Stranded without passport for 7 months

mycammedia

Hello,

My husband is an Irish citizen (born in Ireland, both parents are Irish.

Currently, He is living in Indonesia with spousal residential permit from Indonesian immigration office.

September last year, His passport was expired and we applied for a renewal online (paid fully with a credit card). 

His application was submitted and everything seemed okay.

From the website, we have to wait about 2-3 months for a new passport.

On December, I contacted Irish Embassy in Jakarta about his passport, and I was informed that there was problem with the application.

I have never been informed about any problem with the application.

The email that I received from passport office was acknowledgement of his application and payment receipt.

Then, we sent a complaint letter to the passport office on January.

Then, on February the passport office sent me an email mentioning that we did not submit document required for the application!

We do not know what document (s) that they wanted as we never received any information in relation to this issue.

Now, my husband was left for nearly 7 months without passport and I have to explain to Indonesian authority about his passport problem. Luckily for him that the Indonesian immigration office is very understanding and kind, considering that my husband just recovered from a heart attack.

We need a solicitor who can help us with our situation since he doesn't have family in Ireland.

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

fits

Why don’t you ask what documentation is missing with the application and submit it? You don’t need a solicitor you need to figure out what the problem is and rectify it.

ax530

Login to the website with your application number.I say it would have all information there

Flinty997

I had a similar issue. The website or emails never told us what the issue was. Had to ring and talk to a person. Terrible system.

chrisd2019

Hi,

If the applicants passport was expired over 5 years it is treated like a new applicant and all the first time applicant documents are required. The documents needed are given on the website. Check you submitted each of these and that they were original documents not old photocopies ect.

The letter/email should have stated which ones were absent.

The Irish Embassies throughout the world each have a section responsible for assisting with passport applications, even if you submitted online they can guide you.

The passport office, will not proceed you application further until you send the documents they request, and will just hold your file until you respond. That is they will not contact you until you respond to their email / letter. If the email/letter was from an email address that can be replied to respond and ask for clarification.

mycammedia

Thank you for the responses.

First of all, the passport office did not mention what the document that was required and they just informed me that the application was cancelled and that the payment will be refunded in due course.....

My husband passport expired September 2022, so he should not be treated as a new applicant.

There were no recent email from passport office.

I only received 2 email from them.

The acknowledgement of application ( no reply email dated 12/9/22) and the cancellation (16/02/23)

Flinty997

They were going to cancel ours until I rang up to see why the delay. The applications sat for months months with no changes, until about 3 weeks before it expired when it indicated a problem but no details of what. I had to ring then when I got through only then did I find out their was documentation missing. Well not missing their online process never asked for it.

Dumb system. No wonder it's backlogged.

Flinty997

Ring them, the embassy etc. Talk to a person.

mycammedia

Thank you very much for your advice ❤️ @Flinty997