I got married recently and decided to change my name. I actually did it in two stages to include my grandfather’s name as well as my husband’s. I need to do two documents: my ID card (Registro Geral – RG) and my driving licence. To do this, I need to go to the local office where they do both things. I HATE this place; every time I go there, I have some kind of issue (mostly due to being born abroad and having an accent, but I was born Brazilian). The first step is to make the appointment.
My husband and I look everywhere for an option saying something about updating documents after marriage, and we find nothing. We can’t even find one for updating the ID card; we just find the one for the driving licence. Thinking it will do as we want to do both at the same time, we book that, cross our fingers, and wait a week.
We arrive with all the documents we think we need and show our slot, explaining that I need to update my name after getting married. I show the woman at the front desk my RG and driving licence with the marriage certificate. She tsks at us.
Employee: “Well, you need an updated RG to do the driving licence. As you booked the driving licence, you need to rebook.”
It is the same people doing all the jobs; it’s not like I need to go to different departments. It is the same system and same people. We are shocked to learn this, and the begging begins.
We tell her we are sorry, we made a mistake, and there was nowhere that said we need to do the documents in a certain order online (we checked). We ask if she could please give us a ticket with the correct number as we still have an appointment with them (even if it states the wrong reason).
Employee: “No. You need to rebook. The next appointment is available in two days.”
Us: “Why? It is the same people. Can you just amend the booking? We will be seeing the same person — theoretically.”
She is adamant and walks us over to start booking a new appointment while telling us off about wasting one. She gets us to the correct screen and then just walks off. Utterly confused, we go back and ask what is going on. To get rid of us, she sends us to the manager.
Now picture this guy; he is in a government job where he doesn’t think about anything, just pushes the paper around. We arrive and perfectly politely explain the situation, saying we made a mistake, but we are here now, and could he please, please, please just amend our appointment reason so we can get this done? I cannot describe the vacant look on his face as he replies.
Manager: “But you booked it for your driving licence. You need to update your RG first. You need a new appointment.”
And round and round we go in circles. He tells us off for wasting an appointment while asking us why we didn’t book one. We decide to try another tack:
Me: “Okay, let’s imagine I did book an appointment for my RG. The person helping us at the desk isn’t assigned to that role specifically; they just do them in the order they arrive. So isn’t it possible that it could be same person as if I were to go in for changing my licence?”
I can see the wheels turning in this guy’s head before he comes back with:
Manager: “But you didn’t make an appointment for your RG. You made an appointment for your driving licence — which you can’t do as you don’t have an updated RG.”
Twenty minutes of pleading later, he gives us a new appointment number and sends us back to reception with permission to jump the intake queue.
And so we check in and wait, thinking, “We won the battle.”
This is when the confusion starts again. The employee asks for the marriage certificate and my RG, which I give over. She then starts to input the data. Then comes the news:
Employee: “We need to call the state police and have them give permission to issue a RG as you were born abroad.”
My mouth drops open at this. I have already gone through that process, but I was told that it was a one-time thing. They say not to worry; it shouldn’t take long. I am disheartened and try to explain that I am registered in Brazil but just in Brasília, but it doesn’t matter. I was born abroad, and they tell me that every time I will need to renew my ID, I will need permission to do so (even though I was born Brazilian and, in theory, the same as everyone else).
We go off to wait while they send an email. Thirty minutes later, we get called back. The woman smiles at us and says our request was denied. Without thinking, I say:
Me: “They refused me a new RG because I got married?”
She then gives me a confused look.
Employee: “No, you asked to change your birthplace.”
While I would if I could at this point, I know it is impossible. Somehow, our asking about how my birthplace changes things became the request, not to update my name. We explain to her that I am just updating my RG, so I need a new one. Apparently, I just need permission to get one due to where I was born. She says she will see to it personally that the request goes through correctly.
And we wait again. Again, it takes about thirty minutes before I am called up to say it can go through. They ask me to check my details, and I will need a new picture and my fingerprints taken again.
The employee immediately talks about how the girl behind us mucked up the request and it isn’t her fault. At this point, I don’t care; maybe it wasn’t your fault, but don’t just try to shift it. I’ve been here for nearly two hours for something I thought would take ten minutes.
She sees I’m annoyed and comes out with this final gem:
Employee: “This is just how it is for foreigners.”
This is after the woman has seen my two Brazilian birth certificates (with the old and new names) both stating that I am born Brazilian, not naturalized. I just look at her and finish the interaction by saying.
Me: “I am Brazilian.”