Most applications don’t come back because of complicated problems, but because of details you can check at home in ten minutes. Here is what we see most often.
1. A document has expired or is about to
Check the expiry dates on your passport, identity card and residence permit before you file any application. A document that expires during the procedure can stall it.
2. Your name is spelled differently across documents
One extra letter in a transliteration, a surname changed after marriage or a missing diacritic is enough for the institution to ask for clarification. Lay your documents side by side and compare your name, date and place of birth.
3. Foreign documents are not translated or certified
A document issued in another country usually needs a certified translation, and sometimes an apostille or consular legalisation as well. What exactly you need depends on the country that issued the document and the institution you submit it to.
4. You brought only copies
Institutions usually ask to see the originals alongside the copies. Bring both, even if nobody asked for them explicitly.
5. You left it to the last day
Appointments, translations and apostilles take time. If a permit or document is about to expire, start preparing early, not in the final week.
Not sure your application is complete? At the free consultation we go through it together, and within 1 business day we tell you what it costs and how long it takes to sort out.