Embassy Errand

Our entire family got new passports just before moving to Singapore. While traveling to Bintan, Brian and I both realized we only had a couple visa pages left in ours so it was time to visit the US Embassy to request more. Since each visit to China, Vietnam and Indonesia eats up an entire page, it doesn't take long to fill up the book. Some countries require at least 3 blank consecutive pages in order to visit and no traveler wants that unpleasant surprise.

Rather than obtaining a new passport, the embassy will simply insert extra pages into a current passport. Until last year, they offered this service free of charge. If only we had added pages before that policy ended. The State Department must have seen an opportunity to increase its revenue because the fees went from $0 to $82 USD last year. Adding pages is now nearly as expensive as getting a whole new passport but much easier since the turnaround time is only 1 business day here.

When Brian returned from Malaysia last week, I got all the details on how to add pages to our passports. I had visited the embassy once before but that was just for a tour of the building so this was my first time to conduct business there. Essentially it felt like I was visiting a post office inside a prison.

When I arrived at the outdoor gate, the first guard inquired about the purpose of my visit. There were two groups of people waiting to get through the gate and he directed me to the short line. It turns out you get VIP treatment as a US taxpayer at the embassy. Once inside the guard house, I had to switch off my cell phone and go through a metal detector. The guards kept my phone and explained I could claim it after I exited the building.

While my business was simple enough, once inside the American Citizens Office, I waited behind two people who obviously had much more complicated issues because there was quite a bit of negotiating and "what if I don't have that paperwork here in Singapore?" types of questions. Naturally only 2 counters were open. I was amused to observe a man trying his best to remember details required on a form without being able to use his phone.

When it was my turn, I handed over the passports and paperwork, praying everything was in order. The woman on the other side of the glass explained they would add 2 sets of pages for the price of 1 set. (What a deal!) But I would have to wait an extra day to retrieve the passports because the embassy would be closed for Memorial Day. I had completely forgotten about the holiday weekend until I entered a US government building.

I returned this afternoon during the designated 30-minute time period to pick up our passports. It's great that they added an extra set, except that our hefty passports are now 3 times the size of a normal one. They won't even stay closed.

I'm happy to check off that item on my to-do list because the US Embassy is such a cold fortress. Other than the guards outside the complex, all the employees were positioned behind glass and the imposing grey granite facade isn't exactly inviting. But every now and then it's helpful to have that building nearby.