Monday, April 6, 2009

Japanese driver's license

So, I though I can get my driver's license today. How fool I was.
I had all the papers they asked me for - my Czech license with its certified translation into japanese, present and old passport, foreigner's registration card... just all they asked for.
Well, well, well... in here, nothing can get so easy.
My old passport was issued in 1994 and my driver's license in 1992. So I was asked to prove that I've stayed in the Czech Republic at least 3 months from the date of issuing the driver's license.
Well, in that time there was the Czechoslovak Federation Republic and this country does not exist any more. Czech and Slovak split and when I've switched my passport to the Czech Republic's one, I had to gave tho old one back, that's the law (upon the Czech law, I have to return any old passport but I want to keep my old Czech one as a memories of my first trip to Japan; so don't tell anyone because this is a crime :-) )
That argument did not count. Not even when as asked how shall I obtain the license without even being in the country. The officer just told me that there are many ways how to get the documents illegally. So, that means that I am the criminal and I've obtained my documents illegally until I prove that it is not true.
Well, well, well... Japan is a bureaucracy's heaven, no doubt any more.
Now I have to make up some so called original document that will prove that I've stayed in Czech in 1992, which actually be a crime, to satisfy they desire for papers and stamps.
I hope, I really do, they all die under the pile of nonsense papers very, very soon.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dear Radek, they asked me too, even I have a diplomatic status. I had to pass them my old passports, which I luckily have, and they counted that I really stayed in Czech more than three months. They are really awful.