Spain is pretty much my favorite foreign country on the planet. Friendly people, good music, delicious food, beautiful cities, magnificent art and architecture, and a good climate. I love Spain. I love Spaniards. I pretty much hate Spanish customer "service"*.
A vent/story to follow :D
I am trying to get a student visa to stay in Spain until early May (110 days or so). As a US passport holder I get 90 days on the house, it is those last 20 days that get a little prickly.
The plan was to attend a Spanish language school for 12 weeks, they send an invitation to the Spanish consulate in Miami, who sends it to the Spanish government who ponders the legitimacy of my claim who fires the thing right back to Miami so I can pick it up. Estimated time: 6 weeks.
If I leave in six weeks in order to get the visa guess what?, I am under 90 days.
Now the main advantage (other than complying with the law) of getting a visa is that students can take up some part time work as long as it doesn't interfere with their studies. Earn some money, learn some spanish, and get foreign business experience = awesome.
So being the law abiding guy I am, I call the Spanish embassy in Washington. They immediately transfer me to a dial tone.
Attempt two, they give me the consulate in DC. No one answers. I get a website, and call the consulate in Miami, again no one answers. I call New York...YES a real live human friggin being. I say I am in Florida and he doesn't even want to say another word to me (I am Miami's problem after all
). He tells me I am going to be waiting at least 7 weeks. Can I apply once in Spain? NO! Okay okay.
Surely there is a way of expediting this? So I call Miami. Ten calls to the consulate and not one time is ANYONE available to answer the call. I call Houston, get someone and ask about expediting a visa (again, being from Florida he is "not able" to answer my questions) and he gives me a number where someone will be in Miami. Great!
Hello, I would like some information on expediting student visas please.
"Well...our way of expediting the process is to send your information on to Spain the day we receive it"
Tells you something when doing your job is above and beyond.
"In every country, for every agency, there is a way of expediting the process, usually you just have to pay an extra fee"
"I can give you a website"
"Yes and it tells me I need to wait six weeks, I need something faster, what can you do to help me"
"Sorry there is nothing I can do. Sorry"
::CLICK::
Call me an entitled ugly American but I expect a little bit of service when I am on the phone, hanging up on me is not part of that. No assistance, no "I'll call you back, let me check with someone" no nothing!
So now my options are:
1.) Just go to Spain for the 90 days and come home
2.) Go to Spain for a few weeks, apply for a visa at home, and return home to pick it up (spending about 12 days at home would cover the cost of the flight since we are in the low season)
3.) Go do the Asian leg of my trip, and go to Spain in the Fall when I would have my visa.
4.) Ignore the law, go to Spain the entire time because, let's face it, they probably won't even notice that I overstayed my visa unless they check dates on the stamps.
5.) Wait a few days so I only have an 80 day trip or so and take my chances that my extra travel in Schengen countries flies under the radar.. (I would be flying out of the UK which is not a signatory)
6.) See if I can travel to a non-Schengen country apply from there as an American, go to Spain, and return to that country when my visa is ready before going back to Spain. <-Probably preferable
Anyone with some suggestions?
--Joey
*Btw, if you ever need service in Spain, you ask anyone at a bus stop for a bit if help and everyone jumps in with friendly recommendations. One lady drew me a map of the town to help my find my school. They can turn a
to a :D and eventually a
for all people who stay there for any length of time
__________________
Countries visited: USA, Netherlands, Norway, France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain (and Gibraltar), Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Austria, Ireland, UK, Japan, Canada
, Portugal, Czech Republic, Poland, Andorra, Croatia, Montenegro
Next up: Mongolia, China
"I sought trains; I found passengers" - Paul Theroux
Help Travelpunk's continued existence with a
small donation