Monday, January 07, 2008

In the Land of Panic

I'm so potentially screwed. Or not. Depending on someone's whim.

I'm not a very experienced traveller, especially internationally. I'm pretty good at getting in my car and driving hither and yon in the US, but internationally, I'm pretty inexperienced.

So, I've been planning my trip abroad. I'm going early, going to leave my bags where I'll be teaching and then leaving the next day to go to another country on a tourist trip for 5 days. Then I'll come back in plenty of time for the teaching orientation, and do my teaching. It just so happens that I'll be coming in on a Saturday afternoon, and leaving on a Sunday. Then coming back in a week.

I was reading the other day, and just realized that my visa is a single entry visa. I can enter the teaching country ONE time, and then stay for six months. OOPS!

In order to leave the country, I need to get a re-entry visa at a local government office. Except, of course, the local government office wouldn't be open over Saturday and Sunday.

I just talked to the consulate, wondering if I could do something ahead of time, and the consular officer suggested that I should ask on my first entry to be put on a standard 90 day tourist visa, so that my one entry on my teaching visa will count when I re-enter the country. And that should work, IF the customs person at my first entry agrees.

I'm at a loss. I thought I had everything pretty well worked out, but I've screwed up, I think.


  1. Anonymous11:17 AM

    Hoo boy. It depends so much upon the person at the counter that day, doesn't it. I hope you get someone who is having a good one!

  2. I'm not a very experienced traveller.

    I don't think it matters much how experienced a traveller you are--I imagine this particular problem doesn't come up very often!

  3. Oooo....I hope it works out! Last-minute fix-its, right before you leave the country, are not at all fun!

  4. We will all blow internet pixie dust at the customs person for you.

  5. In the past when we have had concerns with embassies and whatnot, my husband and I make sure to get anything they say in writing and to have a copy with us when we go through immigration in case there are questions or problems. On one particular occasion, having the print out from the appropriate agency with the information we had received made the difference between my husband being allowed in on the visa he had and not.

    I hope it works out!