Consulate General of Italy — Attraction in New York

This is by far the worst visa experience of my life. I was helping a group of family and friends translate during the Visa appointment and had valid back-to-back appointments. The Consular Officer (male - the last window) not only insulted me, as a translator, but also the applicant. He lectured us on how the applicant should have thought about this whole process (aka. language barrier) before booking a trip to Italy and he doesn't have translators available. He insulated me (as translator) and how I do not qualify to be one. Understandable, but maybe offer that service (and how narrowed minded of him to think that everyone should speak English or Italian, we're in NYC after all). Anyways, he then proceeded to vent to his supervisor about the situation. The supervisor (female) started lecturing us again and asked "do you speak English" to the applicant. I was trying to helpful so I translated that sentence. The supervisor glared and hushed at me. I then offered to write a statement or sign paperwork as a party to the translation and they got even more furious with me because they don't think that I/applicant understand what that means. We finally compromised that we can get a statement together to proceed. All of this happened before they review ANY documents. Then the next window called for the next group and like I had told them at the beginning of the appointment that I was to be a translator for all 6 appointments, that just sent their anger to the next level. They proceeded to tell me that I was holding up other appointments (no, you can skip and go to the next group of appointments...it should be no different for the consular officer) and that I should've booked appointments on different days. They finally told me that I could only translate for one group and that the other two groups would need to come back another day and time. As I'm sharing my experience here, I could still feel the insult down to my core. Those two individuals were unprofessional and quite nasty in how they carried themselves to the public. I am certain that I will not be visiting Italy anytime soon after...

I had an infuriating experience at the consulate this morning, all I wanted to do was have my passport replaced, it was stolen a few months ago.

Upon entering, I began to explain my situation to the security guard, and before hearing what I have to say, she immediately begins shaking her head, disagreeing and arguing with me. When I tell her that it's made clear on the website that I can come in person Friday mornings from 10-11 to address this, she storms out and gets a consular officer from the passport office. She arrives in a huff and immediately begins arguing with me as well. She tells me I have to make an appointment with the prenomi system and send an email. I don't currently live in NYC, so this was a purposeful trip to address this issue.

I informed her that emails are useless because they're never responded to, and this seemed to annoy her. Emails are, in fact, extremely rarely responded to. It took seven years for my citizenship to be recognized by this consulate, and a simple typo with my codice fiscale, which is still unresolved, produced dozens of un-responded-to emails. When I showed her the emails, she just turns and speaks to the security officer and gestures towards me like, "What is he talking about".

There was precisely ZERO effort to address my issue. I am an Italian citizen and wasn't even permitted in the consulate during the time allotted to address the precise issues I came for. They come to work looking to argue, delay and frustrate, not to solve problems.

Sadly, no one from the consulate will read or care about this, but what a shameful, awful experience...

In a city where time is money and efficiency is king, I stumbled upon a shining beacon of professionalism at the Italian consulate in NYC. From the moment I stepped through the door, it was evident that this consulate agent Miss Chiara counter No .4 was operating on another level. With grace and precision, she navigated the labyrinthine bureaucracy of visa processing, leaving me in awe of her mastery.

Miss Chiara efficiency was nothing short of mind-blowing. While others may drown in paperwork and red tape, she effortlessly cut through it all, ensuring that my Schengen visa application was processed with lightning speed. Taking into consideration I had to fly back the next day to bermuda and being a Friday afternoon, What could have been a weeks-long ordeal was transformed into a seamless and swift experience, thanks to her dedication and expertise.

But it wasn't just her speed that impressed me; it was her attention to detail and unwavering commitment to excellence. Every document was scrutinized with care, every question answered with clarity. She left no stone unturned in her quest to ensure that my visa application was flawless, and for that, I am immensely grateful.

In a world where efficiency is often sacrificed at the altar of bureaucracy, this consulate agent stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when passion meets proficiency. Her dedication to her craft is truly inspiring, and I have no doubt that she will continue to leave a trail of satisfied visa applicants in her wake. Grazie mille for a truly...