I highly recommend Bay Document Services and Phillip Monares for your visa/passport services. I decided to visit my son who lives in NE China this coming spring. The most daunting part of planning is the Visa for entering China. I chose Bay Document Services and I am so pleased with the owner, Phillip Monares. He answered the phone when I called to enquire. He followed up via text messages to answer any questions that I had about the process. Parts of my application were rejected and Phillip explained what to do. He was right there through the whole process! My passport and China Visa were returned to me today. I am ready for my trip. (I diddled around getting the application to the embassy, and then had to wait for the Chinese New Year closure to pass, but the whole process took about a month.) I highly recommend Phillip Monares for document services. read more

We are so appreciative of Phillip Monares!! We ran into so many scam artists and so much conflicting information when we needed to renew our passports in a pinch. He was extremely helpful, informative, and professional. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! read more

I can't say enough that's positive about Phillip and his services. I had scheduled a trip overseas but less than 3 weeks before I was due to leave I realized that my passport had expired. Many frantic hours followed with me searching on-line for solutions to this dilemma, but the advice I found was confusing and often contradictory. Time was ticking away, and a sense of dread loomed over what should have been happy travel planning. Then I discovered Phillip and Bay Document Services. He assured me that it could all be taken care of well before my departure date. And he was right: within a week, he had a shiny new passport for me. He even gave me a generous discount for being in the military! Since this passport is good for 10 years I am unlikely to ever need his services again, but I am happy to enthusiastically recommend him to anyone in need of such help. read more

Philip is kind, efficient, and very professional. I have used his services twice already and have had great experiences both times. This time we got a passport renewed with a three day turnaround time. read more

In a crazy situation, my passport was revoked in Switzerland. In absolute panic from the Zürich Airport I had called dozens of passport agencies with no luck. I felt defeated, disappointed and confused. I cannot tell you how appreciative I am that Bay Document Services picked up the phone and spoke to me. The agent was knowledgeable, patient and honest. In a time of despair, he could've easily made false promises for my money. The agent gave me advice and guidance on what to do. He was extremely comforting and provided answers I needed to get myself back to the US safely and quickly. There are few kind humans left in this world and I was lucky to speak to one over the phone. I did not catch his name, but I hope he knows how much he did for me. This place deserves your business! read more

Stop looking at reviews. Phillip is the way to go. I never had a doubt. Responsive and professional.

Phillip was incredibly helpful and also positive in a very tough situation with same day passport renewal. He gave me extremely clear instructions and helped me through the whole process. He went the extra mile by even checking in to make sure that I had everything figured out after directing me the San Francisco Passport Office. I am incredibly thankful for his guidance and support throughout this process and highly recommend his services. thank you so much Phillip for your knowledge and support! 10/10 service. read more

I simply cannot say enough about Phillip and the awesome, professional customer service and the personal not to mention expedited assistance he provides. He made obtaining a first-time passport a breeze which typically is a total nightmare especially working against the current infamous two week out timeline now during this Covid-19 pandemic. He answered my initial call late one night and took the time to explain the arduous and tedious passport process. He answered all of my questions, guided me throughout the process every step of the way, completed online paperwork for me, and was able to get the job done without a hitch in time for my flight to Barcelona this Friday. He even took the time to answer and return my phone calls and answered the many text messages and emails I sent to him too as well. If you want the job done, look no further! Call Phillip! Trust me you will be so very glad that you did! read more

5 star service! I received my passport so fast! The most seamless and easy expedited passport renewal I've ever done. Thorough communication and instructions. I would recommend for everyone! read more

Phil is amazing. He spent a lot of time answering my questions. At the end, he recommended doing the expedited process by mail. He gave me precise instructions as to how to fill out the application online at the travel.state.gov site and then print it and mail it in. He said that would minimize any delays on the NPIC side. I was very impressed. He could have charged me several hundred $$ to do the expedited process through his own company. I love his approach to customer service! read more

Just wanted to give a 5 star shout out and a big THANK YOU! to Phillip and his team at Bay Document Services. They rushed my son's passport application through with out a hitch. They were extremely professional. They guided us through the process and kept in touch with us on a weekly basis until it was completed. We couldn't be more thankful. First rate company. I would highly recommend them for your passport needs. read more

I needed to get a visa for my bosses for an upcoming trip to India and after picking my way through the IMPOSSIBLE online visa application, they got inexplicably rejected! I looked up visa services and Bay Document Services came right up. I was nervous about handing over control of the process to someone else, but boy, am I glad I did! Phillip held my hand through the whole process, answering every single question I had, no matter how stupid - and that was before I'd even paid him! He was so confident about being able to navigate the process, and incredibly friendly and flexible. I just got word that one of the visas got approved and the other is almost through. I am so incredibly grateful to Phillip for his help - he saved me so much stress and trouble! I will absolutely use his services again any time I need to process a visa. read more

Phillip was instrumental in helping me get a passport for my son within an expedited timeline! He gave us step by step instructions on what to do and what to fill out. He made the USPS appointment for me at a convenient location. And he even called me the day before the appointment to go over everything and make sure I felt comfortable. Once I overnighted my documents to him, I had the passport in my hand within a week! He's a life saver! We are so excited for our upcoming trip. Thanks for making it possible! read more

The best service to get a visa or passport fast. Philip is great and makes the process easy and seamless. I used this business to get a Brazilian visa and just recently a replacement passport for a lost passport. All obtained super quickly in less than a week thanks to this amazing business. read more

Absolutely amazing service! I was extremely worried, as I realized my passport was expired after booking my trip to Mexico. I found Phil and he assured me that everything was going to be fine! It sure was! I just received my passport today, he got it to me in 3 days how crazy!! I leave for my trip on the 27th and I couldn't be more excited. Phil made this process extremely seamless. He is a god sent! read more

Phil is amazing! My boyfriend lost his passport less than two weeks before an international trip. I called multiple services and when I found Phil, I was immediately put at ease. He is knowledgeable and a total pro who walked me through every step needed to do the application without error. He kept me posted and the process went exactly as he described. The passport arrived with a couple of days to spare. I would use him again for any passport/visa needs. read more

Phillip definitely deserves all the stars! I needed a ton of help getting a passport in a relatively short amount of time. Phillip walked me through the entire process from start to finish. He was professional and attentive. He kept in consistent touch with me over the course of about a month. He set my postal appointment on my behalf. When my appointment was set, he helped me fill out a pile of required paperwork. His guidance was so helpful--I received the passport in no time! I would recommend Bay Document Services to any friends or family. read more

I needed help in completing the forms for a lost passport and a new passport. Phillip came to the rescue and completed all the necessary forms and provided directions on payment. He also included expediting the new passport application and overnight delivery of the new one. I highly recommend this company. read more

Can't say enough great things about both the service and results that Philip provided for getting my passport renewed on time for my trip in June. Yes, I could have done it myself, but he helped make sure it was done correctly so that I didn't run the risk of having to do it again. Have recommended this seervice to my partner and everyone else. Thanks Philip! read more

Phillip helped me with getting my first passport just on time for my trip - clutch! I had a trip set just 1 month away but was unsure of the turnaround time for a traditional passport service. Found Bay Document Services and after contacting Phillip, he scheduled an appointment for me at the post office and made the passport application process easy by walking me thru the steps. From there I handed my documents to Phillip and he had my passport book ready in just 3 days. Much appreciated! read more

I had been referred to another company first - by a friend who admitted that getting her Brazil VISA was a pain in the a** - but their complicated website had me at my wits end and wanting to pull my hair out. Fortunately, I thought to ask a second friend who'd recently been to Brazil, and she recommend BDS. She promised that BDS was reliable and efficient. Day 1, I emailed the company for more information. I got a reply within an hour. Grace very clearly laid out exactly what I would need to supply to them, in order for them to apply for my VISA for me (in San Fransisco - which is the nearest Consulate office to my home in Oregon). Grace then called me - just to make sure I understood the process and fees. DBS charges $83, which includes the postage to have your VISA mailed back. For all the trouble Brazil makes it to get a VISA, this fee was well worth it. Otherwise, I'd have to fly to San Francisco to apply myself (and airfare and a hotel would cost me a lot more than $83). What you mail BDS is: *1 new passport photo *Postal money order in the amount of $180 for the Consulate General of Brazil *My US passport *My check to Bay Documents for $83.00 *My application confirmation form *Copy of my flight itinerary *Copy of booked hotels *Address return form *Copy of my Oregon Driver's license After putting that all together, I priority mailed my packet to BDS. The next day, Phillip emailed to say that my packet had been received and that they would be going to the consulate on that following Monday and that processing is 5 business days. He then said they would mail back my passport with the Brazil VISA inside. 5 days later, I contacted BDS. The government had shut down, but he assured me the consulate had not...they were just having server issues and my VISA would be ready for them to pick up in a few days. A few days later, I had my FedEx tracking number and 2 days later, I had my passport back in hand, with my VISA of Brazil stamped inside. Whew! I have not been this happy with a business in a really long time! With all the fraud going on these days, it takes a lot of faith to put your passport in someone else's hands...and BDS did not disappoint. If you need a VISA to Brazil, this is the company I would highly recommend. read more

Highly highly recommend Phillip if you're in any kind of a pinch and need an expedited passport. He was so thorough and easy to work with we were so nervous I wouldn't get my passport in time. Everything went off seamlessly!!! read more

Very knowledgeable and extremely nice and helpful! Answered all my questions via phone and gave no pressure to do it through them. Thanks Bay Document Service read more

After reading such good reviews on Yelp, we decided to work with Phillip. We had a European trip in 6 weeks with expired passports. We are thrilled with how helpful he was. At every turn there was another roadblock. Our expired passports had paper punch holes in them which the passport agency said made them null and void - couldn't be renewed. Customs must have done this on our last trip. Phillip had a solution. Then we couldn't get out of state birth certificates for ID, since we had to start from scratch. Phillip helped with that. He even set up our appointments at our local post office and met us there to make sure that everything was filled out perfectly. They knew and trusted him, making the interaction much easier. Phillip met us in Marin County twice, San Francisco County twice and went to the passport agency on our behalf twice! At first, I thought the price was high, but once we experienced EVERYTHING that Phillip had to do for us, I changed my mind. It was worth every penny. read more

How lucky I am to have found Phillip Monares, owner of Bay Document Services.  London and a country gardens tour were calling on short notice and surprise, surprise, my passport was expired. After calling several expeditors, getting voicemails, and receptionists, Phillip, the owner, picked up my call. I drove new passport pictures, the form, and my expired passport to him last week. He hand-delivered my new passport to me today, merely a week later. Concierge service, positive attitude, and so nice, Phillip is the turn-around king.  Plus his prices are extremely reasonable.  Look no further. read more

These guys got me a renewed passport on short notice when the agency wasn't accepting many expedited requests. Phillip was very responsive and helpful, which really eased my mind given the tight timeline. Top notch customer service. read more

I got a callback on the same day, with so much helpful information. It was clear I didn't need their services after all, yet the lovely man who returned my phone call spent quite a bit of time with me on the phone, telling me everything I needed to do to secure my passport renewal. What a mench! read more

I was a bit timid to send off my passport and all of my private information to a company, as I had never sought a visa before, but Bay Document Services made everything very easy. They were quick to communicate, and let me know when my appointment with the consulate was right away, and kept me up-to-date on everything that was happening and when I would have everything back to me. I was apprehensive as I was traveling on such short notice, but they were able to get me in, have everything completed and mailed back to me with days to spare. Great rates, amazing communication. Rest assured these people are the best. read more

Well done Bay Docs! I received my visa on time and without hassle. BDS accommodated my short notice time frame and went the extra mile to insure that I had my documents ready for my trip. I will absolutely use this service for future travel preparation. read more

For those who need a Brazilian visa, here's a warning: the five day lead time on the Brazilian consulate website is from the day of appointment. It can take months to get an appointment. After booking my airline ticket for a wedding, I logged into the appointment website, it looked like I would not get a visa until January when I needed one for November. I got in touch with five visa agents who charged higher fees and encouraged me to postpone my trip to be included in their batch. Others suggested I submit my materials without guaranteeing a firm date. Grace came to the rescue. I emailed her with a firm deadline and that I would only use her services if she could meet it. Within five minutes of my email, she responded she could make my deadline and asked me to submit my materials within 12 hours. She included me in her scheduled batch with the consulate the next day. My 10 year tourist visa was approved in four days of my first email -- 20 days ahead of schedule. If you're in a bind and need a visa fast, I highly recommend Grace if she has a spot available. She has good attention to detail, knows the system well, answers questions clearly, and is very responsive via email. I will definitely use her services again the next time I need a visa agency. read more

Just three weeks ago, I was able to clinch last-minute tickets to the World Cup. My flight tickets booked, my hotels booked, there was that one last step: getting a visa to Brazil. Like most things, this was easier said than done. All the appointment slots for the Brazilian consulate were fully booked up until late July. Problem? My flight to Brazil was in mid-June. Oof. Enter Bay Document Services. Out of all the visa services I contacted, BDS was the only one that actually responded back -- they called me not even five minutes after I emailed them rather frantically about my situation! Grace was super nice and very clear about all the materials I'd need to hand over to her. After dropping off my materials 2 days later, my friend and I got our brand spankin' new Brazil visas nicely placed in our passports within the 6 day turnaround time that we were promised. Color me impressed! Everything worked out smoothly and professionally with BDS, and I'd highly recommend them, especially if you're in a pinch like I was. Thanks for making my Brazil trip happen! :) read more

Bay Document Services was extremely helpful in helping me obtain my visa to Brazil. I have never used an agency like this before, but I found them them to be very informative about all the necessary steps I needed complete to obtain the visa. Brazil now requires you to make an appointment on the consulate website to apply for the visa, which has an unusually long wait for the general public. The consulate has special slots open for agencies such as Bay Document Services and they obtained an appointment for me within 2 days which was the only possible way I could have made the trip. Also since I lived in Monterey it would have been quite the drive to SF to apply and then pick up the visa. I found their fee to be very affordable and they were very responsive to all my questions. Thanks again to Bay Document Services read more

Thanks to Yelp for helping me locate another reliable local business. Bay Doc Services (BDS) did a great job securing my China Visa. The forms on their website worked well. They processed it quickly using regular priority. I appreciate their advice to secure a one year visa since it costs the same as a single or double entry. The price was fair compared to the competition. I appreciate that BDS allowed me to drop and pick up my passport in person since their business is located in my neighborhood. I would use BDS again and will recommend to my friends. read more

Grace, from "Bay Document Service" helped me with my Ukrainian documentation few month ago. She truly reliable, honest, resourceful and on point. I was worried about submitting all my info to an agency...But, after reading all great Yelp, Yahoo reviews, I choose "Bay Document Service". And I glad I did. My review a bit overdue, but it's better now then never. I had a problem with a FedEx post carrier, who for some reason delivered my documents wet! Grace dry them with a hairdryer, and be able still take them to Ukrainian Embassy so I didn't lost any valuable time. She also send all my document back to me in a nice, big zip log! She update me true all process on the phone and email, which is wonderful. Thank you Grace. You are amazing , caring and wonderful to deal with. Highly recommend. I will contact them again for all my future needs in San Francisco. A tip: When you sending your valuable documents, just in case, place them in a zip log bag:)) read more

I used Bay Document Services to get an Exchange Student Visa for Brazil. I found them from the Brazilian Consulate in San Francisco website and chose them based off of customer reviews. My documents from my sponsoring organization arrived only about 2 1/2 weeks before my departure and I was able to send them down to San Francsico and received my visa 2 weeks later. Everything was perfect, my visa correct and as quick as could be. They helped me through the process with ease that I never could have done on my own, and saved me a flight down to San Fran. I had many questions which they answered promptly and correctly and I am 100% satisfied! I would recommend them without hesitation! =] read more

I've used Grace several times to get visas to India and China for the executives I work with. Her prices are reasonable and everything is super fast. Her website has a lot of good information so you can get the documentation ready without forgetting anything. read more

Awesome business with amazing people! I don't know anything about renewing passports and so I called in with a couple simple questions; they were so incredibly helpful!! I learned everything I wanted to know and more, and there was no pressure at all to use their services, they genuinely wanted to help. Thanks, Bay Document Services! :) read more

I used Bay Document Services for my Brazil tourist visa. They knew the process well and worked to get my visa done as soon as possible. I had my reservations about sending my new passport to somebody I didn't know, but they did I great job and were responsive to all of my questions along the way. BDS is a top-rate company. I highly recommend them! read more

I had to post a review, because I hate to see a company with such wonderful service only have one Yelp review! Our employees do a lot of international business traveling, and so I do a lot of applying for travel visas. Originally, our travel agent had suggested a "big name" visa agency down in San Francisco (a lot of our "local" consulates for Washington state are located in SF) and, while the service I received was sufficient for the most part, I prefer a more personal experience. I'd like to be able to call the agency and get a real person who knows what they are talking about, not an operator in a call center somewhere who is reading from a script. But it had worked out for me so far. Several months ago, I needed to get a business visa for Brazil for one of our employees so I called this "big name" agency and they told me that they couldn't get us the visa. They said that the Brazilian consulate wasn't accepting visa applications from third parties any longer, and the employee would need to travel down to SF, in order to submit the application in person. This didn't make any sense to me at all. So I started calling around. I stuck with the bigger agencies first, but was getting nowhere. Finally, I stumbled upon the website for Bay Document Services. I was a bit apprehensive about relying on a company that seemed somewhat small and I couldn't find much info about them online. But I was desperate. I called and spoke with Phillip, and he said that there were currently issues with the Brazilian Consulate, but he could get us our visa. SCORE! Still a bit apprehensive, I sent down the application packet hoping that someday I might actually see the passport again. And...I DID! Phillip worked his magic and got us our visa. And for a fraction of the cost of the other visa agency that I had been using. I have since used them several times, and will continue to use them. The service is always excellent, my questions (email or phone) are always answered very thouroughly and quickly, and the visa and passport turn-around is fast. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Thanks Phillip and Grace for providing a wonderful service! And I'm sorry that I doubted your powers. :) read more

I ran across BDS years ago while trying to navigate the process for getting a visa to Brazil. Since then, I have not trusted anyone else for my visa needs. I travel a lot, and travel all over the world for business, sometimes on short notice. Each and every time, no matter how crazy the request, Grace and team have been there for me. I wouldn't trust anyone else with my passports - or the passports of my family! We all us BDS. read more