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CB Passport Services Italian Embassy terrible incompetent and rude
Italian Embassy

Italian Embassy review: terrible incompetent and rude 40

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7:38 pm EDT
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very rude and incompetent people. Waiting for over 5 months for my dauther passport and still waiting. Cannot call them because they do not answer to the phone so I need to go there in person every time just to get an aswer such as "need to wait... why you gave two surnames to your daughters... I have one surname and my daughters have only one surname..." etc...

Update by Sebastianov
Sep 08, 2011 9:49 pm EDT

I see that you get the point... they give answers without any sense !

Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

40 comments
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Tony256981
ottawa, CA
Apr 12, 2023 1:37 pm EDT
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I am wondering whether we should be contacting the ambassador, the ministers, the media, Italy, There must be ways that we can escalate this... I have been waiting over 3 years and they have done nothing. My list of complains could go on for miles. The disrespect these people have.

This is the embassy located in Ottawa, Canada

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Hab-r
, US
Apr 06, 2023 5:31 pm EDT
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This situation is unacceptable for a European country. The Italian embassy lacks a clear system for visa processing, and this is deeply concerning. It is disappointing to see that Italy, which was once a leader in development, has now fallen behind even some African countries in this regard. The decision to use VFS as a visa center has proven to be a terrible idea. After filling out the necessary forms, I have been checking for appointment availability every day for a whole month, only to be repeatedly told that no slots are available. If I cannot secure an appointment for an entire month, I wonder if the embassy only works on certain days of the week. Additionally, the embassy has provided a number to call [protected]), but more often than not, the call goes to an answering machine. On the rare occasions when I have been able to speak to someone, they have been unable to answer my question. This is unacceptable. The Italian embassy in London should be ashamed of their poor service and disorganized system, which is not even better than that of some African countries!

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Bdubs324
, US
Apr 05, 2023 6:19 am EDT
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Dear Italians, Italian government is ineffective and incompetent. You’d be better off born Kenyan. I’m embarrassed to have a government that is worse than a third world

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Jawan-Pakistani
Islamabad, PK
Dec 15, 2022 7:45 am EST
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Dear Italian Embassy,

I am looking for appointment for apply visa for Italy.

Extremely sorry to say that provided website for appointments is not working.

Even though big news around in Pakistan that people are asking huge amount for appointments that is very sad for me to hear this news.

Kindly checked the screenshot that websites for appointments is not working.

I am requesting please inform me about the appointment that how can I book?

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

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Paulo Almeida
, US
Sep 06, 2022 2:15 pm EDT

I was just humiliated by Paolo Zoppi by email, I doubt he would do the same in person.

After a lot of searching for information on a completely confusing site, sending several emails without concrete answers. I sent my documents all translated and sworn in by mail. After sending it, without knowing if they had received it and what the next step would be, I waited a month and sent another e-mail inquiring, which was completely ignored. after two months I send another email, which by surprise was also ignored. Three months another ignored email.

How long should I wait to receive a response? Don’t know! Because no one informed me of any deadline, no one even gave a sign of life.

And when I send a fourth email, this Paolo guy responds offensively impolite, saying that I have to wait at least 6 months and that I have to stop trying to skip the queue. This queue that I even didn't know existed, a deadline that I even didn't know existed, I didn't even know if my documents were received Mr Paolo, because the place where you work is a real disorder! And you should at least be polite and do your job, you are representing a country and not your personal company!

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Lawrence Tierney
, US
Feb 21, 2023 8:32 am EST

I have been trying for weeks to get the Italian Embassy in Edinburgh to answer their phone.

For the last three days I have been on the phone between 10-12 and 2-4 every day. No response whatsoever. When I actually spoke to someone about three weeks ago, to say he was condescending would be an understatement. He was downright rude. I have a friend who has an Italian passport but lives here in Scotland. Today I have had to tell her that she probably won’t get back to see her husband,who has stage four cancer, because of the arrogance and disinterest of the staff in Edinburgh.Awful.Awful. Awful. And to top it off, I have to listen to a recorded telephone voice telling me that my call will be answered shortly.

What an outrageous insult.

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RFgottadance
, US
Jul 02, 2022 7:38 am EDT

I drove to Miami to the Italian consolate to renew my passport. I arrived early so I went to sit down and wait in the lobby. Two extra long beautiful couches had signs all over them “DO NOT SIT HERE”. I went back to the receptionist and he instructed me to wait in the mail room. I waited 40 minutes standing, surrounded by mailboxes.

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Gnj89
, US
Sep 02, 2021 7:02 pm EDT

I have an infant son born in the us because of covid travel issues. His father is Italian. The consulate told me I had to go to the comune to turn in the documents.. so I bought my ticket and brought my infant son, into covid infested planes and trains, to go to the comune. They berated me and told me I had to do it in the us.

The consulate in one area told me I had to use the consulate in the other, and code versa, (because my child was born in one area and I moved to a different consulate zone). Then the consulate where he was born told me I had to do it at the comune in Italy and that he didn't even think that the mother of an Italian minor could live in Italy with him.

I have read the legislature that says differently, it's by law the right of the Italian minor to have both his parents with him in Italy. They also told me that the other consulate "just doesn't want to work". They were rude and berating on the phone, so both in Italy comune's and consulates in America, they all have the same attitude. .

With ALL THAT SAID.. the Italian consulate of San Francisco are sweet hearts. Amazing. They helped me through many situations, I had too many student visas, but I was finishing my masters degree and I was in a bad accident, and when I recovered they helped me get an extra student visa, even though I was over my quota... Which led to my son existing

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Edward.Robson
, CA
Jul 22, 2019 8:16 pm EDT

I have called the Italian consulate at Edmonton-Canada this morning and I could not believe how rude the receptionist was... She was so unprofessional, she does not want to listen... I was planning to have a vacation with my family in Italy but you know what, I totally changed my mind after having such a bad experience with the Italian consulate over the phone today... Very rude, unethical and unprofessional...

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AldenMcniel
, IN
Oct 19, 2018 12:11 am EDT
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i am a seaman travel around the world i have to pay for transit visa every time i transit through schengen and this stupid embassy made me miss flights have take more than a month to just stamp a 3 day goddamn transit visa to gt onto my ship.its the worst embassy every. they delayed told me to resend documents as the ship left the port, i have resent the documents i am almost missing my flight again sent email to external affairs ministry filed complaint at the madad portal sent a plea to national seafarers union of India no help from anywhere this country is cursed .

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AldenMcniel
, IN
Oct 19, 2018 12:03 am EDT
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lina pizzi stefania constanza 2 culprits and their administration a big fraud.

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BS Subhlok
, IN
Sep 07, 2018 2:55 am EDT
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I am 65 years old retired Pilot and have traveled most of the world. In my life time I have never come across more stupid, rude or incompetent persons than those in the Italian Embassy in India. No need to elaborate further.

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Natale Vittori
, US
May 16, 2018 1:15 pm EDT
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Hello, have anybody had any experience with the Italian consulate in Houston Texas ? . I will like to have the email of an official person of the Italian Consulate in order to make them aware of the rude and incompetent manner in which they treat people. Please email me to bio_tech@tx.twcbc.com Natale Vittori

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astrid74
, GB
Apr 24, 2018 8:32 am EDT

Agree with all these complaints... if you can avoid italian consulates / embassies please do so! They do not give you the right information, they do not give you answers and they are not willing to help you. They seat there just for the sake of getting a salary. I had very bad experiences in Asia. They do not accept documents written in English so you have to hire an official translator, chosen from a (very) short list approved by them; the translation service itself, just to translate 1 document from english to italian is quite expensive, around 50 USD. In addition to that you also have to pay the consulate to put a chop on documents.

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Raymund Beseda
, US
Apr 18, 2018 8:10 am EDT

I cannot agree more. i'm trying to find if there's any complain procedure for italian embassy in the philippines but I cannot find any. because if there's one I will give negative -5 star for being poor and unprofessional. my 70 year old grandmother applied for schengen visa and I gave all the proper document required. the agent asked my grandmother for unrelated birth certificate of her dead sister but was already provided with my own birth certificate to show my relationship with her. maybe I should provide them with my cat's birth certificate to show how unrelated that is. please avoid if you can and use other embassy for schengen. I find german embassy is very good and professional like the uk so I would highly recommend it.

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Zobz
, US
Jul 11, 2017 1:47 am EDT
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I wish I have read these comments earlier then I would never apply for italian. Visa. I had to attend the course in italy. I applied on 1 june. I had to fly on 1 july in order to attend the course. Today is 11th july still my is under process. I sent them emails no reply. I called them they say we reply on email. Really it sucks. Anybody can guide me where to send complain about embassy . Thanks. My email zzohaib1@gmail.com
Thanks

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userxyz123
, US
Jul 06, 2017 1:02 am EDT

Its not me only then. I am regretting to apply for Schengen visa via Italy embassy. It is the wors texperience ever. My schengen visa came within
10d ays when i did apply for Switzerland. Laid back and idiotic bunch of people

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Arjuna Srimal
, US
Jul 03, 2017 10:49 am EDT

It is the same in Sri-Lanka. I waited 3 and half months now for a conference visa. And finally they say they need another week to proceed. Which will be after the conference. What is the point in getting the visa after the conference. I have never seen such lazy and inhumane people ever in my life. Will never apply visa through an Italian embassy. So much big headed and rude people.

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nauri
, IN
May 23, 2017 9:48 am EDT

I confirm that italian embassy continues to suck and should be avoided for schengen visa. I applied for visa nearly 3 weeks ago and am still stuck; we are clueless as to when we will get visas so as to apply for uk visa. those who applied along with us @ denmark or france got their visas in ~10 days.

No response to multiple mails sent to embassy so finally rang up the embassy in delhi and the lady who picks up phone (and was certainly not polite) says if your flight is in june then call us in june and banged the phone on me.

So my advise, please avoid schenegan visa from italian embassy in india...

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Madiha Raheel
, PK
Apr 25, 2017 3:29 am EDT
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I am agree the Italy embassy was very bad embassy I am submit my application for short stay visa on the 2nd March 2017 they give me the time of 30 days today is 25 April and they give me no any response and the department of Italy embassy was soo lazy they give me no information they said that we have no information ur papers are under process when I call them they give me the same answer every time under process under process . I am alone in Pakistan my husband in Italy want to go but they Geive me no any response can any body tell me how I contact to Italian embassy direct if u have any contact information plz email me my email id is: madiharaheel79@yahoo.com plz help me how I get my visa plz I am waiting plz

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Naaina
, IT
May 22, 2018 10:15 pm EDT

If you get your visa or still not?

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jose piva
, BR
Dec 06, 2016 6:29 pm EST
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We could complain with someone or something? It's kind useless just complaining on internet, we should do something effectively to change this!

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SienaMove
, GB
Apr 05, 2016 12:19 am EDT
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Thank god it's not just me! I am comforted by reading other people's experiences after a truly humiliating meeting at the Siena local government office yesterday to get a residence permit for me and my 6 year old son. The woman Ludovica Taliani was angry and hostile from the moment I sat down with het. She berated me for emailing her prior to the meeting as I had wasted her precious time checking what documents I must bring. Then she berated me for not speaking Italian properly and forcing her to speak English. Then she shouted at me that as I still paid tax and national insurance in the UK how dare I think I can use the Italian medical sysytem. She threw my son's birth certificate back at me saying it was useless as it was in English and not Italian. She did the same with my financial statent to show I was financially independent and not wanting to sponge off the Italian syst even though it was predominantly figures so not written in English! I got upset at this stage and said I was sorry I had not got the paperwork she was demanding (even though I had given Passports, official proof of address and Codice Fiscali - but she even told me off for getting this through the Italian embassy in Zlonfon rather than in Italy and pretty much hinted these were tantamount to fake documents!) and I asked her why she had to be so angry with me when I'm just a person trying to move to Italy and do the right thing. She responded by saying "you're just a person? You are pathetic. You are PATHETIC" she was shouting this. Then she turned to her male colleague and said "look at this pathetic woman". I actually got a bit tearful at this stage at her being so rude and horrible to me and infront of my little boy. And when she saw this she stood up and leant over me and said "oh poor you. Am I breaking your heart? Is your heart broken". My heart wasnt broken but I did ferl humiliated and demoralised. She told me to go away and come back with someone who spoke Italian and with officially translated and stamped documents. I accept if I had not produced the right papers if they were meant to be in Italian. But she could have told me tp do this in our email exchanges and she could have refrained from being so aggressive and personally rude to me especially when I had my little boy with me - we were both very upset. Worst is she didn't give me a receipt for the documents she took from me or has given me anything to prove I have made an application. So I will have to go back to her with mu Italian translated docs. I am dreading it. I am shocked by this woman's personal animosity and aggression and also het unprofessional approach by wasting mine and her time by her working out her personal bile and anger rather than just dping her job.

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Gnj89
, US
Sep 02, 2021 6:49 pm EDT
Replying to comment of SienaMove

I know this is years ago, but I'm dealing with the Siena consulate for my 1 year old son born in the usa, during covid time. I went there in person and they were so mean and rude, until they realized I was recording the interaction for future use. I really want to know what you did to get the process rolling. The Italian consulates in the us keep telling me to either use the other (I live in one consulate area, but months ago my son was born in another) both telling me the other is to lazy to work, and then saying I should do it through the comune.. when the comune says the opposite. If you're still reading these, please help!

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Pasquale Mirabelli
, US
Mar 11, 2016 12:56 am EST

I am totally agree with all I read, I left Italy when I was 18 and now that I got back for taking care of my injured shoulder I can tell you this attitude is in every field not only in the embassy, I'm Italian and I tell you Italians are lazy, incompetent, rude, is stressful to deal with my people, they yell all the time, if you have to deal with a woman at the supermarket for some problem with the credit card payment, or at the posto office, or bank, or embassy is GAME OVER! Be ready to be humiliated, disrespected and insulted . I'm facing all the worse experience here in Italy and I can't wait to leave next month .

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CinzThe1
, GB
Mar 09, 2016 8:56 am EST
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The Italian Consulate in London is no different! Their website sends you around in circles, the appointment system doesn't allow you to make appointments and their premium line 75p/m treat you like you are stupid and refer you back to the website! No one is willing to help you, they have no escalation procedures, no SLAs and do not respond to emails. To say I am exasperated is an understatement!

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DDM89
, US
Jul 27, 2015 5:04 am EDT

Completely agree with all of these statements about the Italian Embassy. Here in Dublin it is ridiculously horrible. Absolute rudeness, lack of communication, and complete unprofessional attitudes. I have been trying to renew my passport for over 5 months, and it expires today. It is the only means of me living in this country and every time I call, I get no answer, and I have not had a response to the last 5 emails spanning over 2 months.

The only contact I have had was when I sent a hard worded email about my frustrations, to which I received a call (finally), however all I got was the Representative yelling at me very aggressively and using profanities due to the fact I couldn't speak Italian fluently. I don't know how they get away with this!?

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AJ-99
, US
May 01, 2015 1:18 am EDT

Italian embassy in Islamabad is the worst in World.I applied for a tourist visa a month back but still i have yet to receive my passport/visa. Despite of significant travel history, the interviewer asked me stupid questions and was being racist as well.He treated me like i was some bloody criminial trying to illegally sneak into Europe.Its been more than two weeks since i had an interview and I havent received my passport yet whereas my friend who applied with me has got his passport and wasnt called for interview as well.Ironically, my friend has no travel history and this is the firdt time he's going to Europe.
These Italians have no standards of visa processing at all and are treating third world country citizens as animals.

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Latha_Kumari
, IN
Sep 06, 2014 1:38 pm EDT

Applied for an Italian Tourist visa 32 days prior to travel - my trip starts in 4 days but still no sign of the visa. No questions, communication, feedback from the embassy - this is such poor treatment. Every single document given - my company's leave letter (its a Fortune 500 co.), Bank statements with excellent balance, 3 yr Tax acknowledgements, Return tickets, Hotel bookings everything...
The Inefficiency, Disrespect & general Incompetence of the Italian Embassy in Mumbai is breathtakingly shambolic!

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Jaspreet Kaur Singh
, US
Jun 21, 2017 12:26 am EDT

hi... did u get ur visa before your travel then? I am in the same boat now after 4 years

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Nitish Goel
, US
Jul 12, 2017 9:12 pm EDT

Hi Jaspreet, Did you get your Visa?

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Francesco Nucifora
Brisbane Metro Area, AU
May 26, 2014 10:41 pm EDT

I have been waiting six months for my Italian passport, and still they do not reply to request on the progress. Very unprofessional and no wonder why Italy is in economic crises! Maybe Italians attitudes have changed! Is is not the way I was brought up.

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jatinder singh86
, IN
Feb 05, 2014 10:35 am EST

i have applied for italian employment visa at vfs delhi but they all bull ###.its about four month gone but still under processing.

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Khan85
, US
Jan 15, 2014 2:52 pm EST

Ohh so i thought they are rude, incompetent, lazy only in Pakistan... They are all over the world... They dont reply on time, If you email them this week, they will reply you next week, or may not. And than if you ask for some documents or an appointment 2 more weeks... If they say we will send you next week, consider it next next next week... Thats the reason they are going backward... Very bad embassy and their representatives... If you ask them about any requirement, it will change frequently... they will tell you everything is complete, just bring this document next time, when you go there next time after 3 weeks. they will again tell you Sorry sir you dont have this documents... WTH, why dont you told me last time... You told me last time it is complete... No sir... i have no words to use for them... the worst of all

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naqash700
, IT
May 29, 2013 5:32 am EDT

dear sir,
where do i can register the complain about the persons who came to italy through illegal way

regards
naqash

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antonio galati
, IT
Jan 02, 2013 9:48 pm EST

i am an italian citizen and yet i do agree on all the complains about our embassies ... italians have no sense of urgency no matter what, incompetence is italy's # one problems, nepotism is allover this country and his people, i am shame i am an italian we are third world when comes to everything schooling, economy, etc. i have been humiliate in many ways i do think italians do not know how to do the right thing all they do is arguing and yelling ... a very closed-minded people ... and i am sorry this is the country where i was born... antonio galati .

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lemon15
, MY
May 25, 2012 11:45 pm EDT
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Well, Italian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is no different. With the consulate officer - Macri, there is no way to get information on visa at all. I sent them email, which they required me to visit their office for one reason- to yell and humiliate you. This Macri will keep telling you that the embassy is there to help, but really, I dont see her being helpful at all. The only reply you will get beside the yelling is "the embassy is only here to process the visa". Best part is, I need to search for information on the type of visa I can apply and bring that to them where they will tell you whether you get the visa right. After 2 months trying now, the result - I get no visa and was accused by the officer that I keep changing my visa option. Well, if the embassy is competence enough and tell me the right visa, I can save all the time. And now, after all the mess, they told me that the only visa I can apply is student visa - which is not my option as I want to go there as a professional freelancer. I wrote a complaint to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for this unfair treatment, and I really hope that the Italian government can investigate on their consulates around the world. If they failed to provide necessary information, I dont see the reason for the Italian government to set up embassies in other countries. Embassies represent a country's imagine. With such an unprofessional service in the consulate in Kuala Lumpur, it will definitely give Italy a bad name. PS: the lady will never give you a chance to speak up. She will keep yelling once you try to explain to her your position. So, last time i visited, I just kept quiet and let her yelled like a mad woman in the embassy. I think I did the right thing, no point arguing with closed-minded people.

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Lawrence Tierney
, US
Feb 22, 2023 7:18 am EST
Replying to comment of lemon15

Is this an Italian thing? The man in the Edinburgh embassy kept saying to me …what is wrong with you? The system is simple.Why can’t you understand? And what do people mean when they say it is typical Italian bureaucracy? Is all of Italy like this? Surely not.

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JK, California
Walnut, US
Apr 30, 2012 3:30 pm EDT
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I agree with all previous posting re Italian's Consulate rudeness & incompetence.
After making sure that all of my travel documents are available for her perusal, she also asked for train tickets. On 2nd appointment she asked about "which border are you going to use to enter Italy?" I've traveled to several other countries before, and this is the first time I heard about having to know the border.
To say the least, the Consulate office in LA does not give good reflection of Italy, especially during recession like now. Who would want to spend their money in Italy if foreigners are being treated poorly & shabbily when they first visit the Consulate? Isn't the Consulate suppose to represent a country in general?

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setiawaw
Melbourne, AU
Sep 13, 2011 7:08 am EDT

I totally agree with you sebastianov, I need to apply for a tourist Visa for my holiday and it take them 1 week to booked a meeting with the consulate office and 2 weeks to produce the visa. I didn't bring the hotel confirmation for the interview and she told me that if I cannot understand the requirement that they have listed on the website therefore I should not travel to Italy or go for travelling at all. Because I need to be able to understand English everywhere I go. While at the same time she was the one with broken English.