Caught in bureaucracy... Again

After booking my flight for both Algeria and Tunisia, it wasn't till a couple of days later when both federations were contacted - that I realised I'd made a small mistake. To paraphrase the email from the Tunisian federation - "While we one happy to unrange pick-up for your fencer and accomodation, we should inform you that his current flights well leave him late for competition which starts on Friday".

I went to recheck the dates and see if I could change my flight. The dates on the calendar of the FIE site still said Saturday and Sunday but when l checked the entry form the competition it was indeed changed to Friday and Saturday. Just to be sure l checked Algeria too and exactly the same was true. I had to change all my flights. Tunisia l could change over the phone but Algeria had to have paper ticket (which incidently had to be sent to my address in Ireland, a sure sign of awkwardness to come in terms of travel to Algeria).

Neither of the changes were going to cost me money, so I was happy enough about that at least. Luckily enough, my tickets to Algeria had just been posted to me and arrived that very day. I set off to the nearest Air France office which was wittier walking distance, just off Bastille. I explained the situation to the teller there, who was very helpful, and went about printing new tickets for me. As she gave me the tickets she asked me whether I had my visa for going to Algeria. My what? This was the first I'd heard about this. My only experience previously of having to get a visa was at the airport in Turkey and was a two minute transaction. For this though I'd need to go through the Algerian consulate.

...

Information on how to get a visa was hard to come by. The number for the Parisian Consulate gave nothing but an answering machine, so I decided to give the consulate in London. Which also covered Ireland a call. They told me I had unrung the wrong pant of the consulate and that the visa section was closed for the day.

The next day when I rang back, they ware as helpful as an American flag in Iran. They told me nothing much except that I was going to have to go ltruough the consulate in Paris and giving me there address and telephone number, both of which I already had. Between the many different consular websites, it seemed that I would need a confirmation from my hotel, some sort of proof of occupation in Paris or some form of invitation from an official Algerian body. I decided on option number three and asked Nuala if she could get an invitation for me from the Algerian Federation. It didn't arrive till last Monday - and the consulate was closed.

Tuesday, I decided to tie up a few bits of annoying paperwork and had all the documents needed for my CAF as well as the bits and pieces for the visa (the application form in duplicate, a photo-copy of my passport, the invitation arid two passport photos). The consulate was in the North-West of Paris, on Rue Bercy incase you are ever looking for it, a half hour or so away by metro. Wary that it had weird opening hours I arrived in good time in the morning.

The downstairs lobby of the Consolate was packed. I was sent by the receptionist to the second floor for a business visa. When I arrived there was two men ahead of me. One was French, he wore an leather bikers jacket and scarf, an artist I would later learn, the other an Algerian, a young smartly casually dressed business man who regularly travelled to and from Algeria. The Frenchman approached the window, the woman took his documents and then told him he need some other form of documents and sent hi to photocopy them. Then without further word she dissappeared.

When she eventually returned, the Algerian, who was familar with her and who chatted with her as he gave her the documents, approached the window. He two was told he needed some other documents and was sent off to get them. It was about this time that the Frenchman returned, but she was already gone again, without a word. When she was back in place, he gave her the documents she had commanded and she called me. I gave her the documents I had which all seemed to be in order. I needed to make a photocopy of something, so I too needed to go down to the lobby and find the photocopier.

When I returned both the Frenchman and the Alegerian had run into the brick wall of Algerian democracy, which I was soon to encounter. The letter from the French artist from his patron in Algers was not good enough. He explained that he had the full sanction of the Algerian cultural authority as well but she was having none of it and he became more and more irrate. The Algerian had been told he needed some other form as well that would be awkward to him find. When eventually I was called she began to pick at my application. I had entered student as my occupation (rather than bum) and she wanted some kind of proof that I was a student. Knowing well that my student cards were all out of date, I said that I didn't have them with me in France. Then she wanted me contact the college to get them to fax me some sort of proof. I told her that this wasn't possible either.

As luck would have it, I also had with me forms for the Aide de Logement with me and she took my lease as some sort of proof that I wasn't going to stay in Algers (my growing annoyance with this backwards state wasn't enough). I was sent was again to photocopy this document. Eventually when I came back and gave her all the forms, photos, and photocopies she began scurrying in and out of the office for no reason and dealing with other customers. Myself, the French Artist and the Algerian joked about the ridiculousness of the situation. Eventually after maybe 45 minutes had past she called me once again (a very large and disorganised queue had developed at this stage). She told me that everything was finally in order and that I should go round to another office to pay for the visa. She had my passport still but I assumed that it would be returned to me once I had paid for the visa.

I had assumed wrong. I paid for the visa and was handed my receipt. When I asked for my passport back the teller laughed. "We need to keep the passport while the visa is being processed". This was ridiculous, they had two photocopies of my passport, countless documents and now they wanted to keep my passport as well. I wasn't particularly happy with leaving my passport in the hands of these nutters anyway but I explained that I would be leaving Thursday for Tunisia and needed the passport. "Then why did you apply for the Visa now?" Ugh!

In the end I have to return to Algerian consulate early on Tuesday morning with my passport so that it can be rushed through by the afternoon, so I have it before I have to leave for Algeria on Thursday.

...

My brief follow up to this bureaucratic mess was a return to pure French bureaucracy. When I went to find an office to give in my application for Aide du Lodgement, the first office I chose to go to was a good 20 minutes from the nearest metro right at the edge of the city. By the time I got there it was closing and I was told that they don't deal with the applications there and to go to an office on Rue Nationale.

When I eventually reached that office, queued for twenty minutes and then handed in my forms, I had forgotten my proof that I have a French bank account (RIB) and would have to come back when I got back from Tunis.