Carte de Séjour (CdS)

The process of getting a long-term visa in this country is easy for some, but not for Canadians.  In fact, it's a long expensive exercise where frustration abounds.  This process has a name:  Carte de Sejour (CdS).

Because we only received a three-month visa when we first arrived and the CdS process requires about 15 different documents which can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to get, I started collecting the paperwork basically upon our arrival.

If I took the time to explain the entire process this post would be long and you would be bored.  So let me highlight a few of our better moments.

A teammate of ours has kindly created a CdS file that we can all share. It clearly explains the documents required and how to get them.  The list has 17 items on it, in a lovely order of how and where to get each piece of paper. However there are tips and tricks along the way that can make things go smoother.  Like knowing that a blue pen makes all the difference when filling out a form. Or knowing the name of my neighbourhood in Mango. 

A few weeks ago, I traveled with my friend to a city an hour north of us to apply for one of the required forms.  In order to apply for this form, you need about 5 other forms filled out.  I had those five.  Of course, as I'm sitting there with my heaps of paper (I brought every form I could think of), the official behind the desk asked me for a form that is NOT on the required list of five. It was actually much further down on the list of 17 mentioned above.  I frantically texted a friend who is a CdS expert, telling him what was happening.  His response: "They have NEVER asked for that before at that government office."  Of course they hadn't.  I was the first.  Fortunately, I brought the form with me but hadn't filled it out yet.  I quickly filled it out while sitting in front of the official and when I handed it to him, he admitted it was the right form but it hadn't been signed nor had it been stamped. 

Before we get any further, you need to understand that a stamp (not a postage stamp but a rubber stamp with a stamp pad) is a really official thing here.  Last week, I went into our mayor's office with a form and I watched as the mayor's secretary stamped my document with seven separate rubber stamps.  That and one postage style stamp.  Stamps are important.   Back to the story.

My friend offered to sign the document on my behalf (even though she really had no authority to do so) and again, the official thought that was a-okay...but we were still missing the official stamp.  He told us to come back with it stamped when the office reopened after siesta.

We left the office a little discouraged because we hadn't completed my paperwork (remember, it's a one hour drive to this city).  Then we stopped into place to buy pots for plants. As we were paying for our pots, I asked a man standing there if he knew anyone who could make a rubber stamp.  He said he had a friend who could do it. He couldn't explain where his friend was located, so he hopped into the car with us and took us directly to his buddy, André, master of stamps.

Chez André - Maitre des Tampons:  Master of Stamps

This is his store in the photo above.  It's literally a roadside shack.  We met André, I quickly drew a design and then asked him how long it would take to make it.  He said one hour.  André's One Hour Stamp Service.  I was delighted.

We popped back into town (after giving our friend in the backseat a ride to market), grabbed some lunch and then called André to see if he could meet us at the roundabout in town with the stamp.  Before meeting him we stopped at a tiny boutique to buy a stamp pad.  (red or blue?  blue.)  André was waiting for us at the roundabout, showed us a very official looking stamp and as we drove back to the government office, I stamped the documents.  As we sat in front of the officials desk a few minutes later with our newly stamped documents,  I looked on in amazement as he looked at the documents, nodded and signed the paperwork.  Done and done.

Here we are with our paperwork ready to hand in.

Now that little saga was only ONE of the documents in the long list.  I collected all the other official documents and last weekend, we made a quick trip (only a 9 hour drive) to the capital to submit all the paperwork in order to receive a one-year visa to stay in the country.

In years gone by, the process of submitting the paperwork has taken 2 to 3 hours.  The system has greatly improved and we were able to fill out all the remaining paperwork, submit it, get our photos and fingerprints taken, and pay for it in just an hour! 

Adam helping me fill out all the files.

Just as we were entering the office to pay, Adam realized that the CdS official actually gave us a three-year visa instead of the one-year!  It was a total miracle.  Rather than having to do all this paperwork annually (there is no "renew" option for it,  you have to do it all again), we're done!   We have to return to the capital to pick up our official visa cards in a couple months, but other than that, we are totally, legally, officially in Togo for the next three years.  An unexpected blessing that thrilled us all.  

Life here is full of the unexpected.  Sometimes the unexpected is hard or sad or frustrating.  Sometimes it's amazing and wonderful.  Sometimes it's downright funny. But it often makes for a good story.