Fingers Crossed, Hope For The Best...

In June I sent my registration forms to the Italian Consulate in Manchester in order to declare that I now live in the UK (which I have delayed by about 7 years). After speaking to Consulate staff, I was told that my application has been sent to the commune in Italy where I am registered, they will request the files from Johannesburg and then send them on to Manchester.

Which is all fine, but my passport runs out in December.

SO... I phoned the Consulate again. May I renew my passport while I wait for the registration? Of course I can. I must send them: a) a photocopy of the first 6 pages of my passport and b) the passport renewal form. Then, they will send a request to Johannesburg to find out if they may be allowed to do this for me, then they will get in touch with me.

Clock is ticking, passport runs out in 4 months. I have now packaged forms and will be sending them first class post today.

In the meantime, my sister failed to get my divorce papers and apostille, which caused no end of drama while I was in SA (read about that HERE), to the Consulate in Johannesburg. She is now getting these papers to me via my cousin who is visiting the UK at the end of August. This is a month after I had requested that she send them to me by registered post.

I am chanting that everything goes smoothly and that I can get this passport shit sorted out quickly with the least amount of hassle. But it's still a worry, which is added to several worries at the minute.

I am not sure if I would be allowed to stay in the UK if my passport expires. If not, then I may just have to marry Kate. (I say marry, but really it'd be civilly partnered to her) But then I don't think I can leave the country for 3 years. And that's a problem because of the state of my dad's health.

So really, I am chanting that the Italians are going to be in a good mood when they process my application.