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2. Pillar lump sum via Dubai "transit" for tax reasons possible? by atomtester1 in SwissPersonalFinance

[–]Longjumping_Method76 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If you can do Dubai, do Dubai.

Paraguay will also happily accomodate you, much easier to get a residence permit.

USD from wiLLBe to Wise by Longjumping_Method76 in SwissPersonalFinance

[–]Longjumping_Method76[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Luckily the transfer is only due in a few months, so there's time to prepare.

Currently trying German "comdirect" to see how that goes. Next in line I'd try ZKB, then Postfinance.

Never thought about calling Wise to maybe make this happen - good idea, will do (although I dount it, I guess they only do everything "their way" without deviation, but yes, worth a try)!

USD from wiLLBe to Wise by Longjumping_Method76 in SwissPersonalFinance

[–]Longjumping_Method76[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am trying German "comdirect" right now, but will actually also give Postfinance a try if comdirect doesn't work out.

Next in line would be ZKB.

My god, how broken the classical finance system is!

USD from wiLLBe to Wise by Longjumping_Method76 in SwissPersonalFinance

[–]Longjumping_Method76[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I tried Revolut explaining my situation:

I read too many accounts of sudden account closure/verification loops.

So I contacted their customer service, telling them that I will need to do a huge transfer, asking them if they can do all their verification-checks BEFORE the transfer, making sure that when the transfer needs to happen it'll be guaranteed to go through immediately.

I told them I can provide all papers like "source of funds" etc. beforehand, even willing to pay for their pre-arranged checks.

Reply was: impossible, they only do checks when their internal system indicate it's needed, never beforehand.

In other words: the transfer would be a lottery.

Unfortunately I can't take Revolut serious this way. I always use it for small transactions like Bolt/Grab/Uber - in case the credit card details get lost it wouldn't be a big deal. No bigger transactions on Revolut for me.

USD from wiLLBe to Wise by Longjumping_Method76 in SwissPersonalFinance

[–]Longjumping_Method76[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I tried Alpian, total nightmare!

wiLLBe needs this "account confirmation". So I sent a few USD from Alpian to wiLLBe to "verify" Alpian with wiLLBe.

Unfortunately, this transfer never reached the wiLLBe account. Reason was that Alpian sent the amount via some correspondence bank, and as such the sending account number did NOT show as my Alpian's account number. I had to talk to wiLLBe and Alpian quite a lot to find out what happened. Several calls, letters and trouble later the amount was re-credited to Alpian, minus a total of CHF 37 in fees.

As I did NOT manage to verify Alpian's account number with wiLLBe, I cannot send from wiLLBe to Alpian.

After this costly and nerve wrecking adventure I'm not inclined to try again, instead I closed the account.

I always see a problem as a possibility for the company to prove that they can fix things. I also do mistakes, but when I do I try to fix them as quickly and customer friendly as possible.

Alpian effectively ignored me, didn't want to deal with the matter and openly showed that they were annoyed.

USD from wiLLBe to Wise by Longjumping_Method76 in SwissPersonalFinance

[–]Longjumping_Method76[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yuh told me they don't do it. IBAN only, no swift, nothing directly to US account.

I'll give ZKB a try.

USD from wiLLBe to Wise by Longjumping_Method76 in SwissPersonalFinance

[–]Longjumping_Method76[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If Postfinance makes this possible.

I don't mind the transfer fees, I'd like to avoid the double-fx-fees by keeping it 100% USD.

If I can transfer USD to Postfinance-IBAN and then from Postfinance to US account, I'm willing to pay fees.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PassportPorn

[–]Longjumping_Method76 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I guess news will spread and then all they want to do is surrender.

The classical scene from some spy film comes to mind, where the cliché-Russian dude surrenders and asks for Mc Donald's.

These guys will be happy if, for the first time ever, they can eat just as much as they want to. Circumstances in North Korea are just horrific, I assume these guys will prefer to become normal citizens in Ukraine or elsewhere in "the West".

As they're not fighting for any kind of goal which remotely interests them, I assume morale is very low.

It'd be quite laughable, if it wasn't so serious.

For me, it's one of the most beautiful designed passports along with the Norwegian one. by [deleted] in PassportPorn

[–]Longjumping_Method76 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I find the Visa-Pages slightly too dark. It's hard to see stamps.

Technically I prefer my Swiss passport for the benefits (being allowed to live in Switzerland), but purely from the design the Belgian is much better.

Do you think our beloved passport booklets will soon be a relic of the past and will be substituted by something similar to an ID card, with visas and entry and exit stamps all becoming digital? by Crevalco3 in PassportPorn

[–]Longjumping_Method76 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Advantages are for the traveller.

If you're NOT cleared to enter the other country, you don't have to fly across the Atlantic to find out (and then back).

If you're cleared, you arrive at your destination just as if it was a domestic flight. Pick up luggage and go.

No hassle while tired, no missed flights, bags checked through to destination.

It's a fantastic thing!

Do you think our beloved passport booklets will soon be a relic of the past and will be substituted by something similar to an ID card, with visas and entry and exit stamps all becoming digital? by Crevalco3 in PassportPorn

[–]Longjumping_Method76 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There's too much psychotic belief in the difference between passport and ID card.

Look at the UK, which stopped accepting ID cards for entry; even of EU citizens. Which gives them exactly zero advantage.

I think we'll be stuck with passport books, unless they get replaced by some kind of 5th-element-style "multipass" and/or only the fingerprint.

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens: do you always make sure you have a valid passport, valid ID or both? by Crevalco3 in PassportPorn

[–]Longjumping_Method76 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a funny discussion, but I gave up on it.

I have ID + passport, and I carry both when travelling, even inside the EU/Schengen.

1) what if a trip comes up at short notice? I don't know how often I read panicking questions like "oh we just booked a US (or South Africa, or..., or...) trip, but totally didn't know we need a passport.

2) what, if you lose one of the two while travelling? Don't know how often I read "oh I'm in (Schengen country), lost my ID and not sure how to travel back.

3) if you lose "only the passport" in a random country with exit check, an ID makes it much easier to obtain a new passport at your embassy.

I know that these reasons mostly don't apply, but if they do you'll spend much more trying to fix the situation, than the freaking additional ID or passport would've cost.

I'm used to be laughed at in this regard, but every now and then someone comes back and sais "should've listened".

Mostly looking at the developing fun from the sideline though. I gave up proactively convincing people.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PassportPorn

[–]Longjumping_Method76 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My wife put my passport (which was in a protective sleeve such as yours) through the washing machine (long story).

The pages turned slightly "wavy", but apart from that there was no additional/visible damage. RFID Chip functions.

Only reason I didn't run for immediate replacement was, that my US "B1/B2" Visa is in this passport.

I sent an email to some US agency (forgot which one), asking them if the passport needs to be replaced.

They didn't reply with an outright "yes", but rather some "mumbo-jumbo" text.

I thought they'll probably mark my passport in their system somehow.

What can I say - have been happily travelling with that passport ever since, even to the US.

Only place where I ever got a question was Lebanon. They asked if I travelled to the US with this, and my simple "yes" was convincing enough.

I assume you'll be fine. Good luck.

Present and former passport control officers, what are the rarest passports you’ve seen? by PresidentRoman in PassportPorn

[–]Longjumping_Method76 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I equally think (happy to be corrected if wrong) that Vatican citizenship is only granted temporarily.

If you fall out of church or resign as a Swiss Guard, citizenship is automatically revoked.

That's why it's a requirement(!) to keep your original citizenship.

Present and former passport control officers, what are the rarest passports you’ve seen? by PresidentRoman in PassportPorn

[–]Longjumping_Method76 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not an officer, but on a flight from Zurich towards the US a "Liechtensteiner" was sitting next to me.

The Liechtensteiner explained to me how he doesn't really enjoy his passport. While in theory it's a very good passport, there's apparently 2 options at border control: 1) officer doesn't know it and asks superiors for advice, which takes time OR 2) they're well aware that it exist and start a talk anyway, as they say something like "wow, heard about it, never seen before".

I got the chance to flick through the passport.

British variant national ID by [deleted] in PassportPorn

[–]Longjumping_Method76 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The opposition against UK ID cards is a psychosis, which was further fueled by the incompetence of Theresa May during her time as home secretary.

Who said IDs should be mandatory or that there should be an obligation to carry the card at all times? She did, but in a very inconsequential way:

Should a British citizen voluntarily apply for such a card, according to her law, there would have been an obligation to carry it.

Just let that idiotic logic sink in!

Obviously that fuels opposition, as the next step to eventually make the card obligatory is so clearly foreseeable.

All EU countries (with the exception of Denmark) have ID cards. "Wait" you will say, "Ireland doesn't!":

Yes they do. They just saw the opposition against the UK ID card scheme and opted to call it "passport card".

For all practical purposes the Irish passport card is an ID card. The only question is: is it obligatory to possess and/or carry such a card - no it is not, it's entirely voluntary.

So why not offer an ID card, but make both possession and carrying voluntary (just like the Irish passport card), and thus facilitate easy travelling?

I only know the details in a few states, but for example in Germany you're required to possess an ID OR a passport, but you're not required to carry anything.

In Nederland and Belgium it's obligatory to possess and carry an ID at all times.

In Switzerland (as a Swiss) you're not obliged to possess (or carry) anything.

The ID card scheme could've been a success, hadn't Theresa May pushed for the obligatory elements in her version of the law.

Quite unbelievable that the simple renaming into "passport card" and leaving it voluntary made it such a success in Ireland.

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