Had to visit the Aussie High Commision for a passport interview and let me tell you, security to…read moreget into the Passport Office, which is off to the side and has its own separate entrance, is massively fierce - try to leave anything unnecessary at home or even better, don't bring any bags with you if possible! Once thru the guard gauntlet, you are buzzed you into the waiting room, which has drinking water available but no loos. The staff were super efficient and we were done in 20 mins, since had an appointment (which I also highly highly recommend making via the Dept's website). The building itself is majestic and gorgeous, so walk around the front and check out all the lovely Aussie symbols! Yelp 5/ 2019

Australia House does not just house consular services but like many embassies occasionally opens…read moreits doors to the general public when hosting art exhibitions. I attended a talk on contemporary sculpture held within the stunning exhibition of works by Australian sculptors Shona Nunan and Michael Francis Cartwright. You enter from a side entrance on Melbourne Place and are transported into another world. Stone and bronze sculptures are displayed in a grand room below crystal chandeliers. Embassies make wonderful backdrops for art - not sure how you find out about these exhibitions though, I feel lucky!

I booked an appointment via the embassy website for 2pm (the earliest available). got there early…read moreso queued outside which is fine. I was allowed inside at my appointment time only to find out that the appointment time is not an "appointment time" as we know it. it is, in fact, the time they let you in, join another queue inside and wait for the (usual) slow service to get to you. This, however, shouldn't surprise me as this office has always been slow and inefficient. I was just hoping that they could find a more effective, faster and efficient way in delivering their services. Shame as the staff are nice and polite, the system is letting both them and us down. Please change for the better - this is just embarrassing.

They definitely OVER delivered!! Background - I was stupid and inadvertently shredded Mrs G's…read morepassport by mistake while shredding mountains of confidential paperwork and she was traveling a week later. Yikes!! We managed to get an appointment at 8am on a Friday morning. There were long lines for visa applications but Mrs G was allowed to walk right in and about 40 minutes later walked out clutching a brand new Emergency Passport (valid for a year) and could fly to LAX the next Tuesday!! God bless America. Thank you :)

The staff was professional and the process was organized. Security was tight, but expected. Make…read moresure to bring all required documents. Overall, a smooth experience.

Wow -- the architecture and decorative carved reliefs of all the exotic African animals make this…read morebuilding stand out in a sea of monumental architecture around Trafalgar Square. The embassy of South Africa is the best embassy building we have seen in our travels! I will upload photos when I got home 5 stars!

Kuwait Embassy has the best location in London ! At the entrance of the Hyde Park which it very…read morenoticeable and a prime location . Staff are so friendly and helpful and they do all what they could to serve their both citizens and visitors. Great job !

Getting my visa to Egypt was a piece of cake. It usually takes 2 working days to get it done, but…read morethey managed to speed it up for me due to some circumstances... All the staff were nice, friendly and ready to help... I am not giving them 5 stars because I arrived once at 4:02pm to collect my passport and they were closed already: no way around it. A bit of flexibility on that side and they would really deserve 5 stars...

All my previous experience of embassies is based on a long visit to the US embassy last summer, so…read moreI was just happy that my trip to the Japanese embassy this morning was a quick in and out affair. Staff were perfectly pleasant and very efficient, there was plenty of space to fill out forms in comfort and best of all I was leaving again a mere 15 minutes after I showed up. There was a problem though - I'd convinced myself the building was on the Mall when it's the other side of the park. I would have got there exactly on time if it had been where I thought it was, but as it happened I had to peg it across Green Park in sweltering heat to arrive, red faced, ten minutes late. I can't blame the embassy for that though.