I am a student doing an internship in Germany. I thought it would be a good idea to apply to tourist visa here as the earliest appointment is a year later back in my home country. This is a problem because I need to be presenting my paper at a conference that takes place in April 2024. Questions at the beginning were about my stay here. (excluding "is this your first time applying/have you ever visited US before?") I explained to the visa officer that I am here on an EU grant conducting research and don't have any relatives here. I have always been to the point only answering the questions with a theme representing my intent to return. I prepared for this. The very fact (I also mentioned) that I am doing an internship here on an EU grant and will be returning in a month resembles the situation for my conference visit as well. I was supposed to go to the conference thanks to a travel fellowship.***THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS.*** At some point, I am asked what I study/do and I answer "Computer Science". They ask to clarify if I'm working towards a "bachelor's degree". I do and they proceed to ask what my parents do, answer of which is not that great. HOWEVER, as I wasn't asked anything about how to finance my travel, I couldn't mention my travel fellowship and my savings as a software engineer guy. It was ~3 minutes in total (which I knew from beforehand but I was expecting a normal process instead of something full of assumptions such as my parents financing me since I am an undergrad?) and when I thought they were gonna take my passport to a box next to them, they were apparently reaching out for the pile of 214(b) papers to give me a generic file which basically says we couldn't be sure about your non-immigrant intent. LIKE WHAT Oh, they also asked me about what I'm planning to do after my internship in Germany is over and I said I have 2 more years of college back home. Like the whole thing represents nothing but the need to return. I am on a career track which should've been clear and I thought I made it very clear that I don't want to spend rest of my life as an illegal/undocumented person in a sweatshop until their 80s Is this how all my career efforts (which I clearly represented in a concise way) gonna pay off? The very end and also the funniest part, I was shocked at what happened. Since I made a thorough preparation about the whole thing, I knew it was non-appealable. I said something of the sort "but what can I do now, the earliest appointment back home is a year later." AND they said "you can request an expedited appointment.". LMAO I had to explain to them (!!!) that conferences are not a valid reason for expedition and then they were like "unlucky I guess." It was pretty promising to see all local people ahead of me returning happily from that specific desk in 2-3 minutes each but "unlucky I guess". ...and the rejection line (or punchline I might say) was "You might have a better chance in your country of residence." I have friends who got either tourist visas or diversity visas from different US embassies in EU because of the long wait times back home. Beware of the luck involved in this process, especially if you're non-EU, and try as best as you can not to hit the jackpot. I didn't see much difference between German embassies during my research but it really depends. (on a lot of factors incl. who you interview with) It can turn into a very expensive (not only financially) tragicomedy due to assumptions and maybe other factors really quick.

I want to give a comprehensive explanation to everyone visiting, and answer questions I used to have before my appointment. If you arrive by train, take the bus line 100 to Königinstraße, it'll take you right there and usually starts from the stop Nordbahnhof (in Arnulfstraße) every 10 minutes. Once there, I had an outstanding experience! Barely any waiting times. Less than 10 minutes both in the outside and the inside queue. Had very pleasant conversations with some people in my queue. No, you can't take big electronics/laptops inside, you'll have to store them in a locker either at the Hauptbahnhof or a museum right next to the consulate. You'll need 4€ in coins. You can take a backpack, but no electronics inside. If you have something to drink with you, you'll be asked to take a sip. You can take your phone with you, they'll return it after the appointment. Inside is rather small. I was there at 9AM Monday and it wasn't too busy. Nobody had to wait in the seating area. There's also toilets right when you enter. They'll take your fingerprints, then you get queued for the interview. Wait until you're called. Wanted to share my experience with a student visa since it might be a scary experience for many: Don't worry about your F-1 visa at all. My interviewer was very friendly, only asked me what I'll be studying. (English Literature at a Community College), so no, it was neither a prestigious university nor a popular program. But no problem at all! I just honestly told him about my passion for literature, that I hadn't been in the US before and just graduated highschool, and he smiled all the time and congratulated me on my visa after what felt like 30 seconds. No worries at all! Just be truthful and don't give them a reason to question your intentions. You don't have to be a millionaire or go to Harvard to get a visa. Just make sure to be confident and ambitious about your goal. I'll get my passport back within 10 days (I paid for delivery, since I live quite far away). Just another small insight: A man before me was denied a B-2 tourist visa because of his employment status by the same interviewer. He was still on probation and thus the ties to his home country/income weren't sufficiently proven. However, the officer was very kind and explained why he couldn't grant him the visa. I understand that some officers are just awful and way stricter, but in this particular consulate, I've only heard of great service. So, no reason to be scared! Best of luck for your appointment :)

I was applying for an exchange visitor visa at the US Consulate Munich. I managed to get an expedited appointment and had to wait one week for my interview. My interview was at 9:30. I waited outside for about ten minutes and got in. The first cool thing about this particular consulate is that you can leave your phone and headphones at the security post; I didn't have such an option at the US Consulate in Kyiv. Don't bring big tech, they won't keep it. The security staff were friendly and not intimidating. It was warm inside and everybody was very friendly. If something is wrong with your photo, there's a photo booth inside and you can retake your picture and print it out for €5 (cash only, although there's an ATM inside). The interview itself went well. I had to renew my exchange visitor visa so it was more of a formality. I was asked only two questions about the purpose of my visit to the US and, contrary to what one person wrote about "discrimination against the Ukrainians", I personally didn't experience anything alike. Answer questions fully, avoid yes-no answers, and have all the necessary supporting documents (for students, it may be a financial award notification letter, an invitation letter from your sponsor organization, etc). The visa officer told me that the processing time for a visa is 5-7 business days. However, the visa was processed in two days and my passport was sent to me yesterday. UPS delivered it in one business day (I live in Bavaria, 200 km from Munich). Overall, I absolutely loved my experience at this consulate. P. S. Young lady at Window 2 – thank you for your kind words, they definitely helped me feel less stressed-out during the interview!

Seit Oktober 2021 kämpfe ich um mein Recht. Ich bekam im Sep. 21 vom Konsulat München eine Sondergenehmigung (NIE), um in die USA einreisen zu können, was Europäer zu der Zeit ohne NIE nicht konnten. Diese NIE sollte ins System eingegeben werden, damit ich ohne Probleme einreisen konnte. Als ich in den USA ankam, stellte sich heraus, dass ich nicht einreisen konnte, weil die NIE vom Konsulat nicht ins System eingegeben wurde und daraufhin auch die ESTA gecancelt wurde. Mir wurde die Einreise verweigert und ich wurde nach einer demuetigenden Behandlung mit dem nächsten Flieger zurueckgeschickt. Ich habe mich mit dem Konsulat wie auch direkt mit dem Generalkonsul mit mehreren Schreiben in Verbindung gesetzt und immer wieder darum gebeten, dass das Konsulat den von dort verursachten Fehler richtigstellen möchte. Ich habe sogar die Telefonnummer des Officers vom Airport Charlotte mitgeschickt. Ausserdem hatte ich vom dortigen Airport ein offiziellen Schreiben, dass meine NIE nicht im System war. Das alles interessierte das Konsulat wie auch den Generalkonsul nicht. Ich habe die demütigende Behandlung in Charlotte/Airport geschildert, die darin gipfelte, dass ich von 2 Officers zum Flugzeug eskortiert wurde. Das alles wäre mir erspart geblieben, wenn das Konsulat korrekt gearbeitet hätte. Aber auch diese gesamte Schilderung brachte niemanden vom Konsulat dazu, sich mit dem Airport in Verbindung zu setzen, um den Fehler zu korrigieren. Ich bekomme aufgrund des Fehlers vom Konsulat keine ESTA mehr, um in die Staaten reisen zu koennen. Irgendwann wurde auf meine Schreiben gar nicht mehr geantwortet.

An embarrassment to the USA. I tried contacting them by phone and their automated voice message just lies. Some places they lead you to 'contact' the consulate are absolute lies that lead you to dead ends. I finally found a place where i could schedule an appointment, but the ENTIRE calendar had no selectable dates for their notary services. I found no where other than their emergency number where a citizen can actually contact or schedule an appointment with these frauds. Their scheduler is broken though so this won't happen. We came during open hours that were stated on their own website and they were closed! Amazing that a U.S. Government facility would allow their offices to close on hour earlier than their stated time at 5pm. All of you working at the consulate are an embarrassment to America. Germany is not the place for such unorganised brain-dead people. Perhaps if the employees were fired and moved to the country-side in Utah, they would find jobs with others who are at their intellectual level at a McDonalds. Serving the American people is not something this consulate knows how to do. I encourage anyone reading this review to scroll through the rest of the reviews to see horror stories about how some of the racist employees at the consulate are treating people based on their darker skin.

Außen wird man sehr freundlich Empfangen. Die Kontrolle ist wie am Flughafen. Handy muss man an der Kontrollstation am Eingang abgeben, man bekommt eine Karte mit ner Nummer vom Fach wo das Handy aufbewahrt wird Autoschlüssel musste man auch abgeben. Am besten nur Geldbeutel und die Unterlagen mit rein nehmen. Ein Passfoto Automat steht direkt innen an der Tür kostet 5 Euro für 4 Fotos. Bilder müssen ohne Brille gemacht werden. Alle sind sehr hilfsbereit und sehr freundlich. Wartezeit ca 20 Minuten und schon wird man aufgerufen, nach ca 10 Minuten Gespräch ist man fertig. Insgesamt ca 30 Minuten hat der Termin gedauert. Einen A5 Briefumschlag und 3.95 Porto muss mitgebracht werden, das vergessen viele bzw wissen es nicht. Parkplätze gibt es "keine" am konsulat, in naher Umgebung wenn man Glück hat. Prinzregentenstrasse, Seitzstrasse, Christophstrasse, Liebigstrasse, Unsöldstrasse da hat man meist Glück einen Parkplatz zu finden, 3 Minuten zu fuss ist man am konsulat. Parkgebühr 10 cent für 3 Minuten jedoch nicht mehr wie 11 Euro- tagesgebühr.

Unbedingt 5 Sterne. Vom sehr freundlichen Wachmann bis zu jedem einzelnen Mitarbeiter sehr freundlich und schnell das Interview Gespräch (sogar in deutsch )für das B2 Visum über die Bühne gebracht. Vom Eingang bis zum zum Verlassen des Konsulats mit erteilten Visa genau 35 Minuten. In meinen Augen rekordverdächtig. Vorausgesetzt alle notwendigen Unterlagen sind dabei. Hatte zusätzlich noch ein Passbild dabei. Unbedingt sich an die Erklärungen bei Antragsstellung und Terminvereinbarung halten, am besten auch auf Smartwatch, Laptop,großes Gepäck oder ähnliches verzichten,wobei Handy mitgebracht werden kann. Geparkt in der Theresienstrasse für 2 Euro die Stunde. Dann max. 10 Minuten zu Fuß.

This is my 3rd time to apply US Visa ( always got 5 years visa before ) .. and it‘s always nice experienced. the Security Guard in front very friendly, the Women in locker Nr 1 was very Friendly and the women who did the interview in Locker Nr 5 also very nice she even give a tip where to go.. the Man before me got a problem with missing documents and the Staff let him go out and back to Embassy 4 times! And He was so grateful for that. I mean if you come to German Embassy and you missed one document than it’s game over, you need another appointment and you will need 2 months at least until you get appointment date. Thank you for a Great Customer Service.. California here I come

My passport appointment worked well. Efficient and friendly staff. Security was was well organized and is a necessity. Two things I recommend: If you are applying for both passport book and passport card, make sure you bring TWO envelopes, each with a set of stamps and the registered mail (Einschreiben Einwurf) stickers. I believe the Consulate asks for two photos as well. Somehow I missed that reading the instructions, so I settled for passport book only. Secondly, don't bring backpacks or bulky bags. Leave them in the car. There is a friendly storage place (small store) around the corner too. They charge 4 € for handling. PS: Got my passport after only two weeks.

Kleiner Tipp: Man sollte so wenig wie möglich mitnehmen, weil man kontrolliert wird wie am Flughafen. Erlaubt sind neben den Unterlagen ein kleiner Geldbeutel und ein Stück weit auch das Handy. Der Geldbeutel ist empfehlenswert, falls man nochmals ein Passfoto braucht (5 €) oder die Visum-Gebühr bezahlen muss. Kartenzahlung ist möglich. Das Handy muss man vor dem inneren Bereich abgeben, weshalb man damit nicht bezahlen kann. Für größere Gegenstände gibt es ein Geschäft in der Nähe, das gegen Gebühr eine Aufbewahrung macht oder Schließfächer am Hauptbahnhof. Im Winter warm anziehen. Die Wartezeit bei uns war 20 Minuten im Freien.

I applied for a US visa here. What an amazing service! This was my most efficient bureaucratic experience in Germany (: Finding an appointment was a bit tough, but I kept refreshing the online portal many times for a few days and found an appointment in two weeks time. I was the first appointment of the day, so it was quite empty there and the whole process took 15-20 minutes. Every employee was super respectful and nice. It is incredible that I received an email that my passport is ready, exactly 1 working day after my appointment! Overall: super fast and efficient process, great service, kind people..!

Had a horrible experience with the US Embassy in munich ,we got our germany drivers licenses renewed, the German drivers license in Munich sent them to the US Embassy they lost my wife’s license. They were horrible to get a hold of sent e-mails out ,Never responded . The lady was so rude On the telephone said I have no time for you. Whatever happened to helping Americans out, I’m very disappointed in this embassy I’d rather go to Berlin, or frank furt, They told me send a PDF form $180 , The guy set my license through FedEx. Put the label on wrong got lost in United States horrible experience.

This was my best experience ever. The embassy is really organized and the process is fast. Everybody is happy there (that’s the feeling that I had). Don’t forget to bring your residence card because they ask for it. Also inside there is a place that you can take picture in case you forgot about it. They also can keep your mobile at entrance and this make your life easier. Great experience, really nice staffs. Would totally recommend

Your phone can be kept in a small numbered tray at security checkpoint, but don't bring any large electronic devices like laptops or tablets as they won't be able to store them. The interview officer was very friendly -- we had a 3-minute chat and no documents were checked. I applied for a B2 visa as a third-world country resident temporarily staying in Germany for employment purpose.

You couldn't ask for better service. Everyone there is friendly and the whole process took me just 15 minutes including the interview. Make their job easier by carrying the essentials with you and they will give you the most efficient service possible. It's incredible, 2 days later my passport was back home. The German bureaucracy has a LOT (everything) to learn from these people.

Super friendly staff, efficient process, this was the least stressful visa process I had to go through. The only downside is that the appointments have to be booked WAY in advance you have don't have an emergency(I booked mine 6 months in advance, which was the earliest I could get), but I understand this with the overload of applications. Overall, a great experience. :)

Neben dem Café Vinica kann man in einem kleinen Laden für 4€ sein Gepäck abgeben, solange man in dem Konsulat ist. Um das Foto für Visum etc brauch man sich auch keine Gedanken zu machen. Vorort besteht die Möglichkeit für 5€ in einem Automaten die Fotos aufzunehmen. Ansonsten war das personal super nett. Nur ein paar Minuten Wartezeit.

At the entrance it is possible to leave the phone and small appliances at no extra charge. You can speak English or German. There are seated places to wait, the line moves quickly. There is often a queue outside. If you arrive exactly at the appointed time, you will have to wait on the street for about half an hour.

Stellar Service! As a German American family we needed a new passport for our five year old. We were received by super friendly staff including security, everything was efficiently and professionally handled and on top of all the passport arrived ahead of time. The very best impression of the US you could give!

After washing my passport, these guys were incredibly helpful. It took a bit to get an appointment, but once I got there everything went incredibly smoothly and everyone treated me with the utmost respect (even the security!!!). I even got my passport back 2 days earlier than they said I would.

My appointment was 10:15 AM but I decided to be there 1 hour early because it was raining non-stop. At 9:20 AM, I arrived and by 10:30 I‘m done with my visa interview, payments and submission of documents. So you are allowed to enter even if you arrived earlier than your visa interview.

Absolutely smooth and easy experience. I don't really understand the negative reviews. Once you have the appointment confirmation, DS 160 and required documents ready, the process was very smooth and fast, the officials are friendly and helpful. The delivery was within a week too.

My experiences with the US Consulate in Munich have always been great! I personally never had anything to complain about whenever I sent emails with questions, etc. I received a response back in maybe a day. Everybody that I communicated with there has been very nice and helpful.

Alle Mitarbeiter waren sehr nett, hilfsbereit und sehr verbindlich. Man konnte beim Interview für das Visum auch einen netten Smalltalk halten. Es ist auch alles nicht so streng, wie es einem angekündigt wird. Ein Handy kann man zum Beispiel mitbringen und am Eingang hinterlegen.

They have a locker for you keep the phone. It was the best visa appointment I ever had, people are very kind, polite and helpful, the interviewer has a very good mood. The localization is also good, it's very fast and easy to go there from the Central Station.

Terrible Service! I had a question about dealing with my son with a different passport than mine. Phone tree was just a loop. Then they said to contact a third party firm USA Travel Docs, which is just a voice mail in German. So I finally … Mehr

Der Visum-Termin war sehr effizient - er dauerte gerade mal 50 Minuten von der Sicherheitskontrolle über die Registrierung, dem zweistufigen Interviewprozess bis zum Verlassen des Konsulats - und das Personal war ausgesprochen freundlich. … Mehr

Terrible experience. The ustravel docs are a scam and they are so unresponsive and unreliable. I can't reach a human to speak with here regarding the processing of my visa which up to this point took more than one month. Do not use the … Mehr

Wenn ich 0 Sterne geben könnte würde ich es tun. Einfach nur unhöflich. Habe wegen einer Frage angerufen. Der Mitarbeiter hat mich schon die ganze Zeit unterbrochen. Er hat mir dann eine Antwort gegeben die absolut nichts mit meiner … Mehr

Thanks to the incredibly strict "no electronic devices" policy, this is the least obnoxious waiting room I have ever experienced. Pro-tip: bring a book. Enjoy the blissful silence and (obviously imported) American-style air conditioning.

From start to finish it took about 30min to get to the visa interview which lasted about 5min. Keep in mind. No big electronic stuff. Even the smartphone has to be turned off and you can collect it again at the security when released.

Today I went to a USA visa for an interview at Munich consulates Germany. The service was quick and awesome with no hindrance at all. And the interviewer asked some basic questions and said. … Mehr

Extremely organized and friendly staff. The sweet lady in counter 5 had a smile through out the Interview which lasted less than a minute. Don't bring any electronics other than your phone.

Quick and decent service. There’s a photo automat inside. Don’t bring your backpack, laptop etc.. use instead the kiosk @schönfeldstrasse 26 to leave your belongings (4€ fee).

Super smooth and easy processes inside the Consulate, Consular officers are friendly and in good mood & interview lasts few minutes, A very positive and friendly environment

Ich habe meine passport bei Konsulat Da ich nach Dachauerstr 9 nicht nicht gekommen bin das Selber abholen!!!!! Jetzt meldet sich niemand … Mehr

Very fast, super friendly people, super polite, extremely professional, absolutely amazing service! Best US Consulate in Europe ❤️ …

Anytime I email with a request, I get a swift call back and helpful, friendly service. I really appreciate their hard work and support!

Smooth processing. In winters keep your jackets on, as you need to wait outside for them to let you in. … Mehr

Mostly liked it. Americans always seem to live on the easy side of life which is very refreshing.