Stampa Stampa Paga Paga

Fran already wrote about Stampa Stampa in these pages. So now I have to add Pagga Pagga. This was a time of year that Fran dreaded. It is time to renew the Permesso de Soggourno. It is the resident alien permit that Italy requires, much as folks in the US who are not citizens must register every year at the Post Office.

We used to have to go to the Questura's office, and were always missing documents, had the wrong stamps, or something. Usually it was three trips before we got it right. Last time, Fran used me as a stalking horse, and once I had it right, she came along and breezed through.

Well, things have changed. It is no longer the Questura's office. It is the Post Office. I went and picked up a packet of information. The process has changed to 'reduce the amount of paperwork involved', as well as to make it less expensive for resident aliens to renew their permesso. It used to be that the Questura would fill out one piece of paper, attach a 24.50 Euro Franco Bollo (tax stamp) and send the packet on to Rome, along with a copy of the picture part of our passport, our insurance card, two passport photos, and a statement about why we were in Italy.

Now, I had to fill out a twelve page form, in order to reduce the amount of paperwork. At least the Franco Bollo had been reduced to 14.65 Euros. When I had filled out the paperwork, I took it back to the post office. I asked him the man at the correct window what my next step was, and he looked at me and said 'Bo', which means 'who knows'. He got a supervisor, who handed him his notebook with the instructions. He looked through everything. He said he was sorry, he could not process it because I needed the Franco Bollo, which I could only get at cigarette shops (go figure). I gave it to him. He was surprised I had already gotten it. Then he said he needed a copy of the complete passport. I asked him to look at the 13 page copy in his hand, within the twelve page application. He was amazed that I had followed the directions. Then he said he was sorry, but the instructions forgot to mention that I needed two passport photos, as well as my original permisso, which he would copy, so would I please go get those. I had them, and handed them to him. Flabbergasted does not begin to explain how he felt.

So, instead of one page of application, there were twelve. Instead of one page of passport, there were thirteen. The permisso was the same as at the Questura's office. So were the passport photos. At least it would be cheaper.

But wait. Let me see, the price of the Franco Bollo dropped from 24.50 to 14.65. Indeed, that is a nice savings. But then there was the 27.50 administrative fee for the post office, plus the one euro handling fee for the post office, that they need in order to accept the 27.50. Oh yes, and then I had to pay special postage for the package to go from Sciacca to Rome. Another 30 Euro, which is partly for the post office for delivering it, and partly for the Department of Treasury for accepting the packet.

So the paperwork went from to pages to twenty five pages, in order to reduce paperwork. And the cost, to save me money, went from 24.50 to 72.15. I think I should be glad it was not free. Now I just have to wait and see if they accept the application in Rome. Oy.