First, we headed to the building where the checks were done. The lady, only speaking Italian, told us that we had to fill out 2 forms. At this point I was confused. Two forms? For what? Why? Again, I was coming from a very different previous experience here.
To get a criminal record check back home I would:
a) pay for it at city hall
b) walk 20 steps to the police station
c) request a check, with my name and photo id
d) hand over the receipt
e) wait for a few days to pick up the results
Oh, not here. Not in Italy. This was quite a different procedure than what I had previously encountered. And here's how it all went down....
1. Got the forms we needed from, and let's just use general references here, Place A, Room q.
2. Filled out said forms the best we could considering there were no english options; solo italiano.
3. Walked a few streets over to a Tabbacchi, Place B, to buy stamps for the forms. ?? Yeah, apparently we needed these stamps as the verification in obtaining a criminal record check. 25€ for each piece of paper. Each piece of paper you ask? Yes, this is where I got extremely frustrated as to what we were actually getting done. Why do you need two different checks for? What was the point. Well, supposedly one is for previous criminal convictions and one is for pending criminal activity, where you have been charged yet not convicted yet. I know, I know. Why isn't it just rolled up into one check? Typical Italians: anything to create more paperwork and get more money out of you.
4. Return to Place A, Room q with stamps and forms completed. Frustration #2 occurred for me here. When it was my turn to come up to the window, and I just knew something like this would happen, she couldn't understand my information. See, my country of birth and my passport were different. And apparently this was difficult for her to comprehend. After repeatedly saying yes, I was born in this country but I am a citizen of a different country MULTIPLE times, I called in my friends, at which point I was ready to bawl. C entered, literally reiterating what I was saying and the woman was like, "Oh, ok." What?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Oh, I was risking that current criminal pending charges sheet right there I do tell you. Now, we were told to wait 45 minutes and we could pick these up. Yep, that quick. Makes me wonder how well they really do check one out.
5. Roomates go for coffee. I go for a walk to......ease my mind and do some retail therapy.
6. Return at 10:30am to Place A, Room q and pick up documents.
7. Go upstairs to floor 9 to find Place C, Room r to get some sort of verification stamp. We had to make sure we put which country we wanted our documents for. Not sure why, we complied and then were told to return between 12-1pm to pick them up.
8. Go shopping!
9. Return to Place C, Room r at 12:15pm and pick up documents. It was here we realized that the verification varied for different countries. US and Australia had the same, but this poor Canuck's was different. Still would like to know way.
Either way, it's done! I have in my possession criminal record checks from my time here and....I had yet another very Italian experience to add to my repertoire. How many more I'll have before leaving? Well, only time will tell. ;)
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