I am giving 5 star rating because my experience with consulate was very good, got my passport with national VISA stamp in just 7 days, Waoo Great Service, if you have all the documents are in place. if you have all the required documents in place than i think you no need to worry. here is my visa appointment experience: I was having visa appointment this week, i was reached little bit late because of traffic jam, so reached approx 20 min after the appointment time. also, very tough to get parking at street. Security Guard let me inside the consulate after initial screening of our passport and matched my family members name in the list and after detailed security checking....don't forget to keep your phone at silent mode. In a bigger room there was some chairs and a big table with 02 windows, one window were occupied by another applicant and appointment was going on with officer. a lady called my name from the second windows and asked me to show all the documents. I have already created a 02 set of copy of all originals documents (Total 03 set, 2 xerox copy and 1 originals) and gave all the required documents (Application form, contract letter, reference letter, Power of Attorney, Marriage certificate, degree, health insurance, airline inventory, pay cheks, bank a/c statements, son birth certificate.. and two passport size photograph as per the requirement mentioned on website. discussion went well, i have already arranged my documents based on priority (Application, reference, contract at top and other are after that) it saves lot of officer time to regroup and arrange. he said, he don't see any issue into my documents and took all the passport and collected our finger prints and ask to pay VISA fee and passport shipping cost fee (fedex courier i hv to write our home address for passport delivery after visa stamping) After completing fingerprinting, officer gave me receipt number with tracking number o it and ask me to wait for 2-4 week to process the National type D VISA. Very friendly: Even i forgot to signed on a documents but they asked me to sign during our discussion. we are very happy with the staff, they are friendly, nice and treated us very well and cooperative all the time (my 15 month old son was crying and making noise......)

As many are aware, you have to book your appointment online months ahead. Or you can visa the website daily to see what appointments have opened up. The system to book the appointment is very easy and anyone should be able to use it. If you are trying to reach them by telephone, be sure to try to call them right as they open up. This will ensure you get to speak to at least someone. Though, be ready to have to explain yourself multiple times due to some language difficulties. I went for a student visa for my internship/ study in Germany (Baden-Württemberg). I would suggest if you have the option, book your appointment right when they open. This will allow you to be the first person in line and essentially be first. It only took me 15 minutes to have the appointment and that was mostly to check that I had all documents. As others have stated, it is standard to wait outside the gates until the security guards allow you to enter the grounds. They will force you to keep your telephone outside in a locked locker. You will simply walk up to a segmented room and wait for your queue. The application fee is around $80 and if you live out of state, be expecting a shipping cost of around $26. They will take card but be ready for it to charge your card in Euros. I was told by the receptionist that completion of the application should take roughly 3 business weeks. They do have a restroom for all those who are in the segmented room. It is somewhat challenging to find as the door matches the wooden inlay of the room. You should be able to find a sign or as an attendant to help you. Overall, my experience has been great. I am hoping that it doesn't take long to receive my passport back as my flight to Germany is soon after the 3 business weeks. The whole staff (security and attendants) were kind, considerate and fast. I will extremely stress that you should show up with all needed documents (possibly more than what is needed) and they will be thankful. They will also seem to prioritize your application as it is easier. Best of luck working with the German bureaucracy!

I have to say this is the best experience I have so far for Schengen Visa application. I was granted a few Schengen Visa by other Schengen countries before, so I am eligible for mail-in application per instruction on German Consulate webpage. Since I was not quite sure how much exact application fee in USD needed to be included with my application, I sent an email message using their online contact form. There has been no response for more than 10 days, so I decided to use the current forex rate and add some extra dollar to the money order. Following their mail in checklist, I got my signatures on the application form notarized as well as the notarized copy of my green card. Make sure your photo size complies the requirement and affix it on your application form. I used FedEx priority overnight to deliver the package on Monday and received the call from a lady at the consulate on Wednesday that my visa was granted and ready for pickup. Super fast! I arrived on Thursday morning around 10am and let the security guard know I was here for visa pickup. Be polite and courteous. They let me in and stored my phone, then body scan and bag check. After that, I grabbed the key and walked to the building on the left hand side. Very neat and nice inside. There is water and restroom available. One window for passport and the other for visa. There was a family of 4 before me, so I took my seat and planned for long waiting. To my surprise, the lady at visa window called me for pick up after she processed the 2nd person of that family, which was really considerate. I got my passport back and found that they actually granted me one year visa with multiple entries, which was way beyond my expectation. Even better, they returned the extra money in cash along with the fee receipt. The lady was super nice and suggested me to double check my visa before departure. The whole experience was great.

I live and work in Oregon (main), and near Santa Barbara(second job), California. As San Fran did not have any appointment available, I booked an appointment in LA consulate. I was over prepared, I had more documents than they ask for including official letters from my friends inviting me to Germany, which was not required. I am a very successful engineer with a PhD, living in the states for 10 years with a green card (aka I do not need to be in Germany and was just going there for tourism). The lady in the LA Consulate office was so humiliating to me, doubted that was REALLY my friend (and we are friends for 30 years) and said they cannot process my application cos I live in Oregon, unless San Fran Consulate can email them for permission. I called San Fran Consulate, the lady on the phone was extremely rude to me, and talked to me as I was anything less than a human, and said: If they want to process your file, they should call us, not us emailing them. I went back into the LA Consulate building and asked them to call the San Fran Consulate. LA Consulate refused to call them, and refused to look at my Visa application. They just played with me like a tennis ball between LA and San Fran -- I think all because of my nationality - they did not help me at all. I lost 4000$ worth of hotels and airline expenses that I was planning for months and on top of that, I felt humiliated. Really, is this the representation of Germany? I really really hope not.

SFO consulate is exceptionally good ( i have no other words to say about their good work). Let me explain what has happened in my case: I need to travel on 21-Jun-2019 to attend business meeting in Poland and Germany, I mailed all my documents on 19-Jun received by consulate after working hours. I mentioned special note on my document about my travel date. On 20th morning consulate person called me and asked for couple of documents that are missing to process my visa. I have provided them in an email. I have got call on 21st Morning and asking me to pick my passport. I should really say thanks a ton to the consulate people as they have saved my $4.5K. I tried to get schengen visa from all other schengen countries but could not able to, I tried applying in German consulate, i have got visa within one day. Consulate people are really supportive and helps us a lot. They are very polite in giving answers to our questions. Please do not hear to the people who says bad words about this consulate. If we have proper documentation with us, you will get visa within no time. I had very good experience with SFO German consulate. Thanks a lot to the each on of the person who is there in Consulate.

Up until a few months ago all visa processing services were happening at the embassy itself, but then they started working with a third party company BLS and it is ridiculous how they manage to charge people triple the amount it should be charged, give them the worst service, make them go into the dirtiest offices in the worst parts of the city, and how they started giving such short visas. As a person who has lived in Germany lawfully for more than 7 years, and has visited there multiple times with Schengen visa and is a green card holder after the 4th time of applying they gave me a visa for exactly 10 days!!!!! They gave me visa for the dates of my flight, while they charged me over $220 instead of just 80€. What if the flight gets cancelled??? What if it gets delayed? What is this service? I have had year long visas and now that they can charge you more and make more hassle for you working with BLS, they don’t even save you the trouble and give you 10 days long visas but multiple!? How ridiculous is this really!

I would give more than 5 for the service I received. Booked refundable tickets through Lufthansa without knowing the new requirement of airport transit visa if the US visa is expired. Only option was to get the German visa and when I looked on to their portal for appointment where the latest available dates was Sep 19th. But due to email request and being on waitlist, Team at German Consulate SF(Specifically Monika who called me up) provided me an appointment in very short time and I was ready with all the documents. At the consulate office we were the last one as per appointment, we were on time with all the required documents, process went very smooth. Visa officer Carina verified all the documents and took our passport. Overall we are very thankful to the German Consulate team at SF. Just within a week our stress level was reduced by half because of the smooth process at consulate office. Received my passport with visa within 4 days from the appointment date. Thanks again German Consulate Team!

I called them to get information about a special case. The lady was very unfriendly and did not listen. She asked me questions and as soon I started to answer she already interrupted me again. She asked from what state I am calling although it does not matter at all for the information I wanted. Since I am working and I barely can call during the business times I called an embassy with another time zone. So she got angry and told me in an insulting way what do I think and why I am calling them I have to call the embassy in my State. AGAIN the location does not matter for the information I wanted !!! At the end she did not help at all. She seemed like she only wants to go home and does not want to work. Honestly, if you choose jobs in which you get in contact with "customers" then you have to be friendly and do your job. If you do not want to do that then choose a job in which you do not have to do any conversations with customers.

Simply terrible. I needed a visa to travel to Germany. My appointment was 2 weeks before the travel date and I was a bit worried, so I asked them when the visa will be ready. They told me that it will be ready by the end of the week. The middle of the next week, several days before departure -- no passport in the mail! I emailed them - no response. I called them and was told that I will be called back. No phone call. I left a message. No response. I called them the second time and was forwarded to an auto-response system that gives you no ability to leave a message and says: "Your application will be handled with utmost efficiency". Ha! It is a shame. I was at the Italian consulate two months ago and it is like the sky and ocean's bottom. Italians responded to my emails within hour. If the consulate is representative of the country, then I am sad for Germany.

From the online scheduling process to the in person appointment on the first day of business in 2020, I left with a great sense of accomplishment and appreciation for officials representing the German government in San Francisco. To start off, the support personnel at the gate was prompt, courteous and most attentive to its security detail. Thereafter, I spoke to officials inside the consulate to state my purpose for a required document certification and a subsequent application. The officials were prompt and most welcoming in their efforts to address my as well as a dozen or so attendants' cases in attendance that January morning. With this experience in mind, I have already informed colleagues, friends and family of the wonderful experience and would like to show my appreciation without disclosing sensitive details herein.

This consulate has THE WORST website that contains completely contradictory information about what kind of documents you must bring to get your paperwork done. EVERY TIME I go there there is at least one visitor cursing about how bad the information on the website is because they are missing some document of some copy of a document that wasn't mentioned on their website. Their appointment system is a disgrace, especially considering they are located in the tech hub of the world. It constantly times out when trying to book an appointment. Furthermore, the staff is completely incompetent!!!!! They make A TON OF MISTAKES, forget to sign documents, when their signature is required, even in urgent matters. This consulate is known for the terrible experience they provide. As a German, I feel utterly ashamed of this Consulate!

Needed to apply for a visa so that I could work during the process of getting my Blue Card once in Germany. Appointment process was kinda painful just because the site is a bit clunky, but I was able to get a slot reasonably quickly. Documentation requirements were clear with links to the right forms and everything from the appointment page. Got all of my stuff together, went in on the day of my appointment, and had no problem with the process. Everyone on staff was quite pleasant to deal with, and the agent I talked to gave me a few good tips for dealing with the bureaucracy in Germany. Took about five days for my visa to be approved and receive my passport mailed back via FedEx. Also just to note, there's a photo booth in the visa department waiting room, so if you need to get photos made that's possible on site.

I had the worst experience with the staff working here. I had to contact them for an official name change - a process that is listed to take around 2-3 months on their website. At this point, it has been 6 months and the name change is still not legal resulting in a delay of other important processes to maintain my visa status. Email inquiries were handled poorly and rudely. Again, this delay has not been my fault but was caused partly by the fact that my form was not processed for 2 months due to the vacation of an employee (I received this as a response to one of my emails). The last email I have received was from the consul herself stating - "Bitte sehen Sie von weiteren Emailabfragen ab" (Please refrain from sending further emails). This is not professional!

I have never, not once, had a positive interaction with these people. Unhelpful, snotty, rude, haughty. It’s absurd how difficult they make every single process. I am a German Citizen as a result of the genocide that took place. They exhibit no grace, refuse to explain anything and will never admit to any mistake. For example I was there to get my passport there was one question I was unsure of what they meant, I asked for clarification and the lady says “can you see? It’s right there. If you’re not going to fill it out leave” in the rudest tone you can think of. This is just a taste I have many more. I can’t believe how awful they insist on making every interaction. They should be ashamed of themselves. Such a poor representation of their country.

I had a very smooth experience overall. I arrived 15 min before my visa appointment. Some people have written negatively about the Security guard. I felt he was just doing his duty and very thoroughly. The security guard stores the mobile phone in a locker and gives you the key. Once i was in, had to wait for the person in front of me to be done. Once he was done i had to wait 2 min. The lady at the counter was very friendly. She took all the documents and arranged all the necessary once herself and gave back the extra documents. Once done she collected the visa and the mail fee to send the passport. I enquired how many days it would take. She said 3 - 5 working days. The surprise was, i received my passport with the visa at my door in 2 days.

Reading all the previous reviews, I was a little nervous about receiving the visa (if approved) on time. I had my trip scheduled exactly 3 weeks from the appointment. I was pleasantly surprised to get my passport fedexed overnight within 2 days of my appointment. Tuesday 12:15 was my appointment in San Francisco and I had the stamped passport delivered to me in Washington on Thursday morning at 10:15am. The lady who collected my documents and fingerprints was super nice and helpful. They were also nice enough to let me in and process my case although I went there nearly an hour earlier!! My visa validity was only for the duration of the trip - I think this is probably because this is my first time to Europe.

Be sure to have all your papers in order. Seriously. German bureaucrats are known for their attention to detail. Bring photocopies of everything. No phones allowed in the waiting room - you have to leave them locked up at the front gate, so bring a book. Beautiful grounds and building; I didn't bring a book so I spent some time staring out the windows and man, what a beautiful neighborhood. Nice carved wood interior in the waiting room which I spent a bunch of time admiring. The processes could probably stand some optimization, so everything takes a while. Staff was friendly and helpful for us - but if you show up here with a bad attitude you might not have a good time.

I wish I could share my experience but I still have been unable to gain access to the esteemed interior of this consular. I am told I have to make an online appointment which I've attempted for months now and still remain unsuccessful. On the occasions I have been to the consular I have been denied entry as I have no appointment! The Guard outside has no empathy at all. It's clear that the staff is doing everything they can to prevent german citizens from obtaining their constitutionally enshrined rights to access consular assistance when their citizens are abroad. And I have to say that in this endeavor they are doing an excellent job.

They are so kind and patient! I tried to submit an application for citizenship, waited in the wrong line, and by the time I realized my mistake it was 20 minutes after my squeduled appointment. The woman then told me I was already a citizen by birthright and I can just fill out a passport application. Unfortunately, the passport appointments were booked 3 months in advance, but the woman let me submit my application anyways! So kind, and helpful. So many people who forgot stuff were able to exit make copies, take passport photos, withdrawal cash etc. and come back to properly submit their paperwork.

Their website is just atrociously bad. After making my appointment, when I turned up, they said my appointment was for a Passport and not visa. The confirmation email (which was in German) didn't mention anything about it. My appointment was early in the morning (8 am). I explained to them that I had traveled all the way from South Bay, and that I was the only person outside their gate. They still refuses to consider (because rules). That asked me to go make another appointment and come back. I've changed my plans, and am visiting France instead of your unwelcoming country. Thanks for nothing.

We have come here to renew passports and apply for Visas many times over the last 8 years. We always received quick and friendly service and everybody was kind to answer any questions we had. What you need to know though is that if you want to book an appointment you need to check their website right at/shortly after 3pm each day (midnight in Germany) when the system issues new appointments. You won't have any luck during any other time of the day. That started to happen during the pandemic. My guess is because of limited staffing and/or needed to keep more distance between appointments.

Renewed my passport here. Negative things first: Their appointment system. I remembered I had to book my appointment several months in advance. When I came the clerk she mentioned that the two people in front of me did not show up. My conclusion is that because of that a lot of people have to wait forever to get their business done because other people just don't show up. The positive things: They are very nice and helpful. If you bring all your documents (do not forget your copies, they don't make copies for you) it's very quick. I got my new passport even faster than expected.

I was worried about the negative experiences I read but for me I had a very smooth experience, I arrived 15-20 minutes before my appointment time. Once I reached, I found a lady security guard who was kind enough and took me in and after the small security checks, let me in. After getting inside, the officer called for me and checked all the documents and I was done in 10 mins or so. The VISA was issued the very next day and they called to inform the same. Planning to pick up soon. Overall a very smooth experience. The people seemed very nice.

The German Consulate in San Francisco helped me when I was robbed last year. I went there the next day without an appointment and they let me file the request for a temporary passport and issued it in a matter of hours the same day, also helping me find a close enough place to take the necessary pictures and in general advised me how to navigate this rather troublesome situation. Both the security and the personell there were very polite and helpful the whole time. This experience certainly reduced the stress from the ordeal significantly!

During four months I’m trying to contact the Embessy to make an appointment but ! unfortunately no one replied to my emails and when I called they are saying that they accept people only by appointments .I Dont know How do I get that appointment if I called no one answered and no one replied to my emails . I travel to sfo to the Embessy at the door the gurd doesn’t Let me to go in ! He said that I have to make an appointment to go inside . If any one of Embessy workers read this feedback pleas contact me by my email.

I did talk to someone about getting a visa for an extended stay in Germany. So for that you have to give them at least one star. However, they told me as an American citizen to just go to Germany, apply immediately an the American embassy for a German visa, and get everything there... this sounds like a sure recipe for disaster. Especially when it's on the list of required documents, sent from Germany. They were unable to answer the basic question on what type of visa I need to apply for as well.

Worst ever appointment system! Over a month i tried their website,... junky! Its look like a 10 years old kid made this crm Their phone always is with no answered I went to the consular, to enter a guard said just with appointment!! Email the office! They will response fast! I did, and they never respond I’m loosing my flight in 14th apr I had 22 time schengen visa from Iran, never like this!! Somedays i thought Iranian are non organized! Now I understand German are worst

This place is a time machine. Don't expect that anybody really cares, tries to help, or speed up anything. It's really unfortunate if someone has to go there. Owing to the high rates of theft, robbery, and burglary you might expect to get at least minimum help without major burocracy. Not so in this place. After I had to deal with them, I am really considering to give up my German citizenship. So, this is the last place which helps you in case of emergency.

I went through the whole process of applying for a new passport. I cannot say that I am surprised, dealing with German bureaucracy from abroad is not any different than doing so from within Germany: Appointments take months, there is a lot of red tape to deal with, online presence is a joke and nobody cares. I have to say though, that my personal interaction was friendly and pleasant. Overall, do not come here if you not must.

This assessment is based on my experiences with the Konsulat. Staff unhelpful, unresponsive. 1.) Make sure to thoroughly do your research for required documentation, etc. before you go because they will have you buy/pay for services/documents that are unnecessary. 2.) If you have a court date or hearing in Germany, plan on going to Germany for it because there is no effective coordination with them and the German government.

So far terrible. There are no appointments available until the end of September... Germany, if you don't service your Consulate maybe it's time to automate some of your services. You claim you add appointments daily, but there is nothing to be found. Not exactly "German Efficiency" that we know. My emails are going into a black hole and calls go nowhere- I'll update this review, if I have a better experience.

It's basically impossible to get an appointment. Luckily (for them) they honor German and US holidays, so this makes it even harder. Considering that they are supposed to provide vital services for German citizens, the performance is an embarrassment. Now, I got an appointment at the consulate in LA ! 1.5h flight (one way) and almost $200 for a 20 min visit. That's what I call a sustainable climate policy.

Very unresponsive. They screwed up my German passport renewal and have been making no apparent effort to keep me informed about re-application status. 4 months later, and after reassuring me of "utmost proficiency" I cannot get in contact with anybody there - nobody picks up the phone, cannot leave message, emails cannot be received. Thoroughly disappointing! Wo ist die deutsche Gründlichkeit geblieben?

Terrible service. I called in to ask about my special case. Was given 0 information and directed to make an appointment online. Tried to make an appointment online but i says that there are no further appointments available AT ALL! Tried to call them again but nobody ever picks up! Great job! What do you guys get paid for? Are you not there to help German citizens in a foreign country? Apparently noT!

It's impossible to get an appointment to renew a passport! I am told "New appointments are being released daily". Huh? Since March I've been trying to secure an appointment almost daily via 'Terminvergabesystem des Auswärtigen Amts — San Francisco' without success. Can anyone let me know at what time new appointments being released? UPDATE: Apparently new appointments are pushed at midnight CET

cant understand why they used FedEx!!! I was not at home on the 29th when FedEx came ; then the driver faked that he had made another two delivery attempts on the 30th and 31st where I actually WAS at home, Now FedEx wants me to drive 62 km to pick up my passport at their facility - If the Embassy had used USPS it would have been in Kapolei and easy to get. Maybe they use USPS in the future?

Trying to get a hold of someone there is nearly impossible, wanted to renew my passport but don’t have all the required documents, send an email 3 times but nobody is getting back to me. Trying to call doesn’t help they just send you to there website. Tried to call on a Wed. at 3pm and the recording is telling me im calling outside there business hours (8am- 4pm), what a joke.

This is the worst experience ever. I'm a German citizen, I have been trying to renew my passport for 9 months. It now expired 3 months ago and I still haven't been able to get an appointment for a renewal. In the mean time the foreign minister travels around the world on our tax payer money to give big speeches but the ordinary citizens can't even get a passport renewed....

The German Consulate in San Francisco. If this was a private company they would have no customers, Incompetence is the word, not even the simple renewal of passports is something they do expeditiously, apparently the appointment system is an other way for them to say buzz off don't give me any work i get paid regardless. Lazy government employees a embarrassment to Germany.

Consulate staff were polite and efficient, this review would have been 5 stars. The guard outside, however, is on some power trip and extremely unpleasant to deal with. I’m frankly amazed how tolerant people were of him, but presumably they’re at the consulate because they have bigger things to deal with than a rude, unprofessional and completely unnecessary guard.

I called (Monday at 10:40 am PST) with a simple question regarding driver license reciprocity, and although they picked up immediately, they quickly advised me to send an email as no one in the office could answer my question, which I hadn't even asked yet. I gave them 2 stars for answering the phone, which is far more than the Los Angeles office could do.

The Consulate is not able to fulfill its mandate to (reliably) provide basic services such as passport appointments to German citizens. Every day at midnight new appointments are released, the server is unresponsive due to too many requests and 5 minutes later there are no appointments available. Can anybody imagine a better scheduling system?

They take more time in responding to any email. They have made us contact german consulate in different countries,even though it was not necessary. They have not provided case status after waiting for 3 months now. I believe there should be more transparency in tracking an application. It is very difficult and frustrating to wait.

I had great experience here! The lady who took care of Schengen visa was very nice and she explained everything. I just knew that I didn't have to come all the way from Hawaii to SF because I already had my fingerprint done last year when I got a Schengen visa. Now it's valid for the next 5 years if I need to apply in the future!

The German Consulate is open 8am to 4pm Monday through Thursday. Friday is 8am to 1pm. PASSPORT PICKUP is Monday-Wednesday 2pm to 4pm. They close on the weekends, obviously . If you're having trouble setting any appointments, check for appointments around 3pm San Francisco time because it's 12am in Germany, good luck! …

The Consulate General of Germany was a very beautiful place. Very helpful and the wait time was almost non existent. Although there was a mix up with my appointment and the guard at the gate did not have my appointment on his list. He called to the front desk and everything was OK. Over all it was a very good experience.

One thing I didn't like was they only give visa to the period of time that the event happens, a tiny change of the event ruins all the work and getting everything arrange sometimes takes weeks. but everything else is pretty good. the lady who picks up the call is very helpful (sounds like the same lady every time).

Appointments online are difficult to get . Once you have it show up no sooner then the show time given to you. Appointment follows shortly after waiting outside. If you bring everything that was required to get a new passport it only takes a few minutes. Sigrid who handled my case was super friendly and efficient.

The security and scheduling mechanisms make sense and the entire procedure is dignified and efficient. The only wobble is that appointments are very hard to come by. One has to schedule at midnight German time (15:00 Pacific) to get any appointments weeks ahead. The capacity of the consulate is way below demand.

The kind staff saved me from being stranded in the US when my passport had been stolen and I needed a kind of emergency passport to travel back home. Just had a couple of hours before my flight left and they issued the document in less than an hour. A special thanks to the very friendly lady at the reception.

The staff is very friendly, we were not getting an online appointment and our trip was approaching quickly, so they helped us with the appointment and airport transit visa. Phone laptops are not allowed inside the embassy. There is free street parking available on the same block or the adjacent one.

I just called to ask a simple question about a visa for staying in 6 months and the lady was rude and talking to me condescendingly. She started to yell at me and when I was finished asking questions she said “okay good. Bye” If you don’t like your job and are that miserable, then go somewhere else

Made an appointment two months in advance. I drove an hour and a half and showed up for the appointment. The person I was to meet with was not there. Nobody else at the Consulate could help me. I left my contact information. One week later there has been no effort by the Consulate to get in touch.

the worst! If I could leave -5 star review, I would. Told me that takes 5 weeks to give me visa and took them 3 months. They don't answer phone calls and when they do they are rude and don't want to check the tracking number they give you. I hope I will never have to go there again!

I had to drive San Francisco to renew my Passport. This takes a complete day. The process could not be more complicated than described on the website. Why do you need so many documents if you have already a Passport and as well an American. So stupid. But know we are much saver!

The worst experience! Called and was told they don't have answers they can give in the phone. I sent an email as instructed, no response. Sent another email, no response. No answers on the phone yet again! Almost 3 full weeks with no communication from the embassy. Garbage!

This is probably the worst consulate I have ever delt with. There customer service to understanding your needs is ridiculous. I had to explain my self everytime. I called and they transfered me to different people that had no idea why I got transfered to them.

The consulate staff are incredibly efficient, helpful and courteous. Honestly, I could never imagine any government organization, foreign or domestic, to provide services of this quality. These guys have set a bar that would be hard to beat for everyone else.

Getting a visa appointment was difficult, taking about 4 weeks of constant checking at 3:00 PM (12:00 AM CEST) before I was able to secure one. However, the appointment itself was extremely quick, and the workers are very friendly and very helpful!

Everyone at the German Consulate in San Francisco is very helpful and nice. From scheduling to the in-person appointment the process works great. All information about what to bring, fees and details is available online. Great service!!

Everyone at the embassy, gate security, reception, and consular staff were extremely friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. The building is a lovely early 20th century structure with fantastic vuews if the Marin hills and San Pablo Bay.

Seriously flawed - Telephone system leads you nowhere, non-responsive service. It says public hours from 9 to noon, but it's actually not open - you need an appointment. Nobody responds when you call. Germany should be ashamed of this!

I am in an urgent situation. Tried to call and they have an option for acute emergencies „dial 0“, but then you hear. „Our front desk is currently busy, please try again later“. I am a German citizen and feel ashamed and abandoned.

Unbelievable!! They lost my US permanent resident card and did not take responsibility AT ALL! Remember NEVER EVER mail your precious documents to them even if they persist. Just apply from other embassies foe Schengen visa

Had to renew my passport (every 10 years) so personal appearance was in order. From the moment I arrived at the gates, it was a MOST pleasant experience. Will definitely do that again. ;-) THANK YOU, Team German Consulate!

My wife and I were very happy with the advice and service we received from the German Consulate staff in SF. We found them to be friendly and very helpful. Thank you very much for the assistance you provided us.

Extremely poor functioning visa and passport department. Rude security guard out front, unhelpful, a lot of uncertainty in terms of getting your visa processed. Awful experience with the SF Consulate so far.

Very friendly and helpful. They made copies of my document for visa application even though they have specifically said on their website to be prepared. They took their time and made my experience pleasant.

Website is a little difficult to navigate but once you make an appointment and go in the experience was superb. Unbelievable efficiency. In and out in less than 10 min to obtain citizenship. A real marvel.

Very welcoming consulate. As recommended, make sure to arrive prepared with all documents completed for a swift and efficient visit. The hardest part of the visit was finding parking. Beautiful office!

Super fast and efficient. Had a huge group of people to get visas for, with appointments spread over two days. Everything went so fast and efficiently, we got all the appointments done in one day.

Absolute fail. I just tried to call, it was 4:23pm. Closing time for a Wednesday says 5pm. I got a message saying I was calling outside their normal opening hours. Ridiculous!! Horrific service.

Two times here and the experience has been phenomenal. In and out in 10 mins. If you are prepared and have all the docs it’s a smooth sailing. Keep up the good work consulate folks. Cheers :)

I found a German/European union passport card in Santa Cruz, should I mail it back to Los Angeles or San Francisco, we tried calling but nobody answered.!‍♂️‍♂️ …

Worst Experience. Getting appointment is difficult and they don't even listen to you issues or problems. They make you stand in cold out the main entrance and treat very rudely.

Smoothest visa experience from online appointment to in-person interview. Lady at the counter was very accommodating and she let me and my husband interview together. …

Had to renew my passport. All the information I needed was online as was the appointment booking. The appointment was really quick and efficient. Everyone was kind and helpful.

Nearest PARKING GARAGE is: 1650 Jackson st (Express Parking). Cheap rates starts at $4. Uber/,lyft recommend if you are looking not to drive since this is on a steep hill road

I do not even want to give them one star. Rude, indifferent, demeaning, and unhelpful. I'd rather get on a 10-hour flight to Germany than return to that consulate.

Impossible to get an appointment as the online scheduling tool doesn't work and no human can be reached by phone. German efficiency... not so much in this place.

In the 39 years I have been there they have repeatedly lost paperwork and delayed requests. I have also never had anyone on the phone who was polite in any way.

Very nice staff. I'm not a German (as people say in their comments) but they treated me very well. Had my appointment 8:15 in the morning and all went good.

Very nice staff ! Had appointment and showed up two hours early and got in anyways ! The appointment went quick and the lady was extremely friendly !

Unable to get an appointment because of their terrible website. And calling them is the worst experience ever. They can’t wait to get rid of you.

I just applied for a new passport. The process was fast. The staff was very professional and friendly. The process was fast and easy. 5 stars!

Horrible customer service. They dont ever pick up your phone. When they do they transfer you to someone else so you keep holding on forever.

Staff was very helpful and friendly. We did not have all the paperwork and we were able to come back same day and submit our application.

Went to the Consulate for a travel visa appointment. The staff was really helpful and polite. They quickly processed our application.

Despite COVID-19 and small issue with my passport renewal application, we were able to find a way to make the application successful.

I have always found everything went as planned. Parking, however, is a problem anywhere in San Francisco. The building is beautiful.

I had a great experience. Very professional and friendly. I even got a compliment , what I do, to look so young for my age

It happened twice. In the middle of conversation she said “Other calls coming in” and she just hang up. Excuse me??

Beautiful building, well organized. If you are going for passports, they now have a passport photo booth. Cost is $5.

This place does not respond to information requests. Typical bad German service all around. A bunch of Wichtigtuer.

The lady that handles the visa is super nice and accommodating. This is more a 5 star on her than anything else.

Once we got an appointment, they were great. It seems tho that they don't have the staff to answer the phones.

Beautiful building with a killer view! Friendly folks working here. Quick and efficient, as you'd expect.

I was surprised how polite and professional the staff was, you don't see this much at other consulates.

Could get an appointment via email on short notice. Very friendly + helpful for a passport renewal.

Amazing staff who were completely understanding and helpful and overall just genuinely nice people.