Adventures in Paperwork

Gearoid and I had this romantic notion that we would move here and after a month I would be able to get a job. All we had to do was register as partners and fill out some immigration paperwork. It would be easy and in the month or so I would be able to find a job I really enjoyed.

Reality is less romantic and more bureaucratic. We went to the city hall our first week here to “take care of everything.” All we were able to do was secure Gearoid a Dutch social security number and get the beginning of a list of things I needed to do.

For our registered partnership we told that we had to go to our separate consulates (mine is in Amsterdam and Gearoid’s is at the Hague) and get declarations of non-marriage. While at the US consulate, I paid my $50, raised my right hand and promised I wasn’t married. I was then instructed to go to the Hague to get my declaration “legalized.” Luckily we hadn’t gone there yet.

Along with our statements of non-marriage, Gearoid and I have to provide copies of our birth certificates with apostilles affixed on them. Gearoid, again having an easier time, sent his birth certificate to Dublin and within a couple of weeks received it back. I had to get a notarized letter requesting an apostille and mailed the letter with a big American check to Washington DC. At this point it has been 2 months and I have not yet received my birth certificate with an apostille affixed. My check, however, has been cashed.

Hint: To anyone who wants to live in a country that is not their own- get an apostille on any relevant documents (i.e. birth certificates). For  your information: An apostille is a special seal applied by an authority to certify that a document is a true copy of an original. Apostilles are available in countries, which signed the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Documents, popularly known as The Hague Convention. This convention, created in 1961, replaces the time consuming chain certification process used so far, where you had to go to four different authorities to get a document certified.

So Gearoid and I still have not been able to register for a partnership and our immigration visit has come and gone. Originally we thought we needed proof of a legal partnership but some stained and torn copies of leases proving we have lived together before in the States turned out to be sufficient. Just to make our case a little stronger, Gearoid also brought pictures of one of our first dates-skydiving.

Now we are just playing the waiting game. My application is in process to be approved for me to legally live and work in the Netherlands. It can take anywhere between one and three months before it arrives. I have finally received a Dutch social security number (BSN) meaning I can have access to our bank account and get insurance.

Despite our complaints, we have had it so much easier than other people and friends we know going through the immigration process here. We were also lucky to have our immigration meeting in Den Bosch- a beautiful city with an impressive cathedral and rich desserts.