Morocco # English board

Hi falks! i need your prayers to help get through tomorrow as i'm visiting our beloved consulate in London yes i know you all would love to come with me but sorry you're not invited.

Anyway, i need to replace my ID card so i called and someone there gave me the list of the documents i need to bring with me but when i asked about the photos, he said i need to come first and he would show me the correct size to bring! i don't really like the sound of this as i'm sure ID cards in England at least are standard so i'm wondering if they're going to send me to some dodgy moroccan photographer in Portobello market or Brick Lane to have my ID picture taken and i am quite worried

Anyone knows???

Hi Minniemouse,

The photo size for the moroccan ID is 2 cms (width) on 2.5 cms (height). Cheers.

Hi Minniemouse

The chemist at the corner before you get to the consulate does them for them and cost is around 4 quid, the consulate charge 5 or 10p for photocopying ( the same as the shop at the other end of the same road). Our consulate is much better now then before you get to watch TV and they are much politer. Generally speaking one can renew the passport in half a day but the ID card requires a second trip I am afraid.

Thank you both for this information.

Actually, not only it requires a second trip, it takes minimum a month to get ready as they have to send it to Morocco to stamp it or god knows what!

just to verify the "Casier judiciaire" and laminate the paper of the ID card.(tm)

My advice to u: Take ur camera with u, u never know wot would happen, good luck

You know what! I really should have taken a camera with me!! I witnessed some amazing action today

Ok where do I start...I went with low spirits as usual, i can't possibly believe that anyone goes there feeling eccstatic!!

In appearance, not much has changed. The chaouch is still at the door, except that now he has a phone!! He was actually sitting (on top of the desk) talking to someone who needed to apply for a visa...the conversation was in English and the chaouch's eyes were nearly popping while trying to find his words! when he finally looked at me and i explained why i was there, he asked me to go up to the first floor...

Gosh, why do Moroccan administrations all feel the same wether they are in Zhiliga or in Honololu?? they're all damp, hot and crowded!! i started sweating the minute i stepped in, it took me about 2mn to find my orientation sense as there were queues coming out every corner...luckily the eternal guy who stands next to the eternal photocopy machine called me quickly and after checking my papers asked me to sit down and wait my turn...

Shortly after, a man came in. He needed to renew his passport but he forgot his ID card in Morocco...big mistake to tell them that! the photocopy guy dismissed him very quickly, no card, no passport!!
but the man would have none of it, he told him he needed the passport urgenly and he had an ID photocopy which shows who he is...after about 10 mn of shenanigans, the man asked to see the consul!! the photocopy man mentionned a seat and asked the man to sit down and wait, he then spoke to someone on the phone and after 5mn, a woman looking like the headmistress of a military school came down and repeated the same thing to the poor guy, only her tone was nastier!

In the meantime, i went to get my photos taken in some studio called snappy snap which the chaouch calls snappy club (very telling)!! when i returned, the guy was screaming his lungs out and threathening to write to the king and i don't know who else...he then asked the photocopy man for his name and got a pen out to write it down, but the photocopy guy told him he doesn't have a name (lol) and he can complain to whoever he wants (ok he said that but his face went very pale)...

After 1h30 of waiting, i was finally asked to go up see this khadija who would sign my forms. The second floor is a woman's floor only, they might as well write "harem" on the door!! ok here some interesting developments. The last time i went they had these huge hideous filing cabinets against the walls and the woman were recording everything on paper. I was pleasantly surprised to see the cabinets gone and flat monitors on the desks!!!!! she signed my paper then i had to go inside another room to get another signature...i nearly passed out when i saw the headmistress, i still don't know who she is, there was no name and nothing to indicate what kind of job she does but never mind, she signed my paper and i started to breathe again!

At last, i had the privilege to go and meet the man who makes the ID cards (that's how they called him anyway). He took my details and made me go through the painful process of taking my fingerprints (God i felt like a terrorist!!)...while waiting..i could hear some screaming coming from the photocopy office but this time i didn't bother to check...

I am now sooo relieved to be back in the office...and sad to see how things will never change within our administration and every generation has to witness the same ordeal.

My Moroccan pas and ID is not valid any longer and hasn't bIen for a very long time, both my kids are not registred either, why ? Because last time I was there I swear that I will never ever enter the damned barbarian mad house again. They will never change becuase their behaviour is deeply rooted in the culture and there is nothing you can do about it.

Oh lala!!! Un Mokh2ata3a des marocains en Angleterres!!!!

I still think it’s a hell of a lot better; before I exchanged words with someone there he threatened to lock me in the cellar when they used to be in Gloucester RD.
This behaviour should not push me to give up my rights. Not long ago when I had problems over name changing; I took a vow to relinquish my ID as a Moroccan but soon realized that’s where I come from and will not give that up just because of the system; my children are not registered as Moroccan either in fact they have never been to Morocco. I am still single in the Moroccan eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Generally speaking if one needs any documents to be renewed should avoid the summer madness.
During the winter I have being to London Moroccan Mokhata3a hardly anybody was there and still had to spend half a day there. It was nice being with people from my country just to remind me of what I have left behind.
You should go there when English (foreigners at home) are there trying to obtain visa. I have witnessed a couple changing their mind about going to Marrakech after a couple of hours at the Mokh2ata3a.

Allah ya 3tina shta 3la gad anfa3

Do british need visa to go to Morroco? I didn't know that

hi all, waz up Minniemouse?? finally u could cope with d situation, u c ,next time try to take with u a hidden camera then send it to 2M , anyway, the point here is that moroccan mentality is still d same wherever u go,hence the administration procedures will stay d same no matter wot we do or wot we say, i had some similar situations in different countries b4,believe me this kind of barbariane ppll will never change but it doesn t mean u give up asking and fighting for ur rights as "adds" and "Bob marely" said. Get up , stand up for ur rights... Good luck to every1 (tm)

If Moroccan need a visa to come to England isn't it obvious the British will need one to visit our country. Thats how I understand it but I could be wrong, what do I know generally speaking I am.

See, that would be the case in an ideal world...except that it's not (Go figure!). English do not need a visa to come to Morocco. nor do French, German, Spanish and pretty much all Europeans, Americans etc.

.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/2008 04:41 by chelhman.

Quote
Kutchia
My Moroccan pas and ID is not valid any longer and hasn't bIen for a very long time, both my kids are not registred either, why ? Because last time I was there I swear that I will never ever enter the damned barbarian mad house again. They will never change becuase their behaviour is deeply rooted in the culture and there is nothing you can do about it.

Hej

I ´m surprised to hear that you had Problem ´with Moroccan ambassy in Copenhaguen. cause I always has my thing done in highst one houre.
I change my passport it took 45 min or less, enough for the guy to write my name and adresse.
of course that happend for 12 or 13 years ago. I changed my ID for 2 years ago. I could see things are changed, more people, things go slowlier that before but still had my things done.

I am very sorry that you did not register your kids, cause they will need that just to fell that they
are Moroccan. plus you secure there heritage in Morocco.
sometime we have to step on our pride for the sick of our kids. is always easy to say "fu... it".

I heard there is a new ambassador in copenhaguen, very nice one and very present so you will have your thing done ... if you wish. drop your prejudice and face them with new face.."friendely one" I am hope they will meet with the same one.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2008 04:44 by aziz_dk.

I do pray for you and hope that you have a better luck there than I had in our consulat in New York. After waiting for a whole year, handreds of emails and five registered letters all unanswered of course. My wife wrote an assertive letter from Switzerland. Shortly after, I get a phone call from the person in charge of the Id's in N.Y. The usual akhouya, akhouya....The fake affection you can palpitate. Anyway he asked me to take a 2 hours flight from Indiana to New York, I get there, he takes my photograph, which I had already sent and tells me that he has to take my fingerprints.He keeps repeating "relax your hands"even after the prints were taken...erkhef yeddek a khouya....in other words he wanted me to grease his palms: Corruption. Since I did not do it and will not do it; he tells me: Franchement sans un éxtrait d'acte de naissance je ne peux rien faire pour toi. I wrote to all the autorities in Morocco and the answer is always the same. It almost as if it was rehearsed.Since I was born in 1950 and morocco did not get the Independance til 56 there is no records. My question to them is well why do you place your citizen in a catch 22. Could'nt a copy of my passeport suffise? Does not my school records and emplyment in Morocco count? They don't want to hear that and they are so arrogant and tunnel visionned that I pray for them. So there you have best and sincere wishes for dealing with our fonctionnaires. Dysfonctional bureaucrats.

Love always.

Quote
aziz_dk

Quote
Kutchia
My Moroccan pas and ID is not valid any longer and hasn't bIen for a very long time, both my kids are not registred either, why ? Because last time I was there I swear that I will never ever enter the damned barbarian mad house again. They will never change becuase their behaviour is deeply rooted in the culture and there is nothing you can do about it.

Hej

I ´m surprised to hear that you had Problem ´with Moroccan ambassy in Copenhaguen. cause I always has my thing done in highst one houre.
I change my passport it took 45 min or less, enough for the guy to write my name and adresse.
of course that happend for 12 or 13 years ago. I changed my ID for 2 years ago. I could see things are changed, more people, things go slowlier that before but still had my things done.

I am very sorry that you did not register your kids, cause they will need that just to fell that they
are Moroccan. plus you secure there heritage in Morocco.
sometime we have to step on our pride for the sick of our kids. is always easy to say "fu... it".

I heard there is a new ambassador in copenhaguen, very nice one and very present so you will have your thing done ... if you wish. drop your prejudice and face them with new face.."friendely one" I am hope they will meet with the same one.

You must be one of the lucky ones. Serval of my friends have had the same experiense as me, others not. The service level in Moroccan consulates are like lotery tickets, some win others don't.

To improve the service they provide will not depend on one person there but the entire team needs to be renewed or put on an intense training.

Its the mentality that needs changing first of all then everybody on the foreign office
why on earth do they employ some one from Morocco who never put foot a broad to provide a service in an other country !why dont they employ Moroccans that are already living in the country think of the savings & the ease of communication .... .............

I am surprised that European countries are accepting offices that are well below the threshold in the service aspect liked ours in their courtiers.
Where the British standard and customer care go once you step into that building?