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Law firm in Shanghai for passport pickup?


thelearninglearner

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Anybody know how to find a good law firm in Shanghai? I'm from outside of Shanghai but my country has an embassy there, so I went to get a new passport. It's ready for pickup but because of local cases, in Shanghai and my area, I don't really want to fly out. Embassy said I can have someone pick it up for me. Don't have any friends in Shanghai and need someone trustworthy to get it for me. I thought a lawyer might be okay. So that's why I'm looking for some law firm I can contact. If anybody knows one or has any other suggestions please let me know. 

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You can designate someone to pick up your passport for you (at least at the US consulate).  

 

No, the US embassy does not deliver by courier any more.  Pickup only.  Yes, they are jerks.  They don't even have a passport photo machine in their office any more.  They took it out, because they enjoy being jerks.  You have to exit the building, walk down the street, and find the passport photo place on the 5th floor of this building.  Good thing I can read Chinese, because there's no English sign.  Oh, and you're also not allowed to bring in your bag.  You have to exit the building and find a different business that will store your bag for you.  

 

When I tried to do this, there are plenty of 'do your visa for you' services in Shanghai.  When I asked them if they did passport pickup, they looked at me like I had just stepped out of an alien spacecraft.  No, they don't do that.  I frantically tried to ask friends in Shanghai, but everyone was busy or wasn't a morning person (did I mention it's available from 9-11am only?)  I ended up going there myself.  One of the five or six times I've left town since this plague started.  Sigh.  

 

On 12/20/2021 at 12:04 AM, mungouk said:

How else would a lawyer in Shanghai get it to you in your province?

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but he would pick it up from the consulate and put it in a kuaidi package?

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On 12/20/2021 at 3:53 AM, vellocet said:

No, the US embassy does not deliver by courier any more.  Pickup only.  Yes, they are jerks.  They don't even have a passport photo machine in their office any more.  They took it out, because they enjoy being jerks.  You have to exit the building, walk down the street, and find the passport photo place on the 5th floor of this building.  Good thing I can read Chinese, because there's no English sign.  Oh, and you're also not allowed to bring in your bag.  You have to exit the building and find a different business that will store your bag for you.  

Bingo

 

On 12/20/2021 at 3:53 AM, vellocet said:

When I tried to do this, there are plenty of 'do your visa for you' services in Shanghai.  When I asked them if they did passport pickup, they looked at me like I had just stepped out of an alien spacecraft.  No, they don't do that.  I frantically tried to ask friends in Shanghai, but everyone was busy or wasn't a morning person (did I mention it's available from 9-11am only?)  I ended up going there myself.  One of the five or six times I've left town since this plague started.  Sigh.  

Except I can't go :( cases in Shanghai or I would.

 

On 12/20/2021 at 12:04 AM, mungouk said:

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but why would you not get it delivered from the embassy by courier?

Not an option. Someone can pick it up for me and mail it with sf to me. I'm from another province. Can't go because of cases and restrictions or I would. 

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On 12/20/2021 at 3:53 AM, vellocet said:

 

On 12/20/2021 at 12:04 AM, mungouk said:

How else would a lawyer in Shanghai get it to you in your province?

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but he would pick it up from the consulate and put it in a kuaidi package?

This is correct

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On 12/20/2021 at 3:53 AM, vellocet said:

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but he would pick it up from the consulate and put it in a kuaidi package?

 

Well a tracked Fedex or DHL package is what most other countries use. No big deal.

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On 12/20/2021 at 5:20 PM, 889 said:

you Google you'll find things like concierge run errands for you services in Shanghai

I'll check. I just need them to be trustworthy because I need to mail them my passport and a letter that says they can pick it up

On 12/20/2021 at 8:09 PM, mungouk said:

Well a tracked Fedex or DHL package is what most other countries use. No big deal.

The mail part is okay. Just finding the person to pick it up is the issue

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On 12/20/2021 at 5:20 PM, 889 said:

If you Google you'll find things like concierge run errands for you services in Shanghai.

I tried mightily to do exactly this but came up blank.  They'll pick up your dry cleaning but won't do anything with a passport or consulate.  

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On 12/20/2021 at 8:10 PM, thelearninglearner said:

The mail part is okay. Just finding the person to pick it up is the issue

 

The courier will usually pick it up when you schedule it... no?  

They sign for it and you can track it. At least this is how it works in the UK, including for delivering new passports. 

 

Is there something in China that's different?

 

 

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The US Consulate will hand over the passport in an envelope to someone with the right paperwork to receive it. But they won't address the envelope or otherwise prepare it for courier delivery.

 

Floating over this too is the fact that getting into a US consulate is a bit of a hassle, particularly for a non-US citizen and particularly in China, which exercises some control over access by Chinese.

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On 12/21/2021 at 9:23 PM, mungouk said:

The courier will usually pick it up when you schedule it... no?  

No.  

 

This is why the person posted in the first place.

 

You can designate a person to pick up your passport.  You must know who this person is.  You must deliver a piece of paper to this person stating that he may pick up your passport as your agent.  This person must also be able to get through security.  It's way beyond "just pick up an item from this address."  In fact, you can't even do that with normal kuaidi.  You have to visit the kuaidi shop with the item and show your passport, and the staff takes a photo of what's inside the box.  

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On 12/21/2021 at 9:23 PM, mungouk said:

Is there something in China that's different?

Yeah not that simple as others have mentioned. 

 

So if anybody how's a service or law firm or something I can hire, that would be great. 

 

Otherwise, I guess I'll have to make time to go myself. Hopefully I won't have to do any kind of quarantine 

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