Makes the US passport services process look simple, efficient, and easy. Incredibly convoluted processes, document requirements (why do I need to present an original birth certificate to renew a passport?), and appointment system at this consulate. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to find an appointment to renew my passport in the next three months, but not counting on it. Not exactly a professional operation in place here... Oh, and the staff here is incredibly rude and patronizing. They will respond with sass to legitimate feedback about their subpar service & systems. read more

Very kind individuals working here. The process for whatever you choose to do is very efficient. We had our appointment at 1400, were able to show up 15 minutes early, and we were out before our allotted appointment time finished. The building is also gorgeous with amazing detail on the doors and ceilings. It was also nice having a view while the paperwork was being processed. Security was incredibly nice and friendly. I have zero complaints about this location! read more

I think the German Consulate General stopped operating in San Francisco. It is impossible to get an appointment online, even after trying daily for several months. Emails remain completely unanswered even after checking in. Very sad, but it seems the German Government has abandoned its citizens living in California. read more

Very friendly helpful we really appreciate it. Dealing with them. Good job thanks Gary and ROSE.

For the past two months I was never able to get an appointment to renew my passport until now. The German Consulate never assisted me in getting an appointment. I was just told that appointments are given out on a 'regular basis'. After over two months unsuccessfully trying to get an appointment I came across a review that stated that the appointments are released at midnight 'German time'. That would mean 3 pm PST. I gave it a try and at around 3:30pm was able to secure an appointment immediately ( three weeks out). I am definitely unhappy that nobody at the German consulate seems to be aware of this. So if anybody reads this review, try to get the appointment online shortly after 3 pm. Worked for me twice since I had to change my appointment once. So my rating for the person who noted the release time is 5 stars, the consulate still didn't do their job to help read more

You can not get an appointment on line for passport renewal. We have tried for three months this is ridiculous and not a reflection of typical German efficiency. We suppose our only option is to fly back to Germany to get it renewed over there as the expired passport will be soon. Sad what has become of this office read more

Fast & Friendly Passport Renewal Service! For an appointment go on their website at 3PM PST, which is midnight in Germany and apparently that's when new appointments are released. Brought in all required documents and handed it to the lady with the smile. After 10-15 minutes I was asked for my signature & fingerprints. Shortly thereafter I paid and was on my way. The whole experience could not have been any more pleasant! Danke vielmals Frau B.!! read more

Crappiest consulate on the planet!!! The director of the consulate acts nice but it is of no help. Rejected for Schengen visa twice for no reason... Missed a trip with my family because they didn't approve a visa in time. Will never have to go back thanks to a change of status but I recommend going through another country if you need a Schengen visa NOT Germany!!! You can't get an appointment and if you show up for an emergency visa to their office in SF they treat you like a criminal.... They will phone it in and the security folks will pass you the phone only to be screamed at by their front office... total power trip!!! Honestly some of these folks should not be let in to the US just based on their attitude. I hope US customs give them the same treatment when they arrive in this country! read more

Any 5 star review after Covid begun is fake. My husband has been trying to renew his passport and can't.. no appointments. Really?! People need to get passports! Ignoring them is so unprofessional.. c'mon German Consulate! I expect better of you. SMH. read more

German Consulate General - Embassy Near Me - San Francisco, California

Passport renew is practically not or only for a 'handful' of people available. It's impossible to get an appointment within 4 Month. It's also about their unwillingness to help people with their inquiries and needs. Even with their own citizens! One of the worst government services I had ever to do with and there were a lot of them. read more

German Consulate General - Useless software system - Embassy Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Gee, these people are nice, from the security guards on up, each and every person was patient, helpful and delightful. Truly great ambassadors for Germany. read more

Since my initial difficult encounters with the German Consulate in San Francisco, I am happy to report things have improved. I visited twice last year, once to renew my passport, and again to pick it up. Friendly? Not exactly. But expecting friendliness at a consulate is probably a bit like expecting a warm reception at the DMV. Efficient? Yes. These days I make sure to have my Reisepässe at the ready and no one's given me any more grief about "looking German". And thankfully, it doesn't appear that we'll need to meet again until 2017. read more

It isTuesday March 7, 2022. I started calling the consulate at 8:30am. Since then I have tried to call 5 or 6 times always the same answer: ' unfortunately you are calling outside of our business hours..... please, call again' !!!! Now it's 11:00 am and I give up... even my bank has better business hours. read more

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. read more

German Consulate General - Nearby Lafayette park, within five minutes walking distance to the consulate. Great place if you're too early like me. - Embassy Near Me - San Francisco, California

Plenty of available free parking right across the street for my morning appointment. My appointment was for 9:15AM, but since I didn't have passport photos done yet, they were OK with me coming back when those were done (I came back at about 9:45AM and had to wait for maybe a minute before they finished the passport application/renewal process). Both the security guard and the staff behind the passport window were very friendly and efficient. If you need German passport photos, Photo Plus at 1703 Polk St is a very short walk. At the time of review, Photo Plus opens at 9:30AM and the two German passport photos cost about $19 and take just a few minutes. Theoretically, you scheduled an appointment for 9:45AM you could easily show up at 9:30AM, walk down the street to the photo place, go to the embassy, and be completely done and out the door by 10AM. It's really that easy. Be sure to have all the necessary forms and items ready and their copies done before you show up to make it go quickly and smoothly. The only thing I will say is that the online appointment system to schedule the appointments is a bit buggy. I used the popular Google Chrome browser, and at the last page where you were supposed to get your confirmation I got a blank page. I'd suggest using Internet Explorer as it might be more compatible with their site - either way, don't worry about it too much, because you'll get a confirmation email within a few hours. Speaking of online appointments, they are booked about two months in advance, so just keep that in mind. read more

No phone or electronic devices are allowed inside, but there are many (tiny) lockers with key at the entrance by the guard, where you can leave your phone. I don't think they charge a fee to use that. I don't think there is a lot of staff here since I had to wait around 45mins even though I had an appointment, so plan accordingly. read more

Ha, I really had to laugh when I read the negative comments here. As a German, I can totally see why Americans are complaining, but I can also totally understand the other side. Myself, I have only had positive experiences here. The staff is nice, efficient and professional, they know their job and what works and doesn't work. If you come prepared and don't whine, they will treat you well, be super helpful and try to make life easier for you. What else can you expect??? read more

Thank you for a quick and smooth service! We went in to process paperwork for my son's birth certificate. The application packet was very lengthy and included a lot of documents. The associate was able to go through it quickly and thoroughly and even helped us make a copy of the document we missed. Much appreciated. read more

not the worst but not the best. difficult to get appointments, they hold weird hours, are closed for both german and american holidays, are never able to give you direct answers over the phone and sometimes answer emails. the visa fee is cheaper here than in germany and i wanted to do it here versus germany since my german isn't the best, but i ended up having to withdraw my application because it wasn't processed in time before my travel. read more

Despite COVID-related pressures, we were able to handle both a German birth registration and passport application for our newborn son within 3 months. Staff were very helpful and supportive and explained every detail of the application process to us (it made up for the often confusing website ;)). Even the necessary notarizations of translated documents (we are a bi-national family) were done onsite. We are very happy with the service and appreciate the help during these stressful times for all of us. Thank you! Trotz der Corona-Krise und damit einhergehenden Verzögerungen, haben wir sowohl eine Geburtenregistrierung als auch einen Deutschen Reisepass fuer unseren Sohn (10 Monate alt) bearbeitet bekommen. Die Angestellten im Konsulat war stets freundlich und sehr hilfreich, besonders wenn man als Familie mit Kind von weit her anreisen muss. Notarisierung unserer Urkunden (bi-nationale Familie) wurden umgehend im Konsulat (gegen Gebühr) vorgenommen. Wir waren mit dem kompletten Ablauf sehr zufrieden und wünschen den Angestellten alles Gute weiterhin und Danke fürs menschlich bleiben in Zeiten der Krise! read more

I have lived outside Germany for more than 25 years and dealt with diplomatic outposts around the world. Germany's San Francisco mission has been super helpful and caring, especially with documents for my family. They even followed up with emails! If you have an issue in family law (Familienrecht), you will be treated exceptionally well here. During your appointment, please listen carefully to the consular officer. They are explaining the path of least resistance to you. That can appear tedious, but they really want to help you. Then do exactly as they say. Staff will accommodate you whenever they can under the law and their procedures. Trust me and, more important, trust them. Five stars! read more

Um, ok, time to renew my German passport and now the requirements list has changed tenfold ? I now need proof of birth abroad, parents marriage certificate, et.c et.c ? Is it not enough that I already have my expired passport with me ? Insane, no wonder why the population is dwindling, who wants to go through that crap. Oh, and as I was still waiting in line (let me add much after my appointment time) and wondering if I was at the DMV, I overheard people being asked for a copy of their passports which they had reported stolen and were trying to replace. Anyone notice a problem with that ? How are you to produce a copy of something you don't have ? I am debating even renewing this thing. read more

I visited the Embassy today to renew my passport and I was absolutely blown away by how friendly, kind, and helpful both the security and staff inside the Embassy were. I was very nervous as I hadn't been on my own before and was worried my German was a bit too rusty, but the consular staff were absolutely brilliant and incredibly efficient and very friendly! - Special thanks to the very kind member of security who was sweet enough to get me in early for my appointment too. The staff went above and beyond to help me and I felt very welcome- Thank you for a lovely experience! read more

Calls and emails go into a black hole. No one picks up the phone and no one responds to email inquiries. Customer service is not part of the German Consulates DNA. Super frustrated!! read more

Had to stop by here today to apply for a passport for my daughter. I had only ever been to the consulate in LA and so I wasn't expecting much since that is just an office in a high rise so I was pleasantly surprised by the grandeur of this place. It is in a beautiful area in San Francisco and is in a gorgeous old building that must have a lot of history. The staff here are also extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We were in and out with everything taken care of and I even got some help on something I'll be going back for soon. read more

German Consulate General - Embassy Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I read a bunch of reviews where they said the people working here were "cold and rude". Hence I had to write a review. The lady I interacted with (I wish I had asked her name) was absolutely wonderful! She was warm and sweet, the exact opposite of what some people have said. I went in 30 min early and was 2nd in line. My turn came and went up to the counter and wished her good morning and gave all my documents. We had a good conversation about Germany, the people and I even asked her for suggestions on places to visit! She was very sweet and I had a great time conversing with her. Do note that the security guard at the entrance will tell you that they dont make copies of originals anymore and you have to bring copies. They also have a note saying the same when you enter the building. I had all the documents and copies, but she needed a copy of my visa, which I didnt know was needed. She made a copy of it and never said a thing! When I wished her good morning initially, I wished her in German. She was definitely pleased about it. I told her I had always wanted to learn a new language and she said learning French might have been better since it sounds much better than German! She has got a good sense of humor! Update: I had called them after 4 days but they told me that they cannot give any updates over phone and I have to wait. Luckily, I got my tourist visa the next day which was after exactly 5 business days. read more

Awful customer service. Unable to reach anyone by phone and no response to multiple emails for months. Had to call German consulates in other states who actually answer the phone and respond to emails, in order to get my questions answered. Would give 0 stars if I could. read more

This is my update. We had a great interview on February 15 but did not hear anything from the Consulate for over two weeks. My travel was scheduled for March 7. On March 1, it was 14 calendar days since the interview day (as was promised to finalize the visa on the paper we got). I called multiple times and emailed twice without any reply from the Consulate. On March 2, we went to the Consulate without any appointment. We told the guard we had a passport pickup (which we did not) and were able to see the same woman (who was very nice) who had an interview with us. I told her about our travel happening in three business days, she checked the computer. No visa was ever processed! She was very nice and apologetic and asked us to wait. The visa was processed that same day; we had to wait for about one hour: it was issued then and there. But if we did not go in person, I do not think we would be able to go onto our travels as planned. read more

Very bad and no response for passport renewals. Very sad. Phones are not answered and scheduling does not work on their website for scheduling passport renewals. read more

Ziro ziro ziro I'm world traveller. Got 24 times schengen visa. I had plan to buy motorcycle in Europe and ride by across Italy, swiss, germany,... Reserved hostels, bought flight, insurance,... i requested Germany sf consular appointment, their stupid VFS appointment system play over a month , the german visa phone dose not respond at all after 10s times, the security guard did not let me go in to consulate, emailed them 2-3 times !! No respond! , Then i moved to Italy consular: The security guard of this one so polite, he let me go in, and i explained that need 3 months multi visa, they asked me to buy another return flight!! For last days of going out of schengen area! ( even my plan was riding toward Iran!) My flight was on 14th Apr and they said in 8-10 days ( 4-5 days before requested) i will get my visa/ passport! Nothing happened! 3-4 times i went to the consular,..(each time lost my daily job) I lost my flight! I lost riding tour with my freinds, i bought a bike and paid!!! Today 17th i came again, very polite they gave me passport and visa! But the visa just for 11days from today!!! I thought people in 3th world are non organized and non responsible, this days I understand it can be in silicon valley also I lost over 5000$ for a non responsibility, if they can not issue visa on time, its not better if they say in advance WE CAN NOT! read more

I got my visa within 3 business days! So much more efficient than I imagined. As far as the process goes, there is really nothing to complain about. The appointment dates are out for more than one month, but if you are used to preparing for your trip that requires visa application, you most likely will start preparing way in advance. As long as you make the appointment right after you have your flight ticket, I think you would be fine. Their website clearly spelled out all the required documents, what you need to bring as original and copy. They asked you to prepare an itinerary, and please bring one. It will help you and them to quickly review your trip dates. I made one 'mistake' of not printing my checking account transaction history (well, my bank account is not a simple checking account, so printing 3-month of transactions means a lot of paper), but they still granted me the visa considering all my financial documents. The consulate officer was super friendly, she even showed me her lovely dog :). I was pulled into a business trip right after I gave up my passport for this visa application, so I was very worried about not getting my passport back in time for travel. I emailed and called, can't reach anyone (they tell you on the phone recording that they are busy). But I suspect that they saw my email, that's why I got my passport back 24 hours after my first email! So I'd say just prepare everything as required, and you will get a nice and efficient service there. read more

Hands down the best visa experience I've had anywhere. I had to change a couple of things, but the consulate was accommodating and helpful. Few tips for those applying for the Schengen visa 1. Appointments are difficult to get, I recommend booking one 2 months in advance at least. Also booking an appointment does not require a lot of details, so you do not need to plan your complete trip before taking the appointment. 2. If you do not see an appointment before your travel dates, there is a waitlist option. I suggest emailing the consulate too, they are very helpful and will try to fit you in if they can. 3. For the appointment, make sure the documentd you will provide are the exact documents they have asked for. Nothing more, nothing less. If they've asked for a utility bill, use one. Feel free to carry supporting documents and you can ask them if they need it, but make sure your initial set of documents is exactly what they have asked. 4. Bank statements need to be detailed with the transactions. The reason I mention this is because the family ahead of me only printed the first page and had to then email the rest. 5. Provide an itinerary(covering?) letter with the travel/lodging details, so they have your trip details in one glance. 6. If you have forgotten documents, no worries, you can mail it to them if required. I had to reschedule twice, once due to Thanksgiving and then because my passport was stuck with the UK visa office and the consulate helped me get dates before my travel. I was still worried I wouldn't get the visa before my travel(5 business days), but they gave me the visa the next day. Friendly and accommodating visa officers, reasonably flexible procedures and super quick turn around times make this a 5 star experience! read more

I have never really lived in the country of which I was a citizen, so I have been dealing with embassies all my life. But now, for one of the first times in my life, I am not living in the countries capitol city. Are consulates usually easier to deal with than embassies? Let me go over some German laws: Germany does not allow dual citizenship unless you have an explicit allowance to have one. This means that I, who have been a German citizen since birth, now have to apply to keep my citizenship, as I wanted American citizenship as well. This involves a very huge process. First step: call the consulate and tell them that you want this. You fill out paperwork and come in for an interview. The woman who I dealt with was incredibly nice. Usually, people at embassies give you no benefit of the doubt. They always suspect that you are up to no good and that you want to cheat the system. I don't know what it was about the people at this consulate, but I didn't feel that way here. Granted, they may have been thinking it anyway, but I felt at complete ease. After my interview, I went home to write by lengthy statements. After a few revisions, it was done and I sent it to the consulate, who, within 2 days, sent it to Germany. Another day later, I got an email from Germany saying that they needed "more information." I asked the people at the consulate and asked for what exactly this meant. My contact explained it to me step by step and told me exactly what they wanted to hear and what I should write down. I did exactly what she told me to do. And I mean to the T. I wrote it, sent it in and, long story short, I am now a dual German-American citizen. I felt like they were on my side. They were actually trying to help me and I was always comfortable asking them questions. read more

I started looking at the German consulate website for Schengen visa appointments around June end for our intended August end departure but all the appointments till September were taken. I put my name on the waitlist but did not hear anything for about 4-5 weeks. I started getting anxious and called the consulate where they suggested that if I have my biometric fingerprints taken for any previous Schengen visa after 2015, I can mail in my documents to them (The website mentions a different requirement for mailing-in your application - either a one year previous Schengen visa or two consecutive years Schengen visa). I submitted my documents as per their online checklist via a FedEx packet. My visa was approved within a week. - German consulate was very responsive and supportive on emails as well as phone calls. I didn't feel rushed. - The information on their website is very misleading which creates a lot of confusion so it was easier to call them up and get the answers. - My fedex delivery update was showing up as the packet was delivered after business hours to the consulate and on inquiring with fedex they said they might have mis-delivered it or lost my packet. I was very nervous about losing my packet as my passport was in it. So, upon calling German consulate they assisted me in the best possible manner. They were very patient and tracked down my passport in their system and confirmed that they have received it and the visa would be issued shortly. - They issued the visa for only the specified dates that I had requested for. In my past experience, other consulates give a buffer of at least 30-60 days which helps if you decide to extend your trip by a couple of days. Overall, the information on the website regarding the Schengen visa could be improved tremendously but the efforts and help that the staff provides is exceptional. read more

UPDATE: Dang~ that's great customer service. One of the employer at the German embassy is my neighbor... she lives in the same apartment complex. The other day she knocked on my door and said that they send all my stuff to Germany... she even offered to drop my passport at my place and to reimburse my shipping cost! I love being a German!! _______________________________________________________ I am German citizen and don't look German at all.. Walking in the embassy knowing that the ppl. there will be shocked if they see an asian girl speaking German like a native.. (I already expected it). But they were really friendly and I was out of there within 10 min... read more

Hopeless to get them on the phone. If you really need help and live close to SF, make any appointment (divorce filings) to get in and talk to a real person. Right now it takes FOUR! month to get an appointment to renew your passport- so count on 6 months to have a new one! They really need to rethink that system because it might work for them but not for their citizens! CAREFUL where you park! Our car got broken into (TWO! Windows) I think it's a set up- a woman was outside the gate on the phone. When I handed over my phone and my two teenage children did not, she disappeared. We got lucky, they only took the lunchbox - no phones in it! But, I'm pretty sure, she is watching and giving someone else the info. We parked on the corner of Gough and Jackson. read more

Very rude and unprofessional. Mr. Zeiler who works there, is very rude and disrespectful. It was a very unpleasant experience for taking care of my business. I changed my mind to even visit Germany. If everyone is like him so dry and rude I rather to stay in US and vacation somewhere else. It is a shame how he represent a nation and works at a consulate!!! Do not recommend it. Go to Spain instead. read more

This is a great Consulate with great customer service!

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. read more

Definitely difficult to find parking, paid or not. Do not count on getting lucky, I arrived 25 minutes before the scheduled appointment and just barely made it in time - had to park half a mile away where I finally found a spot after nearly 20 mins and then ran to Consulate. Also make sure to leave enough time on your parking meter - I paid for an hour and was concerned about getting towed since the people in front of me ran a good bit late and I had to wait 20minutes past my appointment time. There is no A/C in the waiting room so it took me a while to cool down after my run, beware on hot days. The Consulate is gated and you will only be let in if your name is on the appointment list. The lady behind the counter receiving my visa application was very nice. Be nice yourself and you will get treated fairly as well. Do make sure to have all your paperwork in order per website instructions, and that all your documents are clear and readable. Make sure the barcode on your application is printed at 100% and not shrunk. If additional unlisted paperwork is needed, you will be given a checklist with options to email, fax or courier. read more