URGENT!!!! VO Vienna - How to have the passport returned!!

[Kearnixer]

Hi guys,

Really getting nervous here. Got the request to send the passport to Vienna office (I live in Switzerland). I want to go for the private courier option (DHL). To send is no problem but how can I have it returned by DHL? Talked to DHL and they say that there is nothing such as a pre-paid return envelope or coupon!! They say the only option I have is to instruct the VO in Vienna to tell me when the passport is ready so I can arrange a pick-up via the customer service of DHL (to be paid y me). Would that actually work???! I have the feeling the VO is super bureaucratic and I have no idea if they really would be so kind to contact me when it's ready so I can arrange for the pick-up. Has anyone experience with VO Vienna? How did you do it??

Thanks!!!!

 

[Kearnixer]

Anyone?

 

[21Goose]

How about FedEx? Have you tried asking them? I know FedEx operates in Switzerland, but have no idea what services they provide.

http://www.fedex.com/ch/shipping-services/index.html

Worth a try. I used FedEx in the US and it worked fine.

 

[Kearnixer]

How about FedEx? Have you tried asking them? I know FedEx operates in Switzerland, but have no idea what services they provide.

http://www.fedex.com/ch/shipping-services/index.html

Worth a try. I used FedEx in the US and it worked fine.

Thanks a lot!
The problem is the pre paid envelop for the VO to send my passport back ... I'm in Switzerland, the VO is in Vienna and the pre paid seems to work only nationally. I'm getting crazy!

 

[21Goose]

Thanks a lot!
The problem is the pre paid envelop for the VO to send my passport back ... I'm in Switzerland, the VO is in Vienna and the pre paid seems to work only nationally. I'm getting crazy!

I used a FedEx prepaid envelope to get my passport from Canada to the US. It was an International Priority package. I don't know what your local rules are, but ask them and see. There's got to be a way.

 

[Kearnixer]

I used a FedEx prepaid envelope to get my passport from Canada to the US. It was an International Priority package. I don't know what your local rules are, but ask them and see. There's got to be a way.

I contacted FedEx once more and after several hours trying to make something work I could get a "pre paid return label".
Although, I would still need to know from the VO when the passport is ready in order to organize the pick up. I wrote a letter explaining and I asked them to let me know when it is ready. I really hope they can write me informing a date or so.

Thanks a lot for your help

 

[21Goose]

I contacted FedEx once more and after several hours trying to make something work I could get a "pre paid return label".
Although, I would still need to know from the VO when the passport is ready in order to organize the pick up. I wrote a letter explaining and I asked them to let me know when it is ready. I really hope they can write me informing a date or so.

Thanks a lot for your help

Sounds like what FedEx told me. I don't think you need to organize a pick up - you can send them the prepaid label. Here's what I did

1. Got a prepaid return label
2. Got a blank Fedex envelope (the large one, for documents, big enough to take 2 passports)
3. I pasted the return label on the envelope - made sure it wasn't sealed
4. Put the envelope, my passports, photos in a FedEx plastic envelope, big enough for everything, and mailed that.

All CIC had to do was put my passports in the open envelope, seal it, and mail it. You should be able to do the same thing.

 

[Kearnixer]

Sounds like what FedEx told me. I don't think you need to organize a pick up - you can send them the prepaid label. Here's what I did

1. Got a prepaid return label
2. Got a blank Fedex envelope (the large one, for documents, big enough to take 2 passports)
3. I pasted the return label on the envelope - made sure it wasn't sealed
4. Put the envelope, my passports, photos in a FedEx plastic envelope, big enough for everything, and mailed that.

All CIC had to do was put my passports in the open envelope, seal it, and mail it. You should be able to do the same thing.

Thanks a lot for your guidance, that's much appreciated and I think will help other people who will face the same problem. I now already couriered my passport to the VO including the return labels without giving an actual envelope. Including an envelope would have indeed been a sweet thing but the customer service of FedEx told me that the courier guy picking it up from the embassy will have an envelope with him.

Let's pray everything comes back safe and sound!

 

[nikolije]

Hi Kearnixer,

How did the your passport return worked out with FedEx? How fast you got your passport back from Vienna?

I am facing a very similar problem. I live in the Netherlands and trying to figure out how to instruct VO officer in Vienna to return my passport. Needs to be asap, so with a courier. I'm trying to figure out what is the fastest way and it's URGENT.

Thanks for your response.

 

[makdt]

Hi Kearnixer,
Can you please let me know how it worked out for you and the time it took to complete your process?
I have the same situation now and I need to send them my passports and was also looking into the whole return envelope.

 

[Maple leaf 2018]

I was also asked to submit the passports to Vienna, as I'm currently living in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, I had several fruitless discussions with DHL and UPS on the matter, and the staff was constantly confused by the need to arrange a return shipment for an individual, not a legal entity. DHL proposed an option of calling their customer support so that one of the operators could arrange the return shipment on-line (meaning that I was asked to spell the address of the consulate and my home address, and the operator was supposed to fill in a shipment form on his/her side - I'm not sure why this option is not available via a personal cabinet on their web-site). However, even in this case DHL was quite surprised that I couldn't specify the date of the return shipment pick-up in Austria and started proposing options which sounded quite confusing. In the end, I decided it was easier for me to go to Dusseldorf by train to submit the passports via the Canadian visa agency in Germany. Yes, it was not the most cost-efficient option, but at least I was cool, calm and collected when the visa center arranged the delivery of passports back to the Netherlands for me

 

[makdt]

ok Thanks for the info. That is an option for me but also an expensive option, even if I don't travel to Duesseldorf and just courier it to them.
I sent an email the Canadian Embassy immigration department asking if a prepaid return envelope enclosed was enough without having to arrange a pick up specially or the courier company emailing them etc Not that I expect an answer....

 

[mohoozee]

Dear all,

I'm also in the same boat. Please how did you work around the return mail issue for your passport or COPR as per Vienna Visa Office? Thanks.

 

[makdt]

Dear all,

I'm also in the same boat. Please how did you work around the return mail issue for your passport or COPR as per Vienna Visa Office? Thanks.

I went with the VFS Düsseldorf option. More expensive though. I sent and got back 3 of our passports in 3 weeks and one day. I sent a registered post(called einschreiben here in Germany) to VFS with all that they require, on a Thursday. They received it Friday. On Monday I called them for the tracking info as I received nothing by email from them. They told me to email them. Sent an email with payment proof and got reply within a couple of hours with tracking info. Then just waited and watched. 3 weeks later the tracking info updated. The day after I saw tracking info update I saw an express entry profile update email.
Hope this helps.

 

[mohoozee]

Hi @makdt,

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I live in Switzerland and the Düsseldorf office doesn't deliver to Switzerland. What do you think about getting a registered self-addressed envelope from Austria (I'm quite close to Innsbruck) and attach it to my passport and send everything by registered mail (via Swiss post) to the Vienna VO?

Thanks once again.