Embassy of Spain — Local services in Washington

I recently had the unfortunate experience of visiting the BLS Office, and I must say that I was thoroughly disappointed by the level of professionalism displayed by their staff. It was evident from the moment I walked in that the office lacked the necessary standards to provide a satisfactory customer experience.

First and foremost, the staff members seemed disinterested and apathetic towards their work. They lacked basic courtesy and failed to greet visitors with a welcoming demeanor. Instead, they appeared engrossed in their personal conversations or engrossed in their phones, oblivious to the long line of customers waiting for assistance.

Furthermore, the lack of organization within the office was appalling. The waiting area was chaotic, with limited seating and no clear indication of where to queue. There were no visible signage or information boards to guide visitors, leading to a confusing and frustrating experience. It was evident that the office had not taken any measures to streamline the process and ensure a smooth customer flow.

The unprofessional behavior continued when it was finally my turn for assistance. The staff member assigned to help me seemed uninformed and untrained. They struggled to provide accurate information and appeared annoyed when asked clarifying questions. It was clear that they lacked the necessary knowledge to handle customer queries effectively.

Moreover, the overall environment of the office was uninviting and unwelcoming. The decor was outdated and shabby, giving the impression that the office had not been maintained or renovated in years. This lack of attention to detail only further reflected the office's overall lack of professionalism.

To add insult to injury, the waiting times were excruciatingly long. Despite arriving early in the morning, I found myself waiting for hours on end without any explanation or updates from the staff. It was evident that the office did not value their customers' time and did not try to improve efficiency.

In conclusion, my experience with the BLS Office was nothing short of a disappointment. The lack of professionalism displayed by their staff, disorganized procedures, uninformed employees, and the overall uninviting atmosphere left me frustrated and dissatisfied. I strongly urge the management of the BLS Office to reevaluate their customer service approach and make the necessary improvements to ensure a more professional and efficient experience for...

Seems like a waste of your time and money

I can See that many good reviews from “local guides” and others that has a vague info. My qualifications to this is -2 stars. Check for yourself, (do not dare to try phones, do not work) educate yourself from some guidelines in webpages, I did start sending mails on February, they were responding 2 weeks later, for more and more information and then finally they told me that is no need for appointment and can visit or Monday, or Thursday between 8-12. Did my homework and travel from NC with my family, is a budget DC hotels, and transportation. (Do not forget to read all the emails, without name they respond a short response but what they include is a note that you have to proof with your driver license where you live), read everything and bring all kind o paperwork, like ask for residency in USA, will not be easy..A consular representative Did start asking everything and you will be back and forth printing and supporting docs needed travel (put imagination rampant and print your life), your finances and all your id with copies and do not forget an envelope, money in cash. You will see a Peruvian who will be the center, will make objection and different kind of request, at times 2 attentive ladies but in general rude personal that look overwhelmed and they try to get rid of you, personally believe that they do not care and not trained for the position, sad to watch, long story short, they will find the way to convince you that do not apply because you are not qualify and wasting your money. Oh well, did wanted so bad join with my family in Ecuador who is traveling there. They demand sort of updated Permanent Residence card, finally did it and started again asking this time for an appointment since last days in May, did receive in June the glorious appointment for a Wednesday. Just to be cautious but optimistic did react with joy and accept the appointment just mention that is weird you set me for Wednesday on Schengen Visa, well Next day they respond that is an error and they have appointment for August 22, jejeje just the day that my family will be in Spain. My thoughts on this is that they do not care, inefficient and not operational for this, hope you can have a different, more satisfying experience, but mine is a lot of money in a airfare tickets for whole family and hotels and frustration because Spain is not for me, will try to travel differently and erase...

Oh man, if you can, stay away. They really just do not care over here and I've wasted an ungodly amount of time working with them and their VISA process. Unfortunately, they are the only option when doing certain things, and they clearly face no repercussions for any poor service effort that they provide. In my experience there, I saw many people in worse situations than mine as a result of their negligence, and just look at the other reviews for validation.

In the process of applying for a long-term Visa with them, and it is an absolute nightmare to say the least. Everything involved with the VISA is extremely time-sensitive, but they fail to give an adequate timeline for anything and provide zero detail. I'm not even writing the review about that, though.

The one star review comes from the fact that I sent in my Visa application on September 6th through their preferred courier, USPS (confirmed by them). They stated, after contacting them myself independently, that they filed my request on October 3rd. This means that the package was sitting somewhere in the establishment for almost one month without any action. Their website says that you can legally expect a decision back exactly one month from the submission date. Although it's speculation, I feel that they listed this date as a way to cover their own a**.

Although you will pay a hefty $160 for the Visa service, I was told by management that "it was not our fault" and to "contact USPS" about the delay. They said it could take another month from the October 3rd date to arrive. The delivery was confirmed by USPS and they literally receive multiple packages solely from USPS every day.

Keep in mind, they keep your passport this entire time, you are required to pay for foreign health insurance that you can't use while you wait, and you can't plan/schedule ANYTHING for your trip since you have no understanding of when you will get it back. Just to satisfy all of the Visa requirements, you are probably spending over $500 just to obtain the contents that you are submitting. They...