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Arab Strap
Joined: 25 Feb 2004
Posts: 246
Location: under your bed
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 Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 11:13 am Post subject: That elusive stamp |
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I am a UK citizen, passport holder and my degree is from a UK university.
I have permanent residency in the Czech Republic.
I am currently in the Kingdom and I would like to bring the wife and weans over.
I know that the kid's birth certs and my wedding cert need to be stamped and so on by various government bodies and the embassy. This is not the problem the marriage cert (Scottish) kid's certs (Czech) have all been dealt with.
However it's the degree I'm worried about. A copy has been stamped by the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (sic) in London but apparently it also has to be stamped by the embassy.
As I am in the Kingdom and do not intend to go all the way to London for a stamp is this possible by post (DHL) or maybe by fax ?
How long will this take?
How much and how to I make payment?
Is it possible to do this through the embassy in Prague (I'll be home during Rahamdan).
You might say 'why don't you contact the embassies involved?'���.I emailed both embassies and I doubt if they will reply, the embassy in London never picks up the phone and from past experience I know that I'll be very lucky to get hold of anyone who can give me an answer.
Is there anyone out there who's gone through this experience and can give me some advice.
Definitive answers only please as every time I ask someone 'in the know' I'm given a different answer.
When you marry Saudi and Czech bureaucracy you end up with a nightmare of Kafkaesque proportions.
Thanx
AB |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 12:02 pm Post subject: |
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I had this done in Jeddah. The British Consulate stamped the translation of the degree and it was then stamped in the branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And then my employer did not ask me for it !
You can probably have it done in the 'Trade Office' in Khobar. |
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Arab Strap
Joined: 25 Feb 2004
Posts: 246
Location: under your bed
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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surely it can't be that simple?
can it..............?
you must have some major vitamin WOW working for you down there my man |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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| No Vitamin W - just a smile and some Basic Arabic ! |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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| surely it can't be that simple? |
No, it can't.
What the Foreign Ministry requires is your degree to be stamped by the Saudi embassy in the country of origin not the British embassy.
There are three separate authentifications of your degree that may be needed. Unless you are clear as to the purpose of which, you will be messed up.
Firstly you may need your degree stamped by foreign office in the country it was issued. In the UK you are requried to get a notary public to authenticate the visa and then get the appropriate government office (it used to be in Petty France) to certify the Notary Public's signature - just as you get them to certify the doctor's signature on the medical certificate. This may be a requirement for you to get the initial work visa..It all depends on the country you are getting the work visa from, and the particular job you are taking up.
Secondly you may need to get your degree authenticated at the Saudi Cultural Mission. This requirement is for those working as teachers in government institutions; JIC insists on it, and I presume others do. What the Cultural Mission does is check up with the issuing authority that your degree is genuine. Basically this authentification is the only one that checks up whether your degree is from an accredited university, and whether you were actually issued it as opposed to Photoshopping yourself a copy. Please don't post to say you are working for a government institution and they didn't require it. I know many don't; I get enough CVs from people working as teachers in Saudi with bogus degrees to know that you are right.
Thirdly, you need your degree authenticated from the Saudi embassy in the country of origin. Note that I say the Saudi Embassy, and not the Cultural Mission. The Saudi Embassies depend on the Foreign Office, and the Cultural Mission is an adjunct of the Education Ministry/Ministries. This stamp is required for the Foreign Office to issue a residence visa for your spouse. Only certain categories of worker are allowed to sponsor their wives in Saudi and the Foreign Office wishes to know that you have the requisite qualifications as a teacher to do so. And it wants a stamp from its own organziation, not another one.
Now Paul, you didn't need the first stamp becuause of where you processed your visa, and the second stamp you already have. The third one however you still need to obtain if you want your wife to get a visa to join you, and not stay happily in Czech, as Scot 47's wife is staying happily t Chateau Scot in her home country.
And for the purpose of others reading I will repeat the above. There are three different stamps, from three different instituions, because they are for three different things.
Last edited by Stephen Jones on Fri Oct 07, 2005 4:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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| The Castle by Franz Kafka. Rules about who can enter the Castle and when are always confusing, and subject to arbitrary change. |
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Albulbul
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Posts: 364
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| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:23 am Post subject: |
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Les Budd of Jaybla in London offers a service to those who need a visa from the London Embassy. Maybe he can get that elusive stamp for you ?
I had his address but can't find it ! |
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Albulbul
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Posts: 364
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| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:23 am Post subject: |
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Les Budd of Jaybla in London offers a service to those who need a visa from the London Embassy. Maybe he can get that elusive stamp for you ?
I had his address but can't find it ! |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:37 am Post subject: Les |
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Les Budd
Jaybla Ltd
52 Mount Street
London
W1Y 8RE
He is a 'fixer' who will apply for and pick up your visa at the Saudi Embassy. I assume he can do other documents too. |
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Arab Strap
Joined: 25 Feb 2004
Posts: 246
Location: under your bed
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| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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Re. Mr Les "e gets things done innit"
Scot you don't have an email address or a fax/phone number for this geezur do you?
Big geme today, pity a canny get to see it................SAOR ALBA!!!!! |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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Michelle at Harley Medical deals with visa problems as well. Ask me tomorrow and I'll give you her contact details.
Whether it will be worth paying their fee is another matter. Do bear in mind that you are introducing another layer of indirection between you and the embassy. |
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Arab Strap
Joined: 25 Feb 2004
Posts: 246
Location: under your bed
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| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Does anyone out there have the phone number Wiston "The Wolf" Wolfe he solves problems.............. |
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