An old sharp woman kept talking angrily with another official in a language I did not know. She checked the documents I handed over several times quickly as she spoke. The employee spoken to translated briefly:
– It is too late, we cannot issue a visa before 48 hours.
Erkan: In the website it says 0 business days to process.
-It is a pirate site.
Hmm I got the info from Viking Turizm site which I had relied on several times before. It is a big travel agency, maybe Romanian consulate officials should ask them to revise information..
After a bit of heated talk (the talk between themselves, I was not involved), I understood that I could actually get the visa the same day afternoon.
However, the old one stated that what I am attending cannot be classified as a cultural/scientic etc activity- BECAUSE it is not a EU funded project [that’s the reasoning she had] so I have to pay a visa fee. I accepted.
Then the old one wanted me to bring a bank account info. Well, I normally bring a file from our university’s Human Resources department that specify my employment status and relevant information and I do not remember in recent years offering a bank account information- specified in Euro amounts- to the consulates. Employment file was always enough. That was it. I would not bother to rush to my bank and ask them produce an artificial bank account just to persuade visa issuers. I said nothing, got my stuff and drove back to campus with all loud Slayer screaming…
1. Romanian consulate in Istanbul has a limited phone service. The visa application form in their website does not warn guys like me.
2. Turkish citizenship still sucks. You have to take all visa annoyment to get to Romania, a country not necessarily more Westernized or modernized than Turkey…
3. Whatever the conditions, I deserve better treatment. Who the hell are you to treat me like that? I am not nobody.
3. I am failure in organizational matters. Although I tried, I should have acted earlier, despite the fact that I had a busy week of exams, I admit I failed.
4. I am really sorry to upset Mihaela Draghici of World Blogging Forum who was extremely helpful and skilled at organizations. She offered all relevant documents on time…5. Well, all that means, I cannot attend World Blogging Forum.
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My boyfriend was sent back to Turkey from the Romanian border, it was tragic, seriously. So I guess you’re more lucky, if you can call this luck though I totally agree with everything you’ve said about the visa procedure since I’ve experienced the same things when I was trying to get a visa to travel to the UK to see my childhood friend. I think I provided the British consulate with a thousand documents not to mention the prints of my ten fingers and my photos. In sum, I loathe the EU.
that really sucks!
What was Romania afraid of? That you would take it over? Or settle there illegally? Not if you already have a great job in Turkey. I wonder if they would allow a Canadian in? It’s not your fault Erkan. You did everything possible. I have a friend who goes everywhere in Europe, from Toronto. He is a nurse. Nobody ever asks him if he has a bank account. Only an unexpired Visa card. he laughes about it. He says that Europe wants him to buy stuff on credit. I’m sorry you missed the Forum, Erkan. All the best!
I really don’t think that they would even require a US or Canadian citizen to apply for a visa.
Thank you all. Well, here is the latest situation: Mihaela called me today and wanted me to go again to the consulate. She said they had notified the consulate and things should be all right. She will reschedule the plane ticket for Monday afternoon and so i can still attend the event if things go all right this time. Well, I still do not have the financial document the clerk requested as today was weekend. I will try again tomorrow morning and if the clerk behaves, I may get the document she requested… We will see…