Embassy gave away my passport!

R

Ravima

Registered User
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Anyone come across this before and if so help is required.

I was intending to travel on Thursday week and needed a Visa to enter the counrty. Passport was sent off in time.

This morning, my travel companion received his passport back from Embassy, with no visa. There was no sign of my Visa or passport.

I phoned Embassy, who told me that b/f had called in last week, to say holiday was cancelled and wanted passport back, so they HANDED IT OVER TO HIM AT THE COUNTER!!!

Problem is whoever collected/stole/was given the passport is NOT b/f! They promised to come back to me before 5pm, but did not.

What do I do???

I am at a total loss and still in shock.
 
Sounds very odd. See here for instructions on what to do in the event of your passport being lost or stolen. You might need to follow these ASAP especially in order to help with getting a replacement on an expedited basis.
 
I don't know if it would be right to publish it. What do you think moderator?
 
I'm not really sure if naming the embassy helps with the original query?
Ravima said:
I phoned Embassy, who told me that b/f had called in last week, to say holiday was cancelled and wanted passport back, so they HANDED IT OVER TO HIM AT THE COUNTER!!!

Problem is whoever collected/stole/was given the passport is NOT b/f!
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Is it possible that somebody close to you did this either as a joke or perhaps to prevent you travelling?
 
NO clubman. I assure you it is true. I am going to phone again in early morning and will thereafter call to passport office with letter detailing the circumstances, as relayed to me by the Embassy Staff and will obtain the quick issue one, at a cost of €125, €75 + €50. I will try to recopu cost from travel insurers.

I suppose I then have to present in person at Embassy, taking another day off work, to ensure that the new b/f does not take second one!!!!!!!
 
But it has to be someone that knows you and was aware that this embassy had your passport.
 
Not necessarily. I could get totally paranoid if I wanted to and think that i was being stalked, but no.

There is a possibility that an oppertunist saw the passport when they dropped in theirs or called on some pretext. there is the possibility that it was simply taken from the embassy by a staff member/employee. there is I suppose the possibility that the staff member I spoke with this afternoon hadn't the foggiest idea what happened and gave this explanation. There is teh possibility that the staff member I spoke with lost it in house and told me this story to cover herself.
 
Have you informed the Guards about this ?
Can the Guards investigate it because the 'theft' allegedly happened on the territory of another country ?

I asked which embassy it was because it is probably the norm to have video cameras at the front door. Which embassy wouldnt have them in the current global climate ? Hence the criminal can possibly be identified by whomever handed the passport over or by the time stamp on the tape.
 
I would certainly contact the Irish Passport office and maybe the department of foreign affairs. I am sure they would be interested to know what sort of care Foreign Embassies are taking with Irish passports. It is possible that the person in the embassy is the thief! I am sure an Irish passport is quiet valuable to alot of people. It does sound odd though.
 
I would have though the embassy personel would check that the photo on the passport matches the face of the person it is handed to on the other side of the counter... It seems so basic...
So may be it has not been handed over after all... simply stuck somewhere under a pile of paper and nobody can find it...
 
Sunny said:
I would certainly contact the Irish Passport office and maybe the department of foreign affairs. I am sure they would be interested to know what sort of care Foreign Embassies are taking with Irish passports.
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Ravima, in my view you should proceed with the view of writing to the Ambassador with the complaint. A persons passport is a very important document. Go back to the embassy, with pen and paper in hand, talk to supervisor if possible, take all details and then submit letter to Ambassador, copying supervisor, stating your case and serious concerns about the flippant and unsecure method of passport distribution by your country etc etc
 
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efm said:
I think in this case the passport holder is not an Irish citizen but rather a foreign national getting a replacement passport from their embassy in Ireland.
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Where are you getting that from? My understanding was she sent her passport into the embassy of the country that she was travelling to so she could get a visa.
 
Sunny said:
Where are you getting that from? My understanding was she sent her passport into the embassy of the country that she was travelling to so she could get a visa.
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Sunny - I think you're right! I read the thing three time and still picked it up wrong: Ravima, apologies!

I'll edit my post to delete the incorrect text
 
immediate problem solved.

It appears that someone of similar surname cancelled holiday and it was her b/f that collected passport. Obviously he did not look at it, assumed that it was the correct one.

This morning, the Embassy contacted the person concerned and arranged for courier to collect, drop back to embassy, and send on to me.

As I said, immediate problem solved, but security does need to be looked at at Embassy side.
 
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