A “perfect” day, in a “perfect” bureaucracy

Posted Saturday, May 12th 2007

The text below is written by my girlfriend. It’s sometimes unbelievable how depressing bueraucracy can be.. Anyway, a very good read, and it gives great insight into how messed up things can be..

I’ve lived in Athens (Greece) since 1993 and I was born in Skopje (Macedonia) in 1984, so I suppose that’s half of my life that I’ve spent in Athens. I am familiar with all the procedures for the receiving a residence permit. I know that I will have to gather a large, unnecessary amount of supporting documents. I will have to wait for hours in the institutions - in order to get them -
and that in the end – when I finally manage it - there will still be something missing.

As a student, it should be easy, since I’m legally here, studying in their public university and their Ministry of education is paying for all my education… but obviously there’s a large problem in the cooperation between public institutions.

A few months ago, I went to the local municipality for the renewal of my residence permit. At first, they said that they’ve lost my file with all the documents and that there was a problem. In the end, they gave me a list of documents I had to gather.
I gathered them all (I wont mention them all, too many). Among those documents were some proving that my sister (whom I live with) is paying and covering all my expenses here. I submitted these and it all seemed okay. They gave me a certificate that says that I’m waiting for the permit, so I can legally stay in Greece. The funny thing is, that the permits date of issue is the one when you submit your documents, not the one when you actually take it. And of course, it expires a year after that date. What’s even funnier, is that you never really get the residence permit, but just pay 150 euros, and wait for it, while you’re legally staying in the country with the certificate.

A few weeks ago, I was told that there were some problems about my permit, so I had to go to the municipality. Again.. Because of some irregularities, I had to give my certificate back (blue colored) and get another certificate (pink colored), that would say that I’m waiting from the authorities to get the blue certificate, that says that I’m waiting for the residence permit. With the pink certificate I wasn’t permitted to travel out of Greece. They told me all those things and I just had to notice – well, at least they are effective about something, giving different colors to the documents for easier use. Cause with all those documents, one referring to the other, it’s quite easy to be confused.

I asked what can be done, what is needed. I was determined to bring any document. But the answer was “They haven’t decided yet, they don’t know. You’ll have to wait for our call.”

A few days ago I was given a call. So, they finally used their imagination. This time I had to bring a few more documents. One of them was my old entrance visa with date of issue 24/12/03 and with a specific number. The other was a certificate that I have a bank account in Greece (I had to have a certain amount), and a certificate that someone from my family would deposit 500 euros every month in my bank account (even though I already gave a certificate that said that my sister covers all my expenses).

Next day I went to the National bank of Greece and asked for a certificate regarding my financial status. It all seemed well, but they noticed that the passports number they had in the data wasn’t the same with the one I gave.
I said of course it has changed, since my passport had expired, and I had a new one issued.. They said I had to go to the same bank branch office where I had opened my account and change it. So, I went there, did what I had to, and asked for the certificate for one more time. The employee was writing and writing on the computer and finally printed something. When she took it, a grin formed on her face, and she tore it apart. Then tried again. Then consulted with the other employees. It turned out she made a mistake and couldn’t print the document twice in the same day, so I would have to come again another day..

While I was returning from the bank, on my way home, driving really nervous, this song was playing on the radio “…cause you had a bad day…”. What a coincidence, I just had to smile and sing along - yeah I had a bad day…

Next day - again the bank. Something was telling me that I wouldn’t finish that easy. I was right. The employee made a wrong certificate, something totally irrelevant. I know I said clearly what I want, but who listens anyway. So there we go again. After twenty minutes, I finally got what I want. A paper, with three lines written on it.

Now, about that four years old visa… Well, I wrote a solemn statement saying that I don’t have it, because the Greek embassy in Skopje takes the old one back every time I get a new one. And since 2003, it is obvious I had a few new ones. But I do have a legal new visa document, if that matters at all…

That same day, after the bank, I went to the municipality, and gave what I’ve prepared, even though I still don’t understand why I had to give those documents. I just asked – how did they knew the exact date of my old visa and the exact number, since they’ve lost my whole file? No specific answer… it was I guess a rhetorical question. The only thing I’ve been told, is to wait for another call. Now that sounds like a thriller movie.

It’s not about being unlucky, or having Murphy as “your best friend”. Not about trying, or giving. Being right, or wrong. It’s about depending on a piece of paper. My only reaction was “the system is a bloody dog, chasing its own tail”. Or, am I the dog, chasing my own tail? In any case, long live the system…