A selfie from me at the machine for the authorities. Without getting up early
Similar to Kathrin and Scott, I also need a new official document and photos. And it went like this:
In November 2023 I received a paper letter from the city of Hamburg saying that the validity of one of my documents would soon expire.
They recommend that I try to make an appointment in good time “due to increased demand” and because “appointments at our locations may be scarce”. I do that, there is an online tool for this, linked via a QR code in the letter, which does its job without any problems. Well, for what I otherwise experience with authorities, considering that it is a digital tool from an authority in Germany, it is surprisingly not annoying; OK, when I restart I have to re-enter my data, it doesn’t save anything, but whatever.
With about a month’s lead time, I get an appointment at a district office. The confirmation email states that I can also take a photo there and that I don’t need to bring anything else with me apart from the document that is about to expire, a valid ID and my debit card for payment (no cash payment!).
So on the agreed day I come to the district office about fifteen minutes before the appointment. There is a large photo booth, I press the appropriate places on the screen, what do I need the photo for, I get instructions on how to adjust the chair correctly, head within this area and eyes within that area please, hair not in front of the face and so on.
The device then recommends that I take off my glasses and takes four photos of me. The screen shows me the four images, one of which is immediately marked as invalid because the device recognizes that I haven’t opened my eyes properly. From the remaining three, I can choose the one that looks least like a felon on the run shortly after a bank robbery.
I go into the waiting room, shortly afterwards my waiting number is called, I can go to a counter, and the friendly gentleman there also has digital access to the photo I just took directly on his screen. A few signatures, fingerprint scans, comparing data and even paying with a Gircocard directly at the counter.
Everything is amazingly smooth, unobtrusive and without unnecessary waiting times.
The only thing I can complain about is that I have to make another appointment a few weeks later to pick up the finished papers, and the appointment booking tool is a bit stubborn: it always wants to send me to another customer center in Hamburg, but that’s where the papers are Yes, not at all.
But overall, given what I otherwise experience with authorities, I’m happy to give the whole process a grade of B-. There will only be a 1 when everything goes online.
(Molinarius)