Hey everyone,
So we are currently on our first trip out of Bahrain. We are in Saudi! Haha ok no this is not a holiday. We are here renewing my multi entry visa and getting B's residency so we can then get her Bahraini residency. All these processes here in the Middle East kill me. Just when you think you know the process, you don't. Why? Because I am not sure they even fully know the processes lol. Every time I go to the ministries they seem to change the paperwork they want. Oh well, that is the price us expats have to pay to live here I guess. Still annoying.
We got B's passport last week and then Indiana's company started working on getting her a Saudi visa. We got the visa on Monday morning. We went home packed up our whole house and headed towards the causeway, Saudi bound.
Side note: Once you have a child you literally have to pack your entire house!!!!! Big cars like Indiana's Pajero are very necessary.
So we get to the border and are busy going through Bahraini customs when they tell us no B can't exit Bahrain because she isn't in the system and we must first go to immigration's head office and open her a file. Seriously? So we go there and try to do it but of course we get turned away and told to come back in the morning when the one man who opens files is there. I wanted to call their bullshit but I also know that will get me nowhere. Here we have found that if you play stupid, helpless expat you get stuff done a lot faster. So we went back in the morning and luckily got it all done and headed to Saudi and actually made it that time. Currently we are staying on a compound Indiana's company rents houses in. It is really nice actually. There is a pool, bistro and a grocery store. That is what I have found so far. B and I went for a nice walk today. The weather here is actually amazing right now.
We got B's medical last night which usually takes three days to process but we might be able to get it tonight. If we do, they told us they can get her residency sorted out by tomorrow afternoon and we can go home before the weekend. If not, we will be here for the weekend. I don't really mind seeing as I enjoy exploring. Luckily our villa has everything we need if we do have to stay over the weekend.
So let's see!!! One of these days I will try and map out all these residency processes and lay it out on here for people to be able to read and prepare themselves. In the end though, it comes down to the person you see on the day and his/her current mood.
Cheers for now!
xoxo
So we are currently on our first trip out of Bahrain. We are in Saudi! Haha ok no this is not a holiday. We are here renewing my multi entry visa and getting B's residency so we can then get her Bahraini residency. All these processes here in the Middle East kill me. Just when you think you know the process, you don't. Why? Because I am not sure they even fully know the processes lol. Every time I go to the ministries they seem to change the paperwork they want. Oh well, that is the price us expats have to pay to live here I guess. Still annoying.
We got B's passport last week and then Indiana's company started working on getting her a Saudi visa. We got the visa on Monday morning. We went home packed up our whole house and headed towards the causeway, Saudi bound.
Side note: Once you have a child you literally have to pack your entire house!!!!! Big cars like Indiana's Pajero are very necessary.
So we get to the border and are busy going through Bahraini customs when they tell us no B can't exit Bahrain because she isn't in the system and we must first go to immigration's head office and open her a file. Seriously? So we go there and try to do it but of course we get turned away and told to come back in the morning when the one man who opens files is there. I wanted to call their bullshit but I also know that will get me nowhere. Here we have found that if you play stupid, helpless expat you get stuff done a lot faster. So we went back in the morning and luckily got it all done and headed to Saudi and actually made it that time. Currently we are staying on a compound Indiana's company rents houses in. It is really nice actually. There is a pool, bistro and a grocery store. That is what I have found so far. B and I went for a nice walk today. The weather here is actually amazing right now.
We got B's medical last night which usually takes three days to process but we might be able to get it tonight. If we do, they told us they can get her residency sorted out by tomorrow afternoon and we can go home before the weekend. If not, we will be here for the weekend. I don't really mind seeing as I enjoy exploring. Luckily our villa has everything we need if we do have to stay over the weekend.
So let's see!!! One of these days I will try and map out all these residency processes and lay it out on here for people to be able to read and prepare themselves. In the end though, it comes down to the person you see on the day and his/her current mood.
Cheers for now!
xoxo
