It's a step up from a visit to the DMV. However, you'll discover that the bureaucratic system that Hungary runs on, as well being woven into the multi-national EU tapestry, makes it all a very sloooooow-moving process. Perhaps it's just my luck as I've heard of people handling their affairs quickly. Like some of my friends were able to renew their valid Hungarian passports in 30 days. Well, never my luck though. All that aside, the 2025/2026 team under the leadership of Dr. Gróf István are professional and seem to want to help, even if it's impossible to assist with all the red tape involved in handling paperwork. Since my family lives overseas in Hungary, I've visited this branch many times over several years. I'll admit that the previous crew in place during the Covid period wasn't very courteous and there was a lack of consideration and aptitude, as well. So it's no surprise that they have so many poor reviews and 1-star reviews in 2020-2023. However, for Hungarians and ex-pats who want to vote, handle affairs, update passports, create wills, and keep in touch with their homeland, it's really the only place on the West Coast that's close to LA. Not that it's convenient if you're an LA Eastsider, so pad your visit with some extra time. There are great restaurants nearby, including Sugarfish, Joy Luck Kitchen, and Diddy Riese's freshly baked cookies over in Westwood to put a smile on your face. One thing to keep in mind is that this office handles the following regions: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. 19 out of 50 states! Perhaps that's the reason for so many delays in addition to Hungary being on the other side of the world, many time zones away. Last tip: If you can set your expectations for the longest period time to handle whatever you may need to handle, then you won't be disappointed. If they tell you it'll take 9 months to 1 year, just expect it to be 1 year--at least. Like I said before, it's a teeny-tiny step up from the DMV, but rarely will you need to do business with them, so at least that's the silver lining. read more

Everything was very smooth. If you have your paperwork in order, all goes fast, people are kind and helpful, great experience!

Very helpful with the documents. They were kind as well. Very knowledgeable. Great location.

They were awesome - reached a lil late but so helpful and super fast! Could have asked for a better experience

A Consulate is supposed to be a place where a citizen or resident of a country who is living abroad can find comfort and a helping hand from your native country for all your passport, ID, License and any other certifications and what not. Not in this place, this is the most hostile consulate I've ever been to. The women that work in this place treat me like trash every time I come in. I'm a nice guy and I've never been treated with such disrespect and arrogance as I do in this place. The personnel should be ashamed to treat a fellow Hungarian the way do. Shameful. Eduardo Renta read more

Unwelcoming, rude and unprofessional!!! If I could give no starts at all, I would. Do not waste your time going to the consulate, you will only encounter ignorance and mediocracy. You will get the worst visa interview experience here. Visa officer was VERY mean and didn't care, she acted like you owe her something for her to let you to go to Hungary, and trying to wrong you to reject your visa application. read more

Wonderful and very patient staff! Kindly explained everything and helped with a challenging passport renewal during a difficult family health issue. read more

Rudest of staffs. They don't pick up the phone, their website doesn't work(not for cell at least) so I drove there in person to make an appointment. They told me that their website works so I showed them my phone and we figured it must be that you can't do it w a mobile device (that information was nowhere online) I waisted an entire day trying to get an appointment and once I was there they turned me away to go home and make the appointment on the laptop because next person is scheduled. Noone showed up for the next ten minutes and the girl behind the glass was taking a long break. Making the appointment for me w the computer for which the website was working would have been one minute. Arrogant and rude. read more

I made an appointment online 3 weeks ago and It was very easy and simple. I left this morning from my house and hit major traffic which caused a 20 minutes delay...I called ahead and they said they will try to fit me in between appointments. Well, I got here and literally waited 10 minutes and did all my paper work! Iam so happy for the flexibility and the staff being so helpful!! Nagyon köszönöm mègegyszer!! Krisztian K. San Diego read more

I don't have a long explanation since all it is is a consulate office, not a restaurant. .but I have to say I really appreciate this staff as well as the nice location. They seem to prefer I speak only in hungarian but that's all good with me :) read more

The Hungarian Consulate is awesome. I wish I knew the name of the young lady who helped us.Unfortunately for security reasons they can't provide any info about themselves. She worked on September 29th in the morning. Very kind, professional, very understanding and patient. She didn't look for excuses she looked for solutions. I wish more people like her worked in public offices, or anywhere. Thank you very much for making a 'pain in a butt" process very pleasant. read more

I've heard unfavorable reviews about this office, but I had a good, painless experience. Got there just time for my appointment (you need to call and get one) and saved myself from them taking the next person ahead of me. I even found street parking right outside the building at 9.30 am. I was applying for a new Hungarian passport as mine expired 5 years ago. I didn't have the necessary paperwork filled out; she gave me the ones I needed to fill in. I told her she could take the next person while I fill in the papers, but she she said she could only do one person at a time (this was also in my favor). I even had to run downstairs to get cash from the ATM. She was very nice, patient, polite and helpful (unlike usual Hungarian government official personnel). She didn't get upset or anything. They have an all-in-one camera and fingerprinting machine that I thought was cool. (Well, I haven't seen one before, so to me it was new and interesting and quite futuristic - again unlike to anything Hungarian. :-) ) I even asked to change the address on the return envelope and without the blink of an eye, she handed me another envelope. I paid the dues and I was done. I will get my new EU passport in the mail within 2 weeks. By the way the person on the phone when I made my appointment was also very patient and helpful. So, kudos and a huge Thank You to these countrymen (well, ladies) of mine. :-) read more

Everyone at the consulate has been very helpful, courteous, and professional. My transaction was efficient, painless, and quick. Everything was explained to me clearly and in a reassuring manner. The secretary was knowledgeable, and she provided me with all necessary info and documentation required for my case. I have nothing, but praise for this place and its staff. read more

Was here this year! Really friendly staff. Very efficient and responsive. Obtaining a Schengen visa was a breeze! Of course, we had all the necessary documents. A lady named 'Bernadette' especially was very helpful! read more

My Father is from Hungary and I am interested in getting my EU citizenship. So far everyone I have contacted has been helpful. I have not yet gone in person but I am sure it will all work out. read more

People here are the best! I was a bit worried about my visa since I'm not a US citizen, but everything went great. They were very helpful and friendly. Thanks a lot! read more

I visited the Consulate General of Hungary in Los Angeles this morning and was treated very poorly by the front desk receptionist, I believe her name is Tunde Stopp. I was there during the stated "public hours" to have a very important document notarized and when I asked Stopp if she could help me she stated, very rudely, "I am busy with other clients, call this number and make an appointment" and then was dismissed. I then asked, since I had traveled so far to get to the office, if I can just make an appointment with her now in person, she said, "I am very busy with other clients, you need to call that number" and again was ignored. Mind you there was only one other person in the office who was not in line and no one else in front of me or behind me. I was very upset at this point by her level of unprofessionalism, I thought I would call the number and try to get an appointment and hopefully speak to someone. When I called, the phone just kept ringing and ringing with no answer. So I approached the window again and told the receptionist that the number was not answering, then she picked up a cell phone and tried to hide in the back to answer it. I then said, "oh, you are the person I need to call to make an appointment? Why are you ignoring my call? You are literally sitting there at your desk with time to make me an appointment, why am I being treated this way?" She then asked for me to leave and call the number later. By this point, I am completely offended by the way she was speaking to me and how I was being treated that I asked to speak to her boss. She then grabbed a man who wrote down his name as, Balazs Konnyid, who came out and told me that they are on a very strict schedule and asked if I can please call the number later for an appointment. I told him how poorly I had been treated and that on your website it says that public hours are between 9-12, that is why I made the trip there. If the office is so busy with other people, so much so that I cannot even be assisted in making an appointment during public hours, then the website should state that people can only be seen by appointments only. I am completely offend by how I was treated, I am a Hungarian, I should feel safe and accepted in the Hungarian Consulate, not like a complete inconvenience. read more

Very helpful, businesslike, professional. No runarounds and they are willing to help you fill out forms, if you didn't get your college degree in Hungarian language and those long multi-part Magyar words challenge both you and Google Translate. ;-) Their Internet instructions are not entirely easy to follow, sometimes their email system seems to be on strike, and their in-person office hours are not great but, if you find someone in the office that is helpful to you, they will spend the time necessary reviewing and helping and finding solutions. Bernadett and Nora helped us, and this more than made up for the other little things. The office is conveniently located near LAX, with plenty of free street parking. read more

Oh my goodness. This was the most difficult and frustrating experience I have ever been through. We got in around 10:55 and the woman behind the counter, who was the most condescending person I ever interacted with, called us up while she was still helping another customer. The forms are very confusing, even for a native Hungarian. We were still filling out our forms and she wanted them immediately and we said we weren't done, yet she still took them. THEN she asked us to fill out the missing parts. Hmmm maybe if she didn't take the forms from us in the first place, we could've filled out those sections? She kept playing this game with us, asking for the forms, then asking us to finish filling out the forms. It made absolutely no sense and made me very frustrated because it made the process a lot more difficult. She was not at all kind to us and was extremely rude to us when we asked a question. She did not need to treat us the way she did. Her name was Kitti. All we needed was 10 minutes to figure out what we needed to fill out, but she kept pressuring us to finish them. We just needed a little bit of guidance from her to help us complete the parts that were confusing to us, but she gave us attitude when did. I would have never thought that my beautiful country of Hungary would allow someone like this to represent the nation. It's very sad and disappointing and I hope no one else has to experience what we did because I felt very disrespected as an American, Hungarian, and as a human being. read more