Emergency passport!!!!

[london2ba]

Wondered if any of you have first hand, recent experience with getting an Argentine passport in a hurry?

To cut a long story short my husband and I are due to leave Argentina in 15 days, 28.3.12, with our baby, born here, who will be 13 weeks old but we do not yet have a passport for him.
Having jumped through all the necessary hoops to register his birth etc we were told his 'documents' were ready for collection at Paseo Colon, this Friday. Unfortunately, somehow, there is no passport or record of our passport application just a shiny, new DNI.

We have 3 options
-Hang on another 48 hours to hear from the British Embassy about an emergency British passport (this may not be possible).
-Pay for the rapida service today, 72 (working) hours, and book an appointment which will be at the earliest 20.3.12, and hope it arrives in time. The doorbell to our flat remains broken therefore any attempt at delivery will fail and we will need to arrange collection at, probably, Paseo Colon, so cutting it fine really.
-Go to Ezeiza and pay for the emergency service once we have collected the DNI.

The last option seems the most likely but I would really like to hear that it works, first hand as I fear another expensive, wasted taxi ride ahead.

 

[HenryNisental]

I think they have a"urgent" procedure. It cost more, though.

 

[syngirl]

We have 3 options
-Hang on another 48 hours to hear from the British Embassy about an emergency British passport (this may not be possible).

Since your baby is Argentine, he/she NEEDS an Argentine passport to leave and enter the country, so even if you get the British passport this will not help the situation. When you leave the country they will want the birth certificate and his/her Argentine passport, and you will need the passport again when you come back in.

-Pay for the rapida service today, 72 (working) hours, and book an appointment which will be at the earliest 20.3.12, and hope it arrives in time. The doorbell to our flat remains broken therefore any attempt at delivery will fail and we will need to arrange collection at, probably, Paseo Colon, so cutting it fine really.

With the rapida service you don't have to wait until the 20/3 as far as I understand, get on the phone to them, although you will be sitting there for awhile until they answer. My understanding of the rapida service is that you can show up today with the necessary documents and get the photo done, pay the fee and in 72 hours from now you will have the passport. If I were you, I would go first thing in the morning tomorrow with your baby in tow down to Humberto Primo or wherever it is in San Telmo that the offices are, and ask them in person, be insistent and you should be able to get it done then and there.

-Go to Ezeiza and pay for the emergency service once we have collected the DNI.

I thought you just said you have the DNI?

 

[syngirl]

I think they have a"urgent" procedure. It cost more, though.

Yes it costs 500 pesos.


Your other option if you don't want to go down to San Telmo is to go TODAY to any of the shopping malls where they process the DNI (Soler, Palermo, etc) and ask them there what to do. They will probably say the same thing though, to go down to San Telmo first thing in the morning tomorrow.

 

[CarverFan]

Glasgowjohn posted about getting his baby's passport here. He got it in 24 hours. You will need to get the doorbell fixed I think. Maybe you could ask them to note down that it's broken and to call you when they deliver. I have had that done in the past when ours broke.
http://baexpats.org/expat-life/20626-baby-passport-question-2.html

 

[CarverFan]

Forgot to add, when our baby's passport was delivered and we weren't in, we got an OCA slip and there was the option to pick up from OCA or rearrange delivery. This was one year ago.

 

[citygirl]

Syngirl - I believe OP said she is picking up the DNI this Friday.

I would go in person once you pick up the DNI (maybe right after on the same day) and pay the extra to get the rush.

 

[london2ba]

Thanks all.

We 'have' the DNI as in it exists and is awaiting collection as soon as we get confirmation by phone (sitting on hold) that it's definitely at Paseo Colon we will collect it and hopefully start the rapid 72 hour service without an appointment as you have given my hope syngirl and we will do just as you suggest citygirl.

Carverfan, the current doorbell fiasco is a long story but will not be fixed in the near future. We tried to have original documents sent to alternative pick up but they would not allow it so we had to wait for the OCA hence our last minute rush and my concern that the 72 hour service would not make it in time. I will look at the thread you suggest. Thanks.

I think the safest thing is for my husband to take the return flight on hold as he has to be in the UK for his new job 1.4.12 and I'll hang on with out him. It's not worth paying another £250 pounds to change our return flights again if the passport does not reach us in time, which, after the issues we've had since we started this process 3 months ago are anything to go by, it's a possibility. Not the end of the world. We'll try the 72 hour service in the mean time.

Thanks