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Adventures of a Global Wanderer
One of the biggest problems in trying to arrange my trip to Uzbekistan was arranging the Visa. I'd tried talking to several local Korean travel agents but got blank expressions since Koreans don't go there for holidays so they didnt know how to arrange the visa or even how to explain to me in english the process.
I had come to work in Korea especially to visit Uzbekistan as flights were much cheaper than if I tried from back in Canada. I first wanted to go in Aug 2011 but went to China instead as I didnt know how to get the visa. Then in Sept 2012 we had a five day holiday and I was trying to get extra vacation days to do a one week tour. Finally I gave up and decided to go in Feb 2013 no matter how bad the weather was as it was the only time I would have enough vacation days during the winter.
The visa rule is if your country has an Uzbek Embassy and you had enough time to arrange the visa then you need to get one before arrival. If for example I flew direct from Canada which has no Embassy I can do visa on arrival at the airport. Since I live in Korea and Seoul had an Embassy I must get the visa from Seoul.
I'd given up on dealing with local agents and needed to goto the Embassy myself. The problem is I live in Daegu which is four hours drive south from Seoul. I can not take a day off from school to go since I would have to cancel classes and get another teacher to cover. This requires the Principals permission and only happens in rare circumstances.
I didnt know what I was supposed to do. Fortunately we had Election Day on Dec 19 when school would be closed so I was hoping to go on that day. I'd tried calling and emailing the Embassy many times to see if they consider that a National Holiday and whether they would be open or not. The Embassy never answers the phone or responds to emails.
When I tried asking local Uzbeks they told me the same thing and that I had to keep dialing. I was having no luck and would literally have to goto Seoul just to be able to talk to someone.
That day I left home about 6am and took a cab to the train station. I got a very early train about 6.40am and was in Seoul before 9am.
When I got to the Embassy the main gate outside the building was locked. I was really disappointed and frustrated that I'd made a special trip all the way here and what was I supposed to do now?
I tried walking around to see if there was a sign with emergency phone numbers. My agent in Tashkent had told me someone is always there and Embassies normally have after hours emergency numbers.
When I found the parking attendants hut he told me I should just goto the 7th floor for the Embassy. As I went round I saw other Embassy staff outside having a smoke so they did appear to be open today.
I told the guy I was here for a visa but he said they were closed today. I thought I'd go up and try anyway. The doors to the Embassy were closed but staff members were arriving and going inside.
A lady came out and told me that they were closed. I explained that I had come especially from Daegu and that whenever I call or email nobody responds. She said they cant give me the visa today because the banks are closed and the Consul is not in today to sign for the visa.
I was getting worried about how was I supposed to come to Seoul again during business hours to get a visa? I asked if I could pay cash or leave my passport. After checking she said I could pay cash but we still had to wait for the Consul. Fortunately he would be arriving shortly.
When he arrived he did not seem too helpful and said that the bank is closed, they do not take cash, I can not leave my passport, and that I should come back during business hours. He was not interested that I had made a special trip or that nobody answers the phone or responds to emails when I was trying to ask if the Embassy would be open today.
Frustrated I made the four hour bus trip back home not knowing what I was supposed to do now. I cant take a vacation day to go back to Seoul again and get the some other run around when you cant phone them to find out proper procedures.
I explained the situation to my agent in Tashkent and asked if I should cancel or postpone my trip. She checked with the foreign office and said because I already have a visa support letter issued from Tashkent the Embassy can not refuse me a visa.
This would still involve me making a special trip back to Seoul during business hours. She said I could ask a local agent instead and didnt have to goto Seoul personally. I tried again asking lots of agents but they didnt know and just told me to goto the Embassy myself.
In January school was closed but we are still required to come and sit in an empty school on non vacation days. I could use a paid vacation day on one of these days to goto Seoul. However, I asked my agent in Tashkent to call the Embassy this time so that I dont get the runaround.
The lady that had spoken to me on my first visit gave me her business card with her direct phone number not publically listed. I asked my agent in Tashkent to call the Embassy official on her direct number.
My agent then told me it was ok for me to go back again to the Embassy tomorrow. It was then a crazy process of getting permission to take a day off from school, even though I had no classes and would just be sitting in an empty school.
The Vice Principal required we record the missed attendance before I travel to Seoul not after I came back. My agent had replied to me in the evening local time so I had to travel the next day to Seoul as the Embassy person was expecting me the next day.
In order for us to record the missed attendance on the school system I needed my USB stick which was in my locked cabinet in my school desk. This involved me coming back at 7pm, finding the caretaker, getting him to open the doors for me so I could open my cabinet and leave the USB stick on my co-teachers desk. A whole lot of drama and phone calls back and forth over nothing.
The next day I left home by 6.30am and got the 7.15 train to Seoul. When I got to the Embassy by 10am they were open this time. I gave my passport, told them I made a special trip from Daegu, needed same day service, and that my agent had called the Embassy and spoken to a lady about this.
When they checked they said ok, and for me to goto the bank across the road to make a bank draft payable to the consulate. This was a very easy process since the opposite bank does all their payables. They didnt even charge the $10 draft fee.
Once I had the payment slip I left the passport with the consulate desk by 11am. They told me to come back after 2pm.
So after three hours sitting in an subway shopping arcade I came back at 2pm wondering what was going to happen next. To my surprise they handed my visa and the counter desk lady tried in her best english to wish me an enjoyable trip.
I was in total shock and amazement that I had visa in hand after the last time when the Consul told me to go away. It was very easy to remember who I was and my Canadian passport which they must never get at the Seoul Embassy.
There were also piles of Korean passports lying on the front counter. I wondered how come when I'd asked so many Korean travel agents who were clueless how to get a visa. Turns out these are company workers going there on business visas.
I stared at my visa the entire four hour bus ride home still in a state of disbelief and finally could look forward to going on my trip after years of waiting and so many hurdles.
I had come to work in Korea especially to visit Uzbekistan as flights were much cheaper than if I tried from back in Canada. I first wanted to go in Aug 2011 but went to China instead as I didnt know how to get the visa. Then in Sept 2012 we had a five day holiday and I was trying to get extra vacation days to do a one week tour. Finally I gave up and decided to go in Feb 2013 no matter how bad the weather was as it was the only time I would have enough vacation days during the winter.
The visa rule is if your country has an Uzbek Embassy and you had enough time to arrange the visa then you need to get one before arrival. If for example I flew direct from Canada which has no Embassy I can do visa on arrival at the airport. Since I live in Korea and Seoul had an Embassy I must get the visa from Seoul.
I'd given up on dealing with local agents and needed to goto the Embassy myself. The problem is I live in Daegu which is four hours drive south from Seoul. I can not take a day off from school to go since I would have to cancel classes and get another teacher to cover. This requires the Principals permission and only happens in rare circumstances.
I didnt know what I was supposed to do. Fortunately we had Election Day on Dec 19 when school would be closed so I was hoping to go on that day. I'd tried calling and emailing the Embassy many times to see if they consider that a National Holiday and whether they would be open or not. The Embassy never answers the phone or responds to emails.
When I tried asking local Uzbeks they told me the same thing and that I had to keep dialing. I was having no luck and would literally have to goto Seoul just to be able to talk to someone.
That day I left home about 6am and took a cab to the train station. I got a very early train about 6.40am and was in Seoul before 9am.
When I got to the Embassy the main gate outside the building was locked. I was really disappointed and frustrated that I'd made a special trip all the way here and what was I supposed to do now?
I tried walking around to see if there was a sign with emergency phone numbers. My agent in Tashkent had told me someone is always there and Embassies normally have after hours emergency numbers.
When I found the parking attendants hut he told me I should just goto the 7th floor for the Embassy. As I went round I saw other Embassy staff outside having a smoke so they did appear to be open today.
I told the guy I was here for a visa but he said they were closed today. I thought I'd go up and try anyway. The doors to the Embassy were closed but staff members were arriving and going inside.
A lady came out and told me that they were closed. I explained that I had come especially from Daegu and that whenever I call or email nobody responds. She said they cant give me the visa today because the banks are closed and the Consul is not in today to sign for the visa.
I was getting worried about how was I supposed to come to Seoul again during business hours to get a visa? I asked if I could pay cash or leave my passport. After checking she said I could pay cash but we still had to wait for the Consul. Fortunately he would be arriving shortly.
When he arrived he did not seem too helpful and said that the bank is closed, they do not take cash, I can not leave my passport, and that I should come back during business hours. He was not interested that I had made a special trip or that nobody answers the phone or responds to emails when I was trying to ask if the Embassy would be open today.
Frustrated I made the four hour bus trip back home not knowing what I was supposed to do now. I cant take a vacation day to go back to Seoul again and get the some other run around when you cant phone them to find out proper procedures.
I explained the situation to my agent in Tashkent and asked if I should cancel or postpone my trip. She checked with the foreign office and said because I already have a visa support letter issued from Tashkent the Embassy can not refuse me a visa.
This would still involve me making a special trip back to Seoul during business hours. She said I could ask a local agent instead and didnt have to goto Seoul personally. I tried again asking lots of agents but they didnt know and just told me to goto the Embassy myself.
In January school was closed but we are still required to come and sit in an empty school on non vacation days. I could use a paid vacation day on one of these days to goto Seoul. However, I asked my agent in Tashkent to call the Embassy this time so that I dont get the runaround.
The lady that had spoken to me on my first visit gave me her business card with her direct phone number not publically listed. I asked my agent in Tashkent to call the Embassy official on her direct number.
My agent then told me it was ok for me to go back again to the Embassy tomorrow. It was then a crazy process of getting permission to take a day off from school, even though I had no classes and would just be sitting in an empty school.
The Vice Principal required we record the missed attendance before I travel to Seoul not after I came back. My agent had replied to me in the evening local time so I had to travel the next day to Seoul as the Embassy person was expecting me the next day.
In order for us to record the missed attendance on the school system I needed my USB stick which was in my locked cabinet in my school desk. This involved me coming back at 7pm, finding the caretaker, getting him to open the doors for me so I could open my cabinet and leave the USB stick on my co-teachers desk. A whole lot of drama and phone calls back and forth over nothing.
The next day I left home by 6.30am and got the 7.15 train to Seoul. When I got to the Embassy by 10am they were open this time. I gave my passport, told them I made a special trip from Daegu, needed same day service, and that my agent had called the Embassy and spoken to a lady about this.
When they checked they said ok, and for me to goto the bank across the road to make a bank draft payable to the consulate. This was a very easy process since the opposite bank does all their payables. They didnt even charge the $10 draft fee.
Once I had the payment slip I left the passport with the consulate desk by 11am. They told me to come back after 2pm.
So after three hours sitting in an subway shopping arcade I came back at 2pm wondering what was going to happen next. To my surprise they handed my visa and the counter desk lady tried in her best english to wish me an enjoyable trip.
I was in total shock and amazement that I had visa in hand after the last time when the Consul told me to go away. It was very easy to remember who I was and my Canadian passport which they must never get at the Seoul Embassy.
There were also piles of Korean passports lying on the front counter. I wondered how come when I'd asked so many Korean travel agents who were clueless how to get a visa. Turns out these are company workers going there on business visas.
I stared at my visa the entire four hour bus ride home still in a state of disbelief and finally could look forward to going on my trip after years of waiting and so many hurdles.
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