How To Get Your Zambian NRC In 25 "Easy" Steps! (Inspired by Sarah Williamson)

Recently my family and I became registered aliens in Zambia! It is exciting, but a very long and tiring process. So I was inspired by a friend, Sarah Williamson, to make a post to show the different steps in how we got our cards! Now, every experience is different for everyone else, but this is what my family and I experienced. Enjoy!

1. Decide that updating your work permit every two years is just too much work and it is time to get your NRC! (After you have lived in Zambia for 10 years of course!)

2. Go to the Zambian Immigration offices in Lusaka and start the long process to become a registered alien in Zambia!

3. Stand in line to meet the head immigration officer to get told you need to come back another time because you are missing important documents!

4. Get the important document(s) that you are missing!

5. Secretly park in the Intercontinental Hotel parking lot before you go to the Immigration Office!

6. Hand in your documents and wait for several weeks before going back to get told to get your NRC's before you can get the registration permit from the Immigration Offices!

7. Wait several more weeks before you go to get your NRC's.

8. Go to the NRC office place in a sketchy area of town to get told they don't have the book to make the NRC's and that you should go to the head office!

9. Play the game: try to find a parking spot at the head quarters!

10. You find a parking spot in the parking lot of the head quarters!

11. Go to the reception of the head quarters!

12. Get told by the receptionist to come back in the morning because they don't give out NRCs during the afternoon.

13. Wait to go back to the head office!

14. Go to the head office again!

15. Play the parking lot game...again!

16. You find a not-so-great parking spot, but who cares? You're getting your NRC today!

17. Wait in a long line for a long time!

18. Finally get to the window and find out that you need to go back to the original NRC place!

19. Tell the officer they must be mistaken because they don't have a book!

20. Have the officer get a little upset with you and then tell you that they got the book yesterday!

21. Go the the NRC place!

22. Jump the line because you are tired of waiting! (We are such great people, right?)

23. Get told by the officer that you need to come back in the afternoon because they don't give out NRCs in the morning.

24. Go back to the NRC place in the afternoon and get approval from the officer! Get your picture taken against a dirty wall! Woohoo!

25. GET YOUR NRC!!!

Congratulations you have made it through this traumatic, but important life experience! And you now an official registered alien of Zambia!