Ok I really need some help here guys and hopefully one of you can offer some advice. I surrendered my passport to the company that I work for so that it could be sent to the Foreign Affairs Bureau/Ministry of Education so that I can obtain my ARC. It is not supposed to be back for another 8 working days. I have copies of my passport, by the way.
This is my situation: I have a family emergency and need to leave the country on Friday. Can I do this without my passport, and just copies it? I have back up ID (my state driver’s liscence if its worth anything)…what do I do, and how can I go about leaving? Also, can I get back into the country?
Not a pro on this but trying to be helpful, I can say that without a passport, you cannot travel internationally.
I’d go tomorrow morning first thing and get your passport and tell them the deal. They should put your application on hold until you come back, although you may need to go to the cop shop to get a re-entry permit.
good luck
I agree, no passport no way out and no way in, possibly not even into your own country (but surely no way back to Taiwan).
Try to get back your current passport, ask someone who speaks Chinese to go with you to the place where your passport is located and request it to be handed over to you instantly.
You may need to get a new Visa before returning to Taiwan and apply for the ARC again …
Of course, no passport no travel. How long have ‘they’ had your passport for. The Education Department doesn’t need it at all. The only people who actually takes it are Foreign Affairs. That is after Education. Your school might even still have it, or they gave it to Education. If it’s still at Education just take it back. If it’s already at foreign affairs, that usually takes a week and it’s probably waiting to be stamped or already stamped. Get someone official like your boss to go with you and if possible, have some sort of ‘proof’ of your emergency with you and maybe your airplabe tickets. I think they might well be able to stamp it on the spot if you can show the urgency. Then you’ve got the passport so you can travel, but even better if you move fast enough is to take it straight to the police station, I’m pretty sure they put the re-entry permit in your passport right away and give it back to you, then you can pick up your ARC (which you need to use in conjunction with the reentry permit) the next day.
So you should find out immediately where it is. Your school will know. My guess is it’s probably at Foreign Affairs and if you move quickly and surely, you might just be able to get it all sorted out in time to leave.
I’ll be going over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at about 3 today (in just half an hour). If you send me your information, I’ll try to find out if your paperwork has been completed. mark@oriented.org
If I don’t hear from you in time, I’ll get phone numbers you can call.
Not surprisingly, the woman at the ministry said that without a name or knowledge of when your paperwork was turned in she couldn’t help me.
She recommended that you call 2343-2895.
Good luck.