One of the reasons that I live where I do or…

Where else but in Switzerland is the bureaucracy sometimes really on the ball.

This is probably a record that can’t be beaten: last night, and yes it was a Sunday night on top of it, I decided to tackle some of those administrative tasks that have been let go a bit too long, including organizing an appointment to renew my Swiss passport.

A side remark: can you believe it – I became Swiss 10 years ago and need to renew my passport? The years have flown and most were very good to me.

So I filled in the forms with all the pertinent data including my parent’s names and received a reply (computer generated of course) saying that I would hear from them when my files had been checked to program an appointment. The confirmation e-mail is logged in on April 9^th at 18:17.

If I hadn’t seen it myself, I never would have believed it, but I got an e-mail this morning

April 10 at 10:31 with the link needed to go online and reserve a date.

I will do this as soon as I get back from my trip to California (ah the blessings of having someone living in the house for cats and security) May 11^th.

And to think that I had been worried that my passport would run out on May 24^th without my being able to plan its’ renewal.

When they say that Switzerland works like their clocks and watches, you can believe it!

Screen shot from the Swiss Confederation's site for passports