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25.11.2020, 18:56
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| | Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter
Hello,
I am from 3rd World country and Currently I am living in Zurich and studying at UZH. I had my passport from my country. But now its expired already in March 2020. Since march 2020, I have been waiting for my new passport but still my countries passport office didn't delivery my passport. The officers of passport office told me, they will not issue my passport for some reason (I dont want to disclose those reason here).
Now I have valid B permit for study in Switzerland. But I dont have valid passport. Now, I want to travel Germany/France for visiting my friends. But I couldnt. Because if police of Germany/France caught me without passport, then maybe police will impose immigration law to me. So, now I am afraid.
In this case, what should I do now here? Should I submit a asylums application?
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25.11.2020, 18:58
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Switzerland
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter
On what grounds? That your embassy won't issue you a new passport for whatever reason? No grounds for an asylum claim there.
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25.11.2020, 18:58
|  | Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Zurich
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter
I've never tried this but I've been told that for local travel to Germany / France etc, a Swiss residence permit is sufficient i.e. no passport needed. But possibly the rule is different for a non-EU/EFTA citizen. Someone will know.
Just to add: on the wider point about your country not renewing your passport it may be difficult for people to assist if you give no further information at all, though i appreciate there may be genuine reasons for not saying more.
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25.11.2020, 19:07
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| | | Quote: | |  | | | On what grounds? That your embassy won't issue you a new passport for whatever reason? No grounds for an asylum claim there. | | | | | Embassy clearly told me, they will not issue me a new passport right now however if they will issue a new passport then it will take very long time (Maybe 2/3 years at-least). Very long bureaucratic verification needed. My current passport terminated from their system. | Quote: | |  | | | I've never tried this but I've been told that for local travel to Germany / France etc, a Swiss residence permit is sufficient i.e. no passport needed. But possibly the rule is different for a non-EU/EFTA citizen. Someone will know.
Just to add: on the wider point about your country not renewing your passport it may be difficult for people to assist if you give no further information at all, though i appreciate there may be genuine reasons for not saying more. | | | | | The main reason is, my home country issued another passport under my personal number. And there is no link between my current passport and their issued new passport. I don't know how they did this. They terminated my current passport, when they issued another new passport. Even I dont know, to whom they delivered my new passport. Since my current passport terminated, thus passport authority doesn't want to issue a new passport to me.
Another thing is, I have some conflict with local political leaders. I think they did this by using corrupted passport officers power.
Last edited by 3Wishes; 25.11.2020 at 21:15.
Reason: merging consecutive replies
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25.11.2020, 19:22
|  | Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Suhr, Aargau
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | Hello,
I am from 3rd World country and Currently I am living in Zurich and studying at UZH. I had my passport from my country. But now its expired already in March 2020. Since march 2020, I have been waiting for my new passport but still my countries passport office didn't delivery my passport. The officers of passport office told me, they will not issue my passport for some reason (I dont want to disclose those reason here).
Now I have valid B permit for study in Switzerland. But I dont have valid passport. Now, I want to travel Germany/France for visiting my friends. But I couldnt. Because if police of Germany/France caught me without passport, then maybe police will impose immigration law to me. So, now I am afraid. | | | | | Hi,
In theory, to get a residence permit you need a passport that has a validity longer than the residence permit you're asking. For example, if you ask today a residence permit valid for 1 year (Nov 2021) you need a passport valid until Feb 2022.
Are you sure the B permit is still valid? If so, this is a special case where cantonal authorities granted a permit beyond the passport validity and our general knowledge may not apply.
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25.11.2020, 19:29
| Newbie | | Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: Zurich
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | Hi,
In theory, to get a residence permit you need a passport that has a validity longer than the residence permit you're asking. For example, if you ask today a residence permit valid for 1 year (Nov 2021) you need a passport valid until Feb 2022.
Are you sure the B permit is still valid? If so, this is a special case where cantonal authorities granted a permit beyond the passport validity and our general knowledge may not apply. | | | | |
Yes, I am sure. This year I renewed my permit without my valid passport. Simply I told them I submitted my passport renewal application but still I am waiting for my new passport.
My current B permit valid until September 2021.
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25.11.2020, 19:36
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Switzerland
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | The main reason is, my home country issued another passport under my personal number. And there is no link between my current passport and their issued new passport. I don't know how they did this. They terminated my current passport, when they issued another new passport. Even I dont know, to whom they delivered my new passport. Since my current passport terminated, thus passport authority doesn't want to issue a new passport to me.
Another thing is, I have some conflict with local political leaders. I think they did this by using corrupted passport officers power. | | | | | A mix up with issuing you a new passport isn't grounds for an asylum claim. If you can prove your life would be in danger if you return back to your home country then you might be able to claim asylum. However, if it is successful it wouldn't give you any documents to allow you to travel anywhere. Your B permit would be replaced with either an F or N and it's unlikely you'd be able to work. https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home...t_eu_efta.html
See this for more info on applying for asylum. https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home...verfahren.html | The following 2 users would like to thank Medea Fleecestealer for this useful post: | | 
25.11.2020, 19:37
|  | Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Thurgau (& London, UK)
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | The main reason is, my home country issued another passport under my personal number. And there is no link between my current passport and their issued new passport. I don't know how they did this. They terminated my current passport, when they issued another new passport. Even I dont know, to whom they delivered my new passport. Since my current passport terminated, thus passport authority doesn't want to issue a new passport to me. | | | | |
May I ask if you still physically have the terminated 'current' passport?
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25.11.2020, 19:37
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Zurich area
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | I've never tried this but I've been told that for local travel to Germany / France etc, a Swiss residence permit is sufficient i.e. no passport needed. | | | | | That is incorrect. While the Swiss residence permit will allows you to cross the border (so no immigration violation) you can still get a fine for not having the correct and mandatory travel document when you cross the border and also for not being able to produces said document upon request.
§§ 13, 47a, and 98 German AufenthG https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/a...004/index.html
If a foreign person is provable unable to get a passport from their home country they might get a special ID papers/Passport from the Swiss government. This ID/passport might or might not be suitable for travel abroad. Until then all travel plans abroad should be postponed. https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/de/home...dokumente.html https://www.zh.ch/content/dam/zhweb/...sonen%20IW.pdf
__________________
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25.11.2020, 19:47
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | May I ask if you still physically have the terminated 'current' passport? | | | | |
Yes, my current passport is with me. Its expired and terminated.
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25.11.2020, 19:47
|  | Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Suhr, Aargau
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | Yes, I am sure. This year I renewed my permit without my valid passport. Simply I told them I submitted my passport renewal application but still I am waiting for my new passport.
My current B permit valid until September 2021. | | | | | That's unexpected, but count it as a success that you have a residence permit for CH until Sep 2021.
Then the worst case is staying within Switzerland or try to get a Swiss travel document for foreigners (didn't know such thing existed) as presented by aswissintheus. Unfortunately, the French are on alert for terrorist attacks, meaning passport checks at unexpected places.
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25.11.2020, 19:56
| Forum Legend | | Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Nyon
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter
Be careful what you ask for. Being a refugee is not easy in this country.
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25.11.2020, 20:09
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Wallis
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter
Suggest you go to your embassy and ask them for help to start with!
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25.11.2020, 20:10
| Forum Legend | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: CH
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | Embassy clearly told me, they will not issue me a new passport right now however if they will issue a new passport then it will take very long time (Maybe 2/3 years at-least). Very long bureaucratic verification needed. My current passport terminated from their system. | | | | | They (the embassy) might issue you some sort of identification certificate maybe? Did you ask?
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25.11.2020, 20:12
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | Be careful what you ask for. Being a refugee is not easy in this country. | | | | |
I dont have any intention to be a refugee. I have very good academic records and I am self-employed person. I need to visit France/Germany for my own business purposes. Its very urgent for me.
Since I dont have valid passport, then what should I do now? Please give me some suggestion.
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25.11.2020, 20:25
| Member | | Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: CH
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | Since I dont have valid passport, then what should I do now? Please give me some suggestion. | | | | | Does your home country have an embassy in Switzerland? I once required an emergency passport and it was my country's Ambassador to Switzerland in Bern who made it happen.
If your story is genuine, your nation's Ambassador might be of some assistance in dealing with your home country's passport office.
As far as I understand, international travel is out for the time being as a residence permit is neither an official piece of identification nor an official travel document: it is only valid for travel when presented alongside your passport.
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25.11.2020, 20:28
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Switzerland
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | I dont have any intention to be a refugee. I have very good academic records and I am self-employed person. I need to visit France/Germany for my own business purposes. Its very urgent for me.
Since I dont have valid passport, then what should I do now? Please give me some suggestion. | | | | | If you apply for asylum that's exactly what you will be - a refugee. As such you will be unable to travel anywhere outside of Switzerland since your F/N permit wouldn't allow it. Nor am I sure you'd be able to continue working; the Swiss authorities would have to give you permission to work as asylum seekers don't have the right to work here. All employment has to be authorised by the Swiss authorities first.
And make sure you get your story straight if you do apply. Because atm you're telling different ones here. First you say you're a student who wants to visit friends, now you claim you're self-employed and need to travel on business urgently. Sorry, but the two don't go together. Non-EU students are only allowed to work for Swiss employers for a max of 15 hours a week during term time, not run their own business.
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25.11.2020, 20:39
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | |
First you say you're a student who wants to visit friends, now you claim you're self-employed and need to travel on business urgently. Sorry, but the two don't go together. | | | | |
Sorry for misunderstanding. FYI, I am working on Upwork dot com and I have an Freelance agency account there. As a freelance worker, I am thinking myself as a Self-employed. My friend is dealing with 2 clients in Germany and France. At first I will visit him, then we will visit our clients office together.
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25.11.2020, 20:43
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Wallis
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter
What is your home country?
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25.11.2020, 20:50
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Switzerland
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| | Re: Home country withhold my passport :: 3rd world country matter | Quote: | |  | | | Sorry for misunderstanding. FYI, I am working on Upwork dot com and I have an Freelance agency account there. As a freelance worker, I am thinking myself as a Self-employed. My friend is dealing with 2 clients in Germany and France. At first I will visit him, then we will visit our clients office together. | | | | | And I suspect you are in breach of your student permit since it doesn't allow you to be self-employed. You can only work for Swiss employers and only with permission.
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