Registering at the American Embassy?

How to? Read other's experiences. Find useful advice on shipping, immigration, residence permits, visas and more.
User avatar
nehia_qom
Posts: 272
Joined: Mon May 05, 2003 3:42 pm
Location: Minnesota

Post by nehia_qom » Thu Aug 14, 2003 6:52 am

I've been here 4 months and haven't registered yet. An American friend said that I should, but also that it is an optional thing. (But she is no expert) Where did you find the printable form?

Jessica



When choosing between two evils, always choose the one you haven't tried yet.
- Mae West

Image

Sponsor:

Finland Forum Ad-O-Matic
 

jwesthues
Posts: 239
Joined: Sun May 04, 2003 9:11 pm
Location: Boston

Post by jwesthues » Thu Aug 14, 2003 8:15 am

I called them when we arrived. They said just print the form out and send it in. So far, the only "benefit" of registering has been a series of periodic e-mails reminding of the worldwide terrorist threat against US citizens blah blah blah...

- Jukka

User avatar
Kemars
Posts: 1749
Joined: Thu May 22, 2003 3:06 pm
Location: Kouvola

For all US Citizens that haven't registered yet.....

Post by Kemars » Thu Aug 14, 2003 8:44 am

You can print out the registration card already..

Registration Card (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to open it and print it out)
After Printing it out, you send it to: wrote:American Embassy
attn: Consular Section
Itäinen Puistotie 14 B
FIN-00140 Helsinki
You can find all this info at: United States Consular Services and a good website to keep as a bookmark is the http://www.usembassy.fi

Also, if you have other US services that might need attention to (such as taxes and such, you can contact the consular services via email on that page (email = [email protected]


If you are having issues with opening the .pdf file, either call or send an email to the embassy requesting a registar card and they will be happy to send them out to you. :)
How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

User avatar
Hank W.
The Motorhead
Posts: 29973
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2002 10:00 pm
Location: Mushroom Mountain
Contact:

Post by Hank W. » Thu Aug 14, 2003 9:06 am

Then they will send you a $ 10 000 bill if you loiter in front of the wrong buildings :D

...the same thing with Finns living abroad. You're supposed to register, like if you get married, get a child etc. and then want a passport they might be "y'aint livin' here, need more proof". Also if you want to veote in some elections, get tax forms & file them etc.etc.

Otherwise embassies really are not interested in you, rather "stay away and don't interrupt our coctail parties (atleast the Finnish embassies)".
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

User avatar
tjawatts
Posts: 643
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2002 3:00 am
Location: Siuntio
Contact:

Post by tjawatts » Thu Aug 14, 2003 10:43 am

Otherwise embassies really are not interested in you, rather "stay away and don't interrupt our coctail parties (atleast the Finnish embassies)".
Yep, I emailed the consular service of the British embassy when I arrived, asked if they could give any advice on what I had to do to setup here in Finland or register with them. I didnt even get a reply, I find it very rude, if I could be bothered I would write a complaint to the foreign office.

Oh well!

Tony

Niall Shaky
Posts: 832
Joined: Mon May 05, 2003 3:41 pm

Post by Niall Shaky » Thu Aug 14, 2003 3:12 pm

tjawatts wrote:
Otherwise embassies really are not interested in you, rather "stay away and don't interrupt our coctail parties (atleast the Finnish embassies)".
Yep, I emailed the consular service of the British embassy when I arrived, asked if they could give any advice on what I had to do to setup here in Finland or register with them. I didnt even get a reply, I find it very rude, if I could be bothered I would write a complaint to the foreign office.

Oh well!

Tony
Mirrors my experience exactly!!! Total waste of space!

:D

Still laughing over the "don't interrupt our cocktail parties" line. Really mirrors the British Embassy attitude too!! Was the same when I lived in Copenhagen too!

And of course the British Embassy does have (I am told) a really great, subsidised bar for its staff- but you have to have connections to get in (how very old school tie...). They also have many, many cocktail parties but only The Great and The Good get invited.

Do you realise that French embassies world-wide have really cool Bastille Day parties- if you're french you just have to present you passport to get a ticket or two.

British Embassies make me mad though. No use whatsoever unless you need a new passport. :evil:

:x

@#$% 'em.

User avatar
eashton
Posts: 670
Joined: Mon May 05, 2003 3:06 pm
Location: Helsinki
Contact:

Post by eashton » Thu Aug 14, 2003 9:07 pm

jwesthues wrote:I called them when we arrived. They said just print the form out and send it in. So far, the only "benefit" of registering has been a series of periodic e-mails reminding of the worldwide terrorist threat against US citizens blah blah blah...

- Jukka
Yeah, you mean the ones where the list of email addresses were all public instead of hidden just in case the hypothetical terrorists didn't know which yankees were in Finland and where to email them?

Theoretically, the only benefit you'll get out of doing such a thing is if you die before you become a Finnish citizen it makes it easier for your family to claim your corpse or if you plan to have children here the consulate will assist in obtaining citizenship papers for the kids in the US.

Niall Shaky
Posts: 832
Joined: Mon May 05, 2003 3:41 pm

Post by Niall Shaky » Mon Aug 18, 2003 3:11 pm

After getting all angry about the Brit Embassy last week I decided to email them and ask if I should register. I emailed them before moving here to ask for advice, they didn't reply.

I guess it will be the same story now.

PeterF
Posts: 4144
Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2002 10:00 pm

Post by PeterF » Mon Aug 18, 2003 3:42 pm

Although I can feel for those who do need help form the Embassy and I do not intend to condone poor service, in my early days when I was just visiting Finland trying to do business for a UK company I found the commercial section of the British Embassy falling over them selves to help.
I even managed to get them to arrange a cocktail party in the embassy for potential customers.
Perhaps I was lucky with the commercial attache.
I am not an expert but I think embassies are basicly three departments..
Commercial..help build local trade for importers.
Consular..sort out pass port re-newing, births deaths and marraiges, and handle any accidents victims or miss-behavoiur of ex pats (e.g football fans.)
Miltary..dont know what they do in Finland.

I think if I needed help I would first find out who was the relevant attache/responsible person then phone and ask to speak to them.
i.e make an appointment.
Thats what I did to get the commercial attache to help me.

They do have a www site:
http://www.ukembassy.fi

Tom and Jerry

Post by Tom and Jerry » Mon Aug 18, 2003 4:02 pm

I too have had good experiences with embassies on the few occasions I contacted them. Sometimes for business, sometimes for visa or passports.

Sorry, cocktail parties are very boring to me . I want to eat and than you are supposed to talk. I can't combine these two.

There is also an agricultural section on most embassies by the way.

However, the embassy is supposed to help out own citizens, and in practice they do that only in case of an emergency (football-fans, sailors ?).

This site contains hundreds of pages with information on how to get this permit and how to fill in that paper. It is all collected by volunteers, for free! I wonder, isn't that a task for the embassy personal to do that and to inform their own people in their own language about Kela, maistraatti, vakuutukset etc. After all, it is a service to their own citizens.

In stead, I think that most embassies donot have this high on their priority list.

User avatar
tjawatts
Posts: 643
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2002 3:00 am
Location: Siuntio
Contact:

Post by tjawatts » Mon Aug 18, 2003 8:20 pm

Well of course they are interested in facilitating trade or processing passports, visas etc. But I agree with Tom, they should also help citizens setting up in the country. I dont want much just a simple "Welcome to Finland, cant help you much, but if you have any problems please come and visit us", if they are not going to reply to their emails why have them on the website.

Tony

PeterF
Posts: 4144
Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2002 10:00 pm

Post by PeterF » Tue Aug 19, 2003 8:07 am

tjawatts wrote:"Welcome to Finland, cant help you much, but if you have any problems please come and visit us",
Tony
Sorry even though it would be nice it is just not a function of a Foreign Office/Embassy to act as a welcoming committe or citizens advice beaureau. I am not satying that it could not be a function but...Most of the staff are on two year tours and dont know enough about the local situation/problems/solutions.
I suspect that if they knew about . they would direct all enquirers here.

User avatar
Hank W.
The Motorhead
Posts: 29973
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2002 10:00 pm
Location: Mushroom Mountain
Contact:

Post by Hank W. » Tue Aug 19, 2003 9:59 am

Most of the staff is permanent & Finnish, i.e. the reception clerks etc. the diplomats themselves change. Depending on the embassy though.

The Finnish foreign office has made a little leafelet to Finns travelling abroad. The base line is: "don't get into trouble, we won't help you".
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.


Post Reply