutes everything was entered in the system and 2 more years in Germany granted. Vielen dank!

I paid at the kasse and got my new permits glued into the passport and that takes care of that for the near future. What a relief! I even made it to the doctor on time.

Posted from Munich

10 comments:

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J said...

My goodness, that was easy. Mine used to take a week even with all my documentation.

The Big Finn said...

That reminds me...

We have to renew our C-permits next month.

Maybe they'll reject us...

One can only hope!

Jul said...

Congrats on the new permit! Don't you love it when bureaucracy manages to be efficient?

lobstah said...

Hope you are recovering from your surgery OK. Mom told me about it and it sounded kinda yucky, ha ha!

Diane Mandy said...

You did that without any help? I am impressed!
Congrats on 2 more years.

Anonymous said...

That is a huge relief. Congrats.

Michelle said...

All,
Thanks for the well wishes - it was definitely a relief and surprisingly easy compared to last time!

Flo Bretzel said...

Administration in German and Germany, I know how difficult it can be!

Unknown said...

congrats! I can't believe another year has already passed... How cool!