When I came here to get my Visa to visit Angola, the people behind the glass were so nice in…read morehelping me fill out the form, telling me the documents that I needed and even when I didn't have some stuff printed out they printed it for me. The service in this place I would say is superb. The decor of the office is a nice timeless look. You walk in the glass doors which has the Angolan decal beautifully inserted on the glass. There are nice comfy chairs to start on while watching and a pretty view outside of the window to look at while waiting!

I used to work in the oil industry, as such had to go to the Consulate quite often to get short…read moreterm Visa's. The context of this review is from my daughters experience at the Spanish Consulate in Washington DC. Her experience at the Spanish Consulate was one of the worker being truly welcoming, and interested in why she was going to Spain (student Visa) and even gave hints at what to do, experience and tips on culture to make her visit more enjoyable. Pretty high bar set. At this consulate, think more the Soup Nazi in Seinfeld. get in line, look straight ahead and don't bring attention to yourself. They got the job done (up check). Were they pleasant, ehhhhh truthfully no, any tips on enjoying Angolan Culture, no way, did one of the attendants even say a word to me......no (used some form of sign (language). If you have your paperwork squared away (it is complicated and you will need a Visa service), don't make an ass of yourself, are respectful, and your check doesn't bounce, you can be in and out of there fairly quick (longest time for me was two hours, shortest time was ten minutes). There was an older lady who works there, who is very tough, but after being helped by her about ten times, I did finally get a thank you out of her (and I believe a smile). :) Waiting room is fine, and quite nice if you like European soccer. They do have a water container there (nice if a hot day in Houston), but for the love of everything that is right and holy, don't use your phone in the waiting line (or the room for that matter) or try to argue. Just like the soup Nazi bumped Elaine out of line, they will tell you "NO SOUP (Visa) FOR YOU, COME BACK THREE MONTHS!!!!!

I was invited to attend an event at the Indonesian Consulate's Office this week. It's called…read moreCulinary Day. It was a very well-planned event. Originated from an idea of food presentation from Aurora Murabayashi, the wife of Consulate General of Japan. There were joined by the wives of several countries' consulate generals in Houston. We watched cooking demonstrations and got to try the dishes from Indonesia, India, Ukraine, Japan, Angola and Switzerland. The facility was beautiful and the atmosphere was amazing. I got to network with the food presenters. I also toured the museum promoting Indonesia. Lots of history in 75 years of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and the United States. I have heard there is an annual bazaar happening in August. I can't wait to come back to learn about the Indonesian culture and try more Indonesian cuisine.

After hearing rumors of how local Indonesians flock to the consulate on Saturdays from 11-2 for a…read moremarket style smorgasboard of authentic food, we decided to check it out. Walking into the empty consulate doors on a Saturday afternoon, we found our way into a large room with women casually sitting behind tables selling various dishes prepacked in ziploc bags and to-go boxes and ready to go. The atmostphere is very much like what you might find perhaps post-church service with families selling their home-cooked foods a la bake sale style. Each dish costs approximately $5 to $7ish dollars cash only, so between the three of us, we grabbed 3 or 4 items that looked tasty and sat down to chow down. I couldn't really tell you the names of anything we ate, but I can tell you that it was all pretty delicious and we were surprisingly very stuffed at the end. There was a banana leaf wrapped chicken and rice thingy that was tasty. There were a variety of curry coconutty saucy broths that were delicious and reminded us of filipino or thai foods. There was also a package of what were basically potato chips glazed in a VERY spicy sweet chili sauce that was like a crack addiction (or so I've heard). Overall, the selection was so-so, but apparently we arrived a little too late (1230). Apparently, there is a lot more food at 11 sharp, so we fully intend on returning here next time right from the start to get the full experience.

My wife needed a Schengen Visa to travel to France . Setting up appointment through the online…read moresystem was a breeze. There were several appointments available in the next few days. Got there with all the documents ready and copies of original documents. Was called to the window in less than 5 minutes.The person was very courteous. The only issue was that our travel medical insurance had a deductible and he wanted zero-deductible insurance. He told me to go to a website to purchase the insurance and e-mail him the confirmation while we waited there. Got done in 10-15 minutes. The only other problem I encountered was with return envelope that they ask for. They want you to put your own address in both FROM and TO field. UPS and FEDEX do not let you do that. However, if you signup for an account with USPS on their website, you can print a label with same "from" and "to" address. You just have to tell them that the item will be shipped from a different ZIP code. Visa arrived in less than the time they had told us.

I had an excellent experience at this French consulate. I'm about to study abroad in France, so I…read moreapplied for a long stay student visa. For this scenario it's set up so that you submit a 'Campus France' form online and then you mail a money order and a copy of your acceptance letter to the office in Washington DC. After this has been confirmed, you set up an appointment with your local consulate. It's important that you bring the documents listed on the website and that you have a credit card on hand to pay the 50 euros for the visa. They will not accept cash. The consulate is located in one of those multi- business buildings and across the street from a Starbucks. Great place to sit and collect your thoughts/ documents before going inside! It's essential that you arrive at the time of your appointment- I would recommend getting there a few minutes early because they took me ahead of time. You go up the elevator and to the right, then there's a waiting room that's set up kind of like a bank. You have to put your appointment confirmation receipt through the window and they will call your name. The man that helped me was very friendly and efficient. My appointment was on a Friday, and I received my passport + visa by mail the following Wednesday! All around great experience. I'm posting this here because I know how stressed out I was about all of this and it would have been nice to have some reassurance. Hopefully this is helpful to someone. :)

At the Heights of my fame I started dating a girl that lived here. You know her as Barbi…read more The people who run this area and charge property taxes and enforce them deserve 1 star. Not to mention those gentrifying and forcing all of the poor and non-white people out of the area (not directly because they are not white, but it's pretty clear how things are going here). I love the neighbourhood, it's beautiful, it's trendy, there are sexy people here, it's memorable, it's safe, it's quaint. But the food here is overpriced hyper trendy crap that is not authentic at all (with a few exceptions), it's perhaps the most gentrified area of Houston, and there are some very shady people running it. Still there will always be a big chunk of my heart here. The food to eat here is Asia Market Thai Lao food on Main St, and anything from El Bolillo Bakery on Airline. By the way, the Heights is the Heights. Don't be fooled by the 429 other neighbourhoods nearby claiming to be the Heights.

Used this service to obtain a passport quickly and they did not deliver. Payed a heavy fee to have…read morea passport in 15 days. 17 days later I still have no passport and my concierge won't answer my calls. Have been put on hold for well over an hour and a manager won't contact me. I have a flight tomorrow with no passport and no plan. The only person I've spoken to said they can't guarantee their service even though they claim they can have something to you in a specific time.

We needed a VISA for a trip to China but there are very few consulates in our state (Arizona). So,…read morerather then go to another state (documents had to be given in person), we did research on Passport agencies. The above service in Texas looked like it had everything we wanted on their website, so we contacted them. They do many countries but have a direct relationship in particular with China and Brazil. Their communication was quick and concise with any questions they had. Their site explained everything we needed and had all the necessary forms. They even had staff who were Chinese and understood what China would require. We had a complication with one VISA and they were able to solve this and the VISAs were quickly approved. We got back the VISAs within two days of the Consulate issuing them. Highly recommended, we will use them again next time we need VISAs for a foreign trip.

If you need documents processed or a visa issued by the Vietnamese Consulate in Houston, this…read moreoffice delivers exactly what's required -- no more, no less. The setup is minimalist and efficient in its own way, with soothing background music playing continuously as you wait. It's a good idea to bring a book or magazine since processing times can vary. Be aware that photography is not allowed inside, and payments are cash-only. There's a Bank of America ATM conveniently located across the street for those who need it (as always in Houston, stay alert when handling cash). The staff members are clearly focused and professional in the straightforward Vietnamese bureaucratic tradition. Communication can occasionally be a bit challenging if you don't speak Vietnamese, so patience and politeness go a long way. Keep your documents perfectly prepared--there's no public copier on-site, so handle copies beforehand. Overall, this Consulate performs its duties reliably if you come ready, stay courteous, and understand that diplomacy begins with a smile.

Updated June 5, 2026…read more Came in Tuesday 3:00pm and was seated last in a long line of chairs. Apparently a very busy afternoon but I barely made it in to reception by 4pm. Receptionist reviewed my forms then said copy of passport was needed! Lesson learned: have extra copy of passport or documents just in case. Returned on a Friday 2:30pm. Surprisingly no line, receptionist promptly waved me to come in. Reviewed my forms then offered to process visa exemption while I wait outside. I took the offer, went back outside to waiting room. 20 minutes later, heard my name called to go back in and take the passport with the 5 year exemption sticker. Lesson learned: come in early right after 2pm and perhaps go on a Friday for potential short line.

This was one of the worst customer service experiences I've ever had. The staff were extremely…read moredisrespectful and unprofessional. I felt that I was treated unfairly and without basic courtesy. Instead of helping, they spoke in a rude manner and made the process unnecessarily difficult. No one seemed interested in answering questions or providing proper assistance. A government office should treat people with respect regardless of their background, but unfortunately that was not my experience here. I hope management reviews the behavior of the staff and improves the service for the public.

This new office has less seating space and moves slower than molasses. Auto tag renewal for my…read morehusband took 2 hours and when I came wait time said 30 min and I'm going on over 1 hour. One of the attendants say they are just going in order of tickets pulled but it's moving x10 slower than the old building.

They are very helpful, in fact I have never had service like this before, they will call you, e…read moremail you, they are fast with replies. CWO Ian M. Garland

We went to the Houston Australian Passport office to renew our passports: Me, my wife, and 2…read morechildren. Before going there, we were a bit nervous and optimistic as we were visiting the Australian Consulate Office. We drove all the way from El Paso. We had limited time on our hands. In case any paper is missing or wrong, it would be very hard to go back and forth. Anyway, the lady named Megan made our day. She was such a nice lady it is hard to forget. She made the process easy. She provided the best customer service we haven't received in a long time. She is truly amazing, friendly, and efficient