Well, itβs been a hot minute since I last updated on our status between France and Italy. My last post on this left us with an upcoming trip to Paris to sort out what we thought was going to be an easy and straightforward application for a Type D (multiple entry) visa. So, hereβs an update.
The Type D Visa Application – Round 1
So, June 10th came. We decided to do a road trip to Paris and return slowly with the expectation that we would have visas in hand. We drove straight up and arrived in late afternoon to do some sightseeing in Paris.
Paris has never been a major attraction to me. I visited in the winter of 2012, I think, and was not impressed. While Iβve had the writerβs romantic dream of sitting in a French cafe and writing all day as I observe the people passing by, I did not fall in love with the city as many have done before. M has always warned me that he would show me the romance of the city when we go together. Well…he was partially correct.
I tried an e-scooter for the first time, overcoming my fear of two wheels and speed for short bursts as we scooted around the city. We had fun together, but I still did not fall in love with it. π¬
We arrived early for our visa appointment with M feeling very confident and me feeling less so because despite his sense of knowing I was the opposite. Turns out my instincts this time were the more accurate. π
Unfortunately, we got a lady who made all the rumors and stories of French bureaucrats being rude and unhelpful a sad reality. While we had thought we had all the paperwork, she refused to even move forward with our visa application based on her opinion of our situation and a problem with the type of visa that we were ultimately applying for – something I still believe was out of her actual purview of decision-making knowing that there is a chain of command and she was superseding hers.
As she gave us excuses and refused to hear us out, the conversation ended with her picking up her phone and pretending to talk on it moving as far away from the window as she could. So, we took our paperwork and left confused, frustrated, and at a loss.
We continued with our road trip through the center and east side of France anyway since there was nothing more that we could do.
The Type D Visa Application – Round 1.2
After a great trip (a later post on that), we arrived back to regroup.
Although we were told not to worry about it and those helping us in Italy said theyβd get their lawyer on it, currently that still hasnβt happened and we are six weeks post-visit.
I did manage to sort out what our paperwork issue is through someone at the consulate who has been helpful through emails. So, we still have a couple more hoops to jump through and will hopefully have everything in order before our next appointment date of August 5th.
France vs Italy
Tomorrow, we may have some positive news and finally a movement forward as we keep swinging back and forth on whether or not to give up on the Italy portion of our living.
Initially, we wanted to do it because I didnβt have my French visa. However, that came through a few weeks ago, which has taken a load of pressure off of my mind. I can also move on to sort out health coverage and licensing paperwork, but there is also some hesitation on whether or not to bother because we might be in Italy….
If we donβt have a real step forward by the end of the week, then I want to pull the plug and stay in France to remove the instability. Both of us are at about the end of our threads with patience in not having a place of our own. So, fingers crossed π€π½ that we have the good news we want ASAP!
~T π
