As the person above stated, I called and emailed multiple times and was unable to get in touch with anyone. As I tried to book my passport renewal appointment via their site, it simply stated that " no appointments were available" but didn't even provide alternative dates to book. The website is very flawed and so is their phone answering system. I have had better luck getting in touch with Spirit Airlines than the Boston consulate. Edit to state that I am Italian, speak the language and was born and raised there. Still frustrated with the lack of functionality of this system. They need to work on it. read more

Pathetic .... If i did my job the way the people in this consulate do, I would be fired within a week! Answer the dam phone and actually help. Don't pass us off to an email that never gets a reply from. I have called 6x, spoke with the same woman every time and it's the same line every time "Here is the email address to send your inquiry to". I have sent over a dozen emails and not one reply. At one point they took my name and phone number down to pass along to the appropriate point of contact which resulted in no call back. read more

Very courteous staff and helpful. Thank you to everybody there. In and out. My appointment time was on time.

It is impossible to contact them. I have sent emails to passaporti.boston@esteri.it... no replies. I have called their number (617) 722-9201... the line tings, and it seems the call is picked up, followed by silence, and them hangs up... Tried their website, and it hangs up with everything I try... read more

My experience was positive from start to finish. I arrived on a weekday, midafternoon. There's a security gauntlet (online ID check, x-ray of bags and coats, etc.) at the main entrance to the federal building. At the consulate office itself (on the 17th floor), I was directed, in Italian, to a waiting room, which was otherwise empty; and at precisely the time of my appointment, a very gracious clerk ushered me into his office. He was welcoming and affable, processed my paperwork efficiently, and then (after another short wait) called me back into his office and presented me with the documents I needed. I had been nervous beforehand and was so grateful for his kindness. There is no parking lot, but there are garages several blocks away. The building is across the street from South Station, so taking the commuter rail or T might be the most convenient option. As another reviewer mentioned, the key is to be prepared, to have all your paperwork in hand, and not to expect an effusively friendly atmosphere. I was treated cordially and respectfully, my request was handled immediately, and my experience could not have been better. read more

Articulate, personable, supportive, entertaining event with a global perspective in support of the Italian culture

Follow the instructions exactly about what to bring. We were done in 5 min & the visa will be mailed in 10 days. Excellent.

Unusual process though some of the people at the visa line can be pretty unfriendly. The building is slightly difficult to find initially as it is part of a huge building and is located on one of the higher level floors. There's no street parking as such there although there's a pricey parking lot around the corner. The person behind the window decides if you get the visa or not. There's no interview as such. Also while picking up the visa back, it's slightly confusing as you've to wait for someone to come and hand out the passports. Also if you're looking for multiple entry visa, you gotta bring your flight ticket reservations for the second journey as well. read more

The worst consulate I have to deal with and let me tell you why. I walked in with all the documents ready according to the consulate website, printed, and organized in order. The person behind the window was super unfriendly and rude right off the bet, almost yelled at me to give her all my documents. Then she insisted she can't process my visa because I don't have the proof of state residence for MA. Let me remind you I hold a out of state driving license but I have printed all my MA state returns, bank statement with address to prove my state residence. Besides, I hold a MA state CPA license and practice in the state. And she insisted that can't be acceptable unless I provide the MA driving license to prove my residence. I showed her the requirements I printed out from the consulate website which reads: proof of state residence such as state driving license, state ID, state income tax, copy of lease etc. If you are any competent person, you would understand state driving license can be used as one of the proof but NOT the only proof. And on what basis you have the rights to question my state residence while I provided the required documents to you? And on what basis you can demand the document that's is simply not the only one required officially?! I have dealt with many consulates and this one is the rudest, incompetent, unprofessional and disrespectful. It's such a bad reflection of the country, especially when Italy is having such a recession. People who would like to visit already get treated poorly before stepping into the country. read more

This was an awful experience. As a student at a higher education institution in Boston, MA, studying Communications and Media Studies, I have made the decision to study abroad in Florence, Italy during the Spring 2019 semester. Upon attempting to make an appointment online to receive a visa for the Spring, the website was experiencing technical difficulties. After quite a few more attempts, I decided to call the Italian Consulate in Boston to help me with the issues I was having. The individual I spoke with over the phone was extremely unfriendly and rude to me from the start, making a big deal over helping me make an appointment to obtain my visa. At the end of the call, they proceeded to tell me that they could not help me and then hung up on me. This experience was very annoying, to say the least. The person who "helped" was extremely unprofessional and rude to me. To conclude, if you are having trouble making an appointment to obtain a visa, you're screwed. read more

Some of the rudest, most unhelpful people I've ever encountered. All the employees are overworked and stressed due to disorganization and the amount of people who come through everyday, and it shows in their work ethic and performance. It's almost as if they don't really care about customer service or actually helping people get whatever they need. They are more concerned with other bureaucratic matters and essentially treat anything else like an inconvenience. Every time I called sociale, I spoke with an incredibly rude man who sincerely just didn't want to help and felt too pressured by the upcoming elections to answer any sort of questions. I was referred to email them, without getting a response or responding with a lot of attitude. After living in Italy and experiencing this firsthand every time any sort of legal paperwork was needed, I shouldn't have expected much of a difference. Everyone is frustrated working at this embassy which further frustrates anyone seeking their help. Good luck to anyone who needs anything remotely important from them. read more

As an Italian citizen, I have always been treated well at the consulate, and there in lies the key. I'm Italian and understand the System, and know what to expect . Unfortunately foreigners, particularly Americans, expect customer service friendliness and efficiency , smiling faces, and outgoing personalities. This is not part of the Italian bureaucracy. It purely business and functional. So, like the rest of us get over it, and learn to live with it! read more

My daughter will be studying in Italy next semester. We visited the consulate today. We didn't have to wait too long, 45 minutes past our scheduled time but once we went up to the window (yes it is a window with a round opening) it took all of five minutes. It does have the same tension as the registry where you're terrified you don't have what you need to complete the process. Some pointers: give yourself plenty of time to get there. We are talking about Boston traffic and the GPS can be really wonky for some reason. The office is on the 16th floor of the Federal Reserve Bank building. There is public parking on Congress street around the corner. Convenient but it ain't cheap. $40.00 for two hours! There may be something cheaper in the area but we didn't have time to look. read more

Today we were there for a passport the Gentleman Antonio was extremely polite and very helpful , But the receptionists I believe his name was Fabio needs to learn some manners VERYRUDE ! You should have a smile on your face and not making wise remarks there are other people in the waiting room that hear you !!! read more

Completely agree with some of other comments. The visa lady is rude and really gives people a bad impression of Italy. She kept calling me that "if you want to live double life..." (just because I have driver license from another state). I was quite offended. In the end, I had to cancel my Italy trip for this ignorant officer. read more

My daughter needed to get her Visa to study abroad. She had a little trouble making the appointment online, but was able to get it done. We arrived early for our appointment and watched as most who presented their applications were missing documents. This caused a delay which was no fault of the staff. Their site explains what you need to bring. We waited 2 1/2 hours past our appointment time, but when we got up to the counter, we were done in about 5 minutes. She went back today (exactly two weeks from the date of application) and everything was ready as promised. These folks have a huge responsibility servicing the entire Schengen area for the New England states and spend unnecessary time explaining to folks what they need to bring back. Have your documents ready and they will get you what you need! read more

Went there to renew my passport and was very well treated, felt at home. Everybody was so nice, cheerful and polite, that the 1.5 hour I spent waiting was not so bad. read more

Much better than what I have expected after reading the previous review. The room is small but quite. When I entered the room, the officer gently told me to sit down and wait. While waiting, I watched her politely helped a few other people who had asked a lot of questions. When it's my time, she called my name and I stepped to her. She was patient and answered a question I had so that I could fill it up on the application form (since I wasn't sure and left it blank). After asking me a few questions and reviewing my documents, she asked me to get finger prints and then passed me a piece of paper explaining when I could pick up my visa. The whole interview process went smoothly took about 15 minutes. The only thing that could improve their services is that I wished the reservation email could provide some more details about the interview process, such as sitting down after entering the room, waiting for your name to be called, the process to pick up the visa, how to authorize other people to pick it up for you, and etc. But my overall experience is pretty good with this office. read more

they make everything difficult... it seems like you are bothering them when you need something. the hours of operation are so short...less than 20 a week its just ridicuolus read more

Renewed my passport on 3/1/19. Process was prompt, efficient, and I found all consular staff knowledgeable and polite.

Had my passport renewed and service was prompt and professional! G.Rizzo

I have interacted with this Consulate a number of times. Each time, they were extremely helpful, courteous, and highly knowledgeable. This include corresponding via email; their answers were very prompt and thorough. read more