We went to get a few documents notarized and legalized and to renew a document. Ventsislav was very courteous, professional, kind and helpful. He was also very patient and gave us a few options to consider. The experience exceeded our expectations. read more

We had an appointment to renew our passports. The whole experience was smooth and pleasant. The staff were friendly and we received an excellent service. Vera Ancheva was super professional, kind, extremely helpful and delightful. We were treated with respect, kindness and courtesy. I would like to thank her sincerely and express our appreciation. read more

The Consulate staff had changed since may last visit five years ago and on both occasions they were knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. As with any public agency, it helps to come prepared and be well informed of what to expect and what to bring. Paperwork guidelines are what they are so don't argue with the clerks as they are in no position to change them. Consider e-mailing your suggestions to the Consulate e-mail account instead. The Consulate web-page has evolved over the years and is reasonably informative but, when in doubt, call the office prior to your visit to ensure a positive outcome. The location is perfect: a large parking lot behind the building and plenty of street parking near-by. Bonus points for the efficient and always welcoming security staff in the lobby. Make an appointment in advance, if you can, arrive early and announce your arrival, then sit tight and put away your cell phone. The waiting room is tiny and stuffy, and its size and layout demand respect for your fellow citizens' personal space and sanity. Signage (or a flat screen) by the door and on the wall you face as you enter would improve the flow. Seating options that offer more accessible individual writing surface to each visitor will limit the congestion near the service window. As with most things in life, paperwork is a team sport: good will tends to be reciprocated and a smile goes a long way. read more

I have been going to this location for almost 10 years and every time I receive a good customer service and the staff is very helpful. They were able to quickly help me with the documents I needed and so far I have nothing, but a positive experience. The office is conveniently located in a high-rise building and there is a close-by location to prepare a self-addressed envelope if you need your documents sent to your address. Keep up the good work! Thank you! read more

Strange...the service was good today: questions answered, documents filled out, picture taken, fees paid with no argument, no negativity. Thank God, as I was going to Bulgarian Consulate with my heart prepared for useless confrontation due to unprofessional approach to the customer service, due to ice cold eyes scanning you as a criminal, due to repeated questions with no explanation what it actually was about. Good. Unlike my previous visit five years ago, when the new electronic system was applied for making the appointments online. I never realized it before going there: it was not mentioned on the Consulate site at all. Actually, the Consulate site is totally useless- there is no needed information for usual needs, such as passport renewal, notary verification for transcripts, etc. I got there before going to work at the earliest possible time - 9:30. And it was a surprise for me: Do you have an appointment? I said: No, I don't, but I need to see the administrator. The security called upstairs to inform, that someone wants to visit the Consulate urgently. So, I was escorted consecutively by 3 (!) people to the 4th floor. There was Ms(rs) Vera, who said that there is a new system and she can't help me. I am very patient usually, very understanding. But it was an insult by someone, who works only for 4 hours daily, paid for absolutely everything by Bulgarian citizens to live in LA comfortably. I couldn't take it. I said: Seriously? You are that busy to take my application, pictures, passport and fee for service right now, which will take only about 10 minutes or so? You are that busy, working 4 hours a day with customers that are so easy to work with and sending away to make an appointment online (wow, what a service!) a person, who work her ass out for 12-16 hours routinely (as many or regular citizens do here)??? Are you serious??? I was so angry, spoke so quietly looking at her eyes, so she probably took me for crazy, processed my documents silently. But this moment will stay with me forever: someone with links in BG (for sure), came here to teach me proper way to live. Amazing ( not to say disgusting). So, it was 5 years ago. I guess, I was not the only one to experience such service as today she was fine, polite, professional. Unfortunately, it was not this lady mom who taught her manners. Sadly, many people visited Consulate call it Vulgarian Consulate. :-( read more

What a pleasant surprise - the consulate is situated in a very nice building with underground parking right on Wilshire. On the 4th floor you will find both the Hungarian and Bulgarian consulates sharing a common wall - I though that was very cute :) The service is impeccable. It took me no more than 10 minutes to wrap up my business with the consular officer and she was super polite; knew her stuff and ultimately sent me on my way in the most efficient way possible. Good work guys! read more

I had spectacular service here today! They were friendly, polite, practical, full of helpful suggestions. Yes, I smiled too, and all in all it was a positive experience only augmented by the camaraderie fostered by the close quarters in the waiting room. It's all a matter of perspective :) There is far worse service out there, US immigration is spotty at best. read more

2 stars cause I got my docs in time. The rest of my experience - terrible. It starts with parking that they don't validate - paid $7,5 for 40 min. Use meter parking instead - it's much cheaper. A blonde lady that took my documents was rude. She never smiled and treated me like I'm piece of ****. I had to run downstairs to get cash cause they don't accept cards (wow it's 2016!). Overall, I didn't expect customer service to be so bad, especially when you pay $100 just for a couple documents to get stamped. read more

This is my first time writing a review for whatsoever. I had a chance to work with Mrs. vera Shatilova for couple times, applying for my husband visa, reissuing new IDs and Passports, she is extremely helpful and nice. I have never met a diplomat or professional like her. She doesnt hesitate to answer my multiple emails and phone calls. I highly recommend to work with this consulate for anything related to Bulgaria. I would give 10* if available. read more

The previous reviewer is right about the building: it's decent (a typical office building, with at least a dozen other countries' consulates in it, among other tenants) and the parking is indeed convenient, although the Bulgarian Consulate refused to validate my parking stub (to the surprise of the building's security staff on the main floor, who swore they were supposed to), so I ended up paying for it. But that's really a minor detail; unlike Boyan's experience, mine was horrid. Early last year (2010) my Bulgarian passport was about to expire so I was following the news about the protracted, thrice delayed and almost canceled tender to issue new biometric passports, the penalties threatened by the EU because of the delays, etc. Finally, in March 2010 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement on its site (mfa.bg) that a number of its diplomatic and consular missions had begun processing applications for the new identity documents (passports, IDs, driving licenses). All four of Bulgaria's missions to the U.S., including the one in LA, were explicitly listed. Hallelujah! After a few failed attempts to get a hold of someone on the phone, I took a flight down there and showed up at the small room that is the consulate's customer service area one sunny day in early May. The middle-aged bleach-blonde at the window barely looked at me when I wished her a good morning. "What do you want?", she asked in that stereotypical tone expressing simultaneously disdain, boredom and impatience. "A new passport, please," I said. "We don't do passports right now". "Pardon?" "I said we don't issue passports right now! Do you want a temporary passport?" I was dumbfounded. "No, thank you, I would like a regular passport. According to the foreign ministry's site, you've been processing passport applications for nearly two months now." At this point the fake blonde started to lose her cool. "Don't you see that we don't have the biometric equipment installed yet," she yelled, pointing at a USB cable sticking out of the wall. "We can't process applications without the thumbprint reader!" True, I thought, though that didn't quite explain why her superiors at the ministry seemed to think otherwise. I briefly considered offering to buy them a thumbprint reader from the Office Depot down the street, but luckily my wisdom prevailed and instead I inquired when they'd have their equipment ready. "I don't know," she said. "Sometime this summer. You should have called or checked on OUR website anyway!" "I tried to call, several times, but no one ever answered," I said. "Besides, you do NOT have a website. I spent two hours looking for one and all I found was a photo album from the consul's wedding last month!" "We do have a website," she insisted. "Really? In that case perhaps you wouldn't mind giving me the address, would you?" At this point she became less certain in her (erroneous) conviction and switched the subject: "Are you sure you don't want a temporary passport? It's good for six months!" "No, thanks, I'm going to New York next month, I'll get a regular one there." Things got hectic and I had to postpone my NY trip, but I kept periodically calling the consulate in LA. I never got through to a human, but eventually toward mid- to late-June the greeting on their (un)answering machine changed. "We are happy to announce that the Bulgarian Consulate General in Los Angeles is now processing applications for new biometric Bulgarian identity documents," a recorded male voice pompously proclaimed. "Fantastic," I said to myself, doing my best to suppress my doubts. Went back to LA in early July and encountered the same "blonde" sitting at the window. Her roots were getting out of control. Got successfully fingerprinted and photographed, but had a question regarding one specific section on the form. I wanted to make sure I had correctly designated my mother to pick up the documents in Sofia for me. I've had her do this before (and FedEx them directly to me), as it can cut down the waiting period for the "express" service from two months to one. I'm running out of space for this review, but basically the fake blonde tried to dissuade me, then another consular official appeared at the window and confirmed I had filled out everything correctly, then the "blonde" started aggressively arguing with her that I should leave the section blank so as to "not limit my options" (?). I decided to submit it filled out nonetheless. In response to my inquiry, the "blonde" said she was going to transmit the data to Sofia the same day. However, through a connection of mine at the ministry, I found out it didn't get sent until more than three weeks later. Furthermore, whoever did the data entry ended up omitting (intentionally?) the very section of the form I described above, as if I had never filled it out, rendering my mother unable to pick up the documents for me. On the upside, the ordeal cured my homesickness. Public service, I suppose. read more

Overall, I have to say customer service has improved as to courtesy, more can be done. However, one thing went wrong with my sister who applied for renewal of her lichna karta. She eventually received the new one but the address on it was wrong (incomplete)!!! The address should have included the name of the street, the street number, the vhod letter, the apt number, the floor number (exactly the same address on her old card). Instead, the address was written as the name of the street and the street number only. Now imagine what happens if you are to receive mail-you will never get anything. As much as I could figure it out, they must have confused the names of the streets Tsar Assen (her street ) with Ivan Assen. Anyway, what was outrageous, was that an employee (Evgenia Ivanova) of theirs calls my sister and tells her that there is a discrepancy with her address, and that MVR says there is not such an address, and that's why the address is incomplete not because they made a mistake. I sent this employee official document of the apt.shema and its address, taken from sluzvbata po geodezia, kartographia i kadastar, verifying that this is a valid address. She said she would email it to the MVR. In the meantime, she calls my sister who is not a person to argue stuff like that and succeeds to convince her to accept the new lichna carta. She tells her that where she lives also there are more than one vhod but her address does not include vhod. This is not to believe as it is in contrary to what the Bulgarian law for citizens' address registration requires and the way the addresses are to be written down. Today, 12/12/2018, I am editing this post. I just looked at the name of the person who notarized my document for a permission to sell a property in BG back in July-the name is -, LA. O, my God! , why after notarizing the content of the document, you failed to inform me that I also needed the Declarations . 25, 8 . 264, 1 filled out and notarized as well in order for the first document to have some use. I wonder if you take an evil pleasure in wasting the money and time of the Bulgarians living abroad who come to the Consulate some from far away, me personally from 300 km for an assistance? People watch out! read more

Horrific experience! I changed my name after visiting the consulate and decided not to renew my passport anymore. Will never visit Bulgaria either. If you are used to the customer service here, when you go to the consulate, be prepared to be yelled at and be humiliated just because they have power to do it. I'm proud to be an American! read more

I have always found the service at the Bulgarian Consulate in LA to be efficient, professional and dedicated to getting the job done. Even the required appointments makes sense since it is never crowded anymore and the officials can actually focus on you and what you need. The polite and courteous officer has always been careful to make sure she is doing the best possible job so that our documents meet all the necessary criteria and do not get sent back as incomplete or invalid. Ultimatelly, I think that it is every customer's best interest. Dealing with people can sometimes be stressful and I think this team does a great job with customer service. Keep up the good work and thank you! read more

I visited the Consulate in February this year. Mrs, Vera Shatilova helped me. She was very helpful, really professional and altogether very nice. Thank you so much. read more