To some this problem is something the government should work on, for others it's Europe's fault. There are also nationalists and patriots who basically scream at you “Why the fuck do you need a visa anyway, can't you see the poverty around you?”

Of course none of these people actually do anything about our visa problems, so at the end of the day we still find ourselves in overcrowded lines in front of embassies.

Not a long time ago I found myself in front of the Swiss embassy, since France and Austria apparently issue their visas through this embassy. I can only suppose this might be part of a bigger plan to save Europe from the recession by cutting back on embassy costs. Way to go Europe, such a role model!

I wait for around two hours in freezing weather with around 200 other Europe-aspiring people. Since I'm waiting in line with Albanians and not Japanese people, I don’t expect the crowd to be very orderly. I do however expect that embassy staff would be more professional. I was wrong. Apart from being bureaucratic and arrogant, the embassy does not fall short in corruption either. Lots of people came and went without waiting for more than 2 minutes.

Witnessing this outrageous behaviour from embassy staff, there is some sporadic shouting from the crowd. The shouting is quickly silenced by the obedience of the rest of the crowd. I think to myself this must be one of the worst feelings one can have, feeling weak, feeling inferior, feeling abandoned...thank you Europe for bringing back memories.

Finally it's my turn. After answering some random questions, I'm handed a sticker which has the date and time of my appointment on it. I check the date, it says January 27. I look at the guy behind the glass and try to explain that this is an official visit and I need to be in Paris on the 24th. From the comfort of his chair and behind the safety of the glass, he tells me "It's none of my business."

I applied on the 12th of January. That's 15 days to get an appointment and to get a response. Some of you might argue that I applied at the last minute, and maybe you are right (though that also depends on your definition of “last minute”). But you must know that when you have an official invitation from a company you rely on them to automatically send you an invitation letter, a guarantee letter and other supporting documents.

Do I blame the company for delaying the supporting documents? Absolutely not, most of the international companies based in Europe actually serve Europe, in this scenario their visa experience is zero. To most of them Kosovars' requests for visa documentation comes as a surprise.

So Paris, I was really hoping to see you, touch you, talk to you...but it will have to happen another time. No hard feelings!

The article was originally written in English.

Photo (thumbnail): Carlos Arroyo Galaxia
Photo: Hengki Koentjoro

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