The visa application continues to slowly progress. One thing I hadn't anticipated was quite how expensive a process it would be - the application fee itself is 237 euros, but then there's £250 for a medical certificate saying that I don't have tuberculosis or HepC, and then another hundred quid or so for a certificate showing that I don't have a criminal records, and then the same again to get it "legalised", which is a bit like notarised but can only be done by the foreign office... Plus I have to put EUR12,000 into a 'blocked account', to show that I have the means to support myself, which means losing out on a not entirely insignificant amount of interest over the year.... None of this is unaffordable, but I'm glad that my budget has a bit of leeway!
I'm also slightly concerned that it's going to complicated my trip to France in a few weeks if the Belgian embassy have my passport. I get the impression that it's possible to get it back and they'll continue processing the application with just copies, and then I'll just have to return it to them to get it stamped when the visa gets approved, but I suspect it's going to add an extra layer of faff...
In other news, my sister, niece, and I all went up to Yorkshire to visit my parents this weekend which was lovely and relaxing. Iona was delightfully cheerful and charming, and I continue to thoroughly enjoy being an uncle. There was a period in the last few months where it felt like she was starting to get a bit suspicious of me, because quite often when I saw her it was to babysit, and I think she might have started to associate me with Mummy going away, so it was good to spend some more extended time with all of us together.
I've also been doing quite a bit of music practice. I'm going on my biannual group holiday to France in a few weeks, and I've arranged to play some recorder duets with![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
emperor and I'm also playing the piano accompaniment for few songs for a singthrough we're doing of Threepenny Opera, and as is my wont, I may have slightly overcommitted based on my actual ability. But I'm sure it'll be fine if I knuckle down.
I'm also slightly concerned that it's going to complicated my trip to France in a few weeks if the Belgian embassy have my passport. I get the impression that it's possible to get it back and they'll continue processing the application with just copies, and then I'll just have to return it to them to get it stamped when the visa gets approved, but I suspect it's going to add an extra layer of faff...
In other news, my sister, niece, and I all went up to Yorkshire to visit my parents this weekend which was lovely and relaxing. Iona was delightfully cheerful and charming, and I continue to thoroughly enjoy being an uncle. There was a period in the last few months where it felt like she was starting to get a bit suspicious of me, because quite often when I saw her it was to babysit, and I think she might have started to associate me with Mummy going away, so it was good to spend some more extended time with all of us together.
I've also been doing quite a bit of music practice. I'm going on my biannual group holiday to France in a few weeks, and I've arranged to play some recorder duets with
emperor and I'm also playing the piano accompaniment for few songs for a singthrough we're doing of Threepenny Opera, and as is my wont, I may have slightly overcommitted based on my actual ability. But I'm sure it'll be fine if I knuckle down.
no subject
Date: 2024-05-14 10:39 pm (UTC)From:Did you have to get tests to prove current immunity/lack of TB infection or would decades-old proof of vaccination be enough?
Good luck with wrangling all the paperwork (and expense) and hope you enjoy your holiday
no subject
Date: 2024-05-14 11:35 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-05-15 03:03 am (UTC)From:(I'm having sudden flashbacks to all the tests and certificates I've had to produce during these processes - a police certificate from the UK and another from the Netherlands, and then an approved English translation of the Dutch police certificate for NZ, even though the Dutch certificate also had the key information in English too... I think the weirdest one was having to have my birth certificate apostilled, but I don't remember who wanted that now - possibly NL?)
no subject
Date: 2024-05-15 10:10 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-05-16 06:30 am (UTC)From:Hurray for happy Uncling.