Dear Editor,
On June 11, I visited the British Consulate as I needed to obtain a letter to prove I am alive and in order to obtain this letter the consulate needed a letter to prove my identification, which is normal.
However, before issuing the required letter, and meanwhile having paid for it, I was asked to show proof of identification, to which I replied: “You have my passport, issued only three months ago!”
The lady attending replied: “This is not proof of identification” and asked if I had a driving licence, which she accepted as proof of identity. Passport not accepted as proof of identity?
I do not understand how a passport is not acceptable as proof of identity! In 1968, when I left the UK and have meanwhile worked in many parts of the world, I have never had problems with my British passport.
So, it now seems that the British Consulate itself does not accept the highest level of proof of identity, although they will accept your driver’s licence! What has happened to the good old British passport?
A.J. TAVENER
Loulé
The British Embassy replied: “Dear Editor, Thank you for bringing to our attention a letter of complaint by a British subject in respect of the service received at one of our Consulates. We are sorry that your reader feels disappointed at the service received and would like to reassure you that our aim is to keep a high standard in the quality consular support we provide to British nationals overseas.
With regard to the issues raised by your reader in the Letter to the Editor, we would like to emphasise that the British passport is the ultimate form of identification for British citizens. Nevertheless, in addition to identification, our consular officers routinely ask for proof of residency in order to issue certain notarial services. Examples of proof of residency could be a driving licence, Portuguese registration certificate or a utility bill.
We regret if there has been any misunderstanding and would like to assure the readers of your newspaper, and other British visiting or residing in Portugal, of our commitment to provide appropriate consular assistance and a professional documentary and notarial service.”
