Passport, Credit Cards, etc. Stolen

Passport, Credit Cards, etc. Stolen
Jun 28, 2008 06:46	#11
STUART8 Points: Join Date: Jun 15, 2008 Status: Offline	The British Embassy can be that efficient. I was annoyed at the delays of up to ten days to issue a passport and extra charges of £61 by the FCO in London on top of the bank charge for a telegraphic transfer. The FCO would not accept payment by credit card. I would have to telegraphic transfer to the FCO in London just 30 miles down the road. The advice of the Beijing Consulate office was to use Western Union to send my daughter money to a local post office! No further help was offered. I contacted my MP and their assistant contacted the FCO in London and miraculously the passport was ready in one day. However the passport has yet to reach my daughter. The police report has still to be returned to her after verification by police HQ. Then she has to go to the public security bureau with the new passport and verified police report to get the China exit visa. The saga continues ...

Jun 28, 2008 06:46

#11

STUART8
Points:
Join Date: Jun 15, 2008
Status: Offline

The British Embassy can be that efficient. I was annoyed at the delays of up to ten days to issue a passport and extra charges of £61 by the FCO in London on top of the bank charge for a telegraphic transfer. The FCO would not accept payment by credit card. I would have to telegraphic transfer to the FCO in London just 30 miles down the road. The advice of the Beijing Consulate office was to use Western Union to send my daughter money to a local post office! No further help was offered. I contacted my MP and their assistant contacted the FCO in London and miraculously the passport was ready in one day.

However the passport has yet to reach my daughter. The police report has still to be returned to her after verification by police HQ. Then she has to go to the public security bureau with the new passport and verified police report to get the China exit visa. The saga continues ...

Jun 29, 2008 06:22

#12

BARONTWANGLE
Points:
Join Date: Nov 7, 2007
Status: Offline

Once your daughter has her new passport, all the other formalities should be straightforward. Sending money via western union is safe, and in such circumstances, probably the fastest and most reliable way.

In future, it is a good idea to travel with 2 passports. Just be careful not to keep them both in the same bag! I do this, and it would save a lot of hassle if I lost one. Obviously, you can only have one visa, so would still need to go through the PSB exit procedure, but it would save the major problem of applying for an emergency passport, which is the major pain in such circumstances.

Hope everything is sorted out soon.

Jun 30, 2008 04:36

#13

STUART8
Points:
Join Date: Jun 15, 2008
Status: Offline

Thanks for all the help and advice. It's not quite that straightforward. She was supposed to get back the verified police report last Monday. I am still waiting to find out this Monday whether there is any further news of it. Then, and only then, can she apply for the China exit visa. I also hope it all works out as well. In China things normally do work out as long as you follow the correct procedure - it is just the amount of time can become considerably more than the original estimates.

Jun 30, 2008 11:13	#14
APAULT Points: Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Status: Offline	Barwon...how do most people get 2 passports? Only a small number of us have dual nationality. Anyway, I am not sure it helps if you lose the passport with the visa in it. The Chinese authorities are going to ask why you are in China without a visa. If you say you have two passports, but no visa in this one, surely they will be thinking of loccking you up as a spy!

Jun 30, 2008 16:27

#15

BARONTWANGLE
Points:
Join Date: Nov 7, 2007
Status: Offline

Apault - I don't know about other countries, but in the UK (I am a British citizen) you are allowed to hold 2 current passports, so that while one is obtaining a visa, you can still have the other one. It is also useful if you want to go to places like Cuba, Iran, Syria, and then to the US or Israel. You use different passports, otherwise you could run into problems. It is perfectly legal, and I assume you must be able to do this with other citizenships too? So I hold 2 British passports, which would help if one was stolen. If the Chinese were suspicious, a quick call to the British Embassy would confirm that there is nothing wrong with it. You should look into it for Aussies.

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