Late in June I went to the spanish consulate on Sutter Street in San Francisco. Fool that I am I thought I could work a Thursday in Portland, fly down Thursday night, have my "interview" at the consulate on Friday morning and fly back to work Friday afternoon. Wrong..wrong... wrong
Spain like many countries in Europe requires a special visa to stay longer than 3 months. They have many kinds of visas one may get but the student visa is supposed to be easiest. All you need are three application forms in triplicate with the original in black ink, three passport photos, three letters of invitation from a school in Spain with paid tuition on "original" letterhead, proof of health insurance, letter from my mommy saying she will support me or proof of income, three passport copies, $100.00 cash or money order, and an express mailer.
The first part of the trip went well. I caught the evening flight to Oakland and spent the night there. Hopped on BART from Oakland to Downtown SF and walked one mile to the consulate. My appointment was at 0900 but no one was there at 0900. Seems like Spain won the Euro Cup in Soccer the night before and everyone was out celebrating till the wee hours of the morning. At 0915 we were let in. I was in a room with 6 other people with all of them young American high school and college students and all female. It was the wrong day to be male. Although first through the door and the only one with a 0900 slot I was the last to be seen. At 1000 I was taken to a bank teller like window where a very pleasant and young female spanish woman took all my papers. First question , "Are you not kind of old to be a student? " I wanted to say that I had one of those diseases that only make you look old but she had my passport. "Well, I may be old but this a part of my sabbatical" I replied. "Yea ... we had one those once." she added.
She went through my papers. I had everything except the "original" letter from the school in Spain. Copies just will not do. I also needed a different express mailer. I could not tell the difference between my mailer and the one she pointed to but she said I needed "that one" and I had to across the street and buy it now in order to process my application.
Across the street I went, but now at 1030 the store was not open although the hours posted were 1000 to 1800. Now I had to catch a plane in Oakland at 1230 so back into the consulate I went. I pleaded my case and the clerk allowed me to buy the sample envelope mailer.
It was now 1100 and off I went to get on BART back to the airport . I ran my Boston Marathon best down to BART on Market St. , got on and arrived in Oakland at 1130. I had to take a shuttle from the BART station there and arrived at the the airport at 1145. Lucky for me there was only a small line in security. I made it to the gate just as they were boarding. And there I was back in Portland all ready for work at Saint Vincent Hospital.
It took two weeks for the consulate to get my "original" letter from the school in Spain. I received my special student visa with my passport two weeks ago so now I am good to go.
For those who are trying to do the same make sure you have plenty of time after your scheduled appointment for the problems that will occur, bring lots of bucks, and don't look old.
