Preface
EMS is an international express mail service that integrates postal services from various countries. It provides a tracking number for checking the delivery progress on the website. It is known as the fastest postal service, but it is also more expensive.
The first time I sent an EMS package, it was great. The tracking on the website was real-time, and it arrived in Japan in just two days. This time, my company also used EMS to send me a residence qualification certificate. I thought it would arrive in 2 to 3 days, but tragedy struck.
It has already been eight days, and the tracking on the website is still stuck at this point.
The progress of both the Japanese postal service and Chunghwa Post is the same. Inside the package is the crucial residence qualification certificate, without which I cannot apply for a visa. You can imagine its importance.
I don't know what happened to cause this delay. Even if it's stuck at customs, it should show a progress status like "clearing customs." But since it has happened, I can only seek solutions.
I searched online and it seems that I haven't come across any articles about a lost residence qualification certificate during the mailing process (at least not in Chinese, but there are a few in Japanese, which I will introduce later).
I have tried every possible method, and I will introduce them one by one:
Checking Standard Delivery Days
Normally, the delivery time from Japan to Taiwan is around 2 to 3 days, excluding customs inspection time.
Searching on Ptt
There are many posts on Ptt about EMS delays. Some experienced delays of 2 weeks, and some even several months. Most of them experienced delays, and there were very few cases of loss.
Checking the Progress on Both the Sending and Receiving Country's Websites
Sometimes, the progress on both sides may not be in sync, so it's recommended to check both.
Calling the Import Department
02-2703-7527
This phone number is quite good, and the staff's attitude is also very good. Just tell them your tracking number. However, the result I got was similar to what was shown on the website, "Not yet imported to Taiwan."
Inquiring at the Sending Country's Post Office
Later, I asked someone from my company to inquire at the post office. The response from Japan Post was that the package had already been exported, and it might be undergoing customs inspection or the barcode might have been overlooked due to negligence.
Filling Out the Inquiry Form (CN08)
If the package hasn't arrived even after the standard processing time, you can fill out the inquiry form and fax it or go directly to the original post office. However, only the sender can fill out the form, so I emailed the company separately to ask for their assistance in the investigation.
Writing an Email Inquiry
I emailed the Taipei Mail Processing Center to report the situation, and the response was very quick. I also received different answers.
- Yesterday was the last day for the package to be imported, but it hasn't been imported to Taiwan yet. Today, our department will send a verification notice to inform Japan Post that the package is overdue.
The next day, I sent another inquiry email, and the response was even more alarming:
- Batch number 1139 has not been imported. Our department has contacted the Air Mail Center and the airline to confirm that we have not received this batch of mail. We have sent a verification notice to Japan Post and informed them that we haven't received this batch of mail. Currently, our company and Japan Post are conducting an investigation. Please wait for the investigation results.
It turns out that the entire batch was not imported. I looked at various articles online, and the reasons mentioned include customs inspection, sending to the wrong plane, originally intended for air transport but sent by ship, etc. However, speculating blindly will only make myself more anxious. I can only wait for the results.
Chunghwa Post Convenience Service Area
https://www.post.gov.tw/post/internet/Customer_service/index.jsp?ID=1603
In order to better track and investigate the progress, I used the form in the convenience service area to report the situation. The response was also quick. I hope to get results soon.
Just in case, I have to consider the worst-case scenario. The residence qualification certificate is only valid for three months. If it doesn't arrive in Japan during this period, it will become invalid. If it is lost and cannot be reissued, I will have to apply again.
Yes, go through the whole process again.
Although it is troublesome to go through the process again due to such a ridiculous situation, that's the current regulation. However, I can reuse the documents submitted last time for the application, and the processing time may be faster (although I'm not entirely sure about this).
In addition, the company mentioned that if the residence qualification certificate is suddenly found during the reapplication period, it cannot be used.
There are no related articles about this in Taiwan, so I found a few Japanese articles for reference.
Kansai Airport Flooding, Some Mail Destroyed
The author of this article shared a story about their residence qualification certificate (possibly) being destroyed due to flooding at Kansai Airport last year. Some mail was washed away due to heavy rain. Although the author tried to inquire through all possible channels, they couldn't find it. So they applied for a reissue, and after about 10 days, they received a new residence qualification certificate.
Although it was a loss caused by a natural disaster, they still had to reapply. The author mentioned that when applying, it's possible to submit a letter of explanation to expedite the process.
The remaining articles are Q&A from administrative affairs offices, and the general content is the same: if it is lost, you can only reapply, but you can use the previous documents. If you want to search for more information, you can search for "在留資格証明書 紛失" (residence qualification certificate lost) to find many articles.
Reapplying for Residence Qualification
Conclusion
If this unfortunate situation happens to you, I hope this article can help you to some extent. I've been thinking that this kind of system is quite scary. No one knows if the documents can safely reach their destination, and there's no way to directly fly to Japan or directly apply for a reissue. It would be great if there could be an online review process or if we could go directly to the immigration office for the procedure.
Afterword
This package was mistakenly sent to Ho Chi Minh City and then flown from there to Taiwan, which caused the delay. Fortunately, I finally received it. Amitabha.