The agency here is the BEST govt operation I have EVER experienced…read more The staff was helpful / courteous and efficient ! I was especially impressed with Lee in window 4 and Madilyn in window 14 . The entire experience has renewed my faith in government !!!

I had flights booked for Thailand and Singapore and realized five days before my trip that my…read morepassport was going to expire in January. I panicked when I saw that passports need at least six months validity and started looking for ways to get it renewed quickly. I scheduled an appointment at the San Francisco Passport Agency for Thursday morning at 9:30. I took BART and walked about seven minutes to the building. When you get there, you go through security and take the elevator up to the passport agency. I was second in line and was in and out in less than eight minutes. The staff were extremely friendly, and the lady at the counter was able to expedite my passport for same-day pick up. I would have had to pick it up at 4 PM, but I couldn't stay in the city all day, so I opted to pick it up on Monday instead. One thing to note is that having all your paperwork ready is crucial. They mention everything you need online, and when I was there, a lot of people were scrambling to fill out forms on the floor. Come prepared if you want a smooth, fast experience. On Monday, I returned to pick up my passport. I was literally the only person there and was in and out in less than eight minutes. Overall, this was hands down the smoothest passport process I've ever experienced.

I whole-heartedly recommend Travel Vis Pro. Eleven years ago I used them for expediting a new…read morepassport and Chinese tourist visa, and they were great. So I recently used them again for renewing the China visa. Happy to say that they're still great. They helped correct a problem (of my own making) with the visa application, and then guided the process of getting my passport to the consulate and back into my hands. The fee was reasonable. A bargain, in fact. Thanks, TVP.

Update: The Owner reached out to me right away and corrected the situation. He put me in touch…read morewith one of his experts Lester who was able to answer my questions. It appears what happened below is a training issue. I didn't end up going with them in the end, but I appreciated the follow up and resolving the issues. I'd consider them in the future. Original Review: Wow, the communication is horrible. I called just to ask what they do differently so I can understand the value. Quite simply the question is "Can you get the visa for me at the chinese consulate faster than if I were to go myself?" The answer was "I don't understand why you would ask that" by Katrina. Uh, because your business advertises that it provides expedited services, why wouldn't I ask that. Katrina was very defensive and not helpful at all. I guess I'm going to the consulate myself.....

Needed a passport ASAP for my first international trip. Passport Depot got the job done!…read more I waited until the absolute last minute and did the two week expedited service. I never had a passport before so I needed more than just a renewal. Passport Depot was incredible at making sure I had all the right documents, setting up appointments with the Postal Service, and got me my passport a week earlier than expected. Huge lift off my shoulders, the team was nice and professional. I highly recommend using Passport Depot!

We have been going to Passport Depot for years now, since they were located on Haight St. They now…read morehave a beautiful new location in Union Square. Let's be honest we never keep track of when our passport expires. Then when you suddenly book a last minute trip, you notice you're passport has expired and you're franticly trying to see how you can get it renewed before your trip. Michael and Christine take all the stress of getting an appointment and filling out paperwork for you. They expedite and streamline the renewal process for you, saving you time and stress. When you're handing over your passport to an agency, you want to make sure that they are professional, trustworthy, reliable and that everything will be handled with care and on time. They also can help you with travel Visa's and can answer any questions you may have. When I was renewing an expire passport for my mom recently, I also noticed that they have a passport card available now that works as a secondary ID, or for domestic travel if you don't have a real ID. Working with them for our passport renewals has given us peace of mind that everything will be handled properly for us in time. Great customer service. Would highly recommend.

Got my China visa TWO weeks ahead of when I asked for it (created the request 11/2, documents…read morereceived at office 11/16, visa ready on 11/26)! Efficient service. Since the consulate recently removed the option to book appointments, this is the cheapest option I found for getting the visa and IMO totally worth it to skip waiting in the consulate line. The website is a little outdated but updates with the bare minimum information that is needed. You can ship materials ($37 each way) or drop them off at the in-person office in SF. My total invoice for getting the visa was $380 -- $185 for the mandatory consulate fee, $185 service fee, and the remainder was a processing fee. Other than that, there are no add-ons for "checking documents" or "photo print" (which is not necessary for the SF consulate) like other websites, which I appreciated. One of the biggest downsides: it is *really* difficult to contact customer service (the phone lines have 20+ minute wait times and my email went unanswered). Overall, I was able to get my visa for China within 3 weeks using this service. It lifted a huge burden of stress off my shoulders. When my 10-year visa expires, I would definitely consider reusing this service!

I submitted all the paperwork and they kept telling me to update my work history for the past five…read moreyears, which I did, and it turns out they don't even need this information. Then they said I had not updated it despite having updated 3 times. I called them to update it and they said it can only be done through their website which doesn't function. Then they gave me a refund minus $180 or so. This is a rip off and these people are incompetent.

I highly recommend Bay Document Services and Phillip Monares for your visa/passport services…read more 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.

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

These guys... wow…read more Was scheduled to travel in February, and had planned on renewing once back due to uncertainty of timing and the process, then resort renovation ran over, did not open and we did not end up traveling. Couple weeks later, unscheduled need to travel international appeared on short notice and well, now the crunch right? Not at all, quick search of reviews on Yelp and found Stephen and Aaron, just about a week start to finish for these two miracle workers. Solid, clear communication throughout, reasonable fees and a turnaround that removed all the stress around renewal and away we go! Could not have been easier or smoother. Thanks guys!!!

Stephen saved my trip in September. Just saw my passport was about to expire and my trip in…read moreSeptember is all set and paid for. Stephen got my new passport to me in a week. Awesome service from the start of the process. It was a breeze. Thanks guys for the great service!!

I recently got married and changing my name took longer than I thought it would. So by the time I…read moregot to renewing/changing my name on my passport, I only had 4 weeks before my husband and I's honeymoon trip to Jamaica! I paid for the 2 week rush service ($600+) and I had my passport in hand 16 days after I mailed my packet to the RushMyPassport company. I got my passport back 6 days sooner than I was estimated over the phone, which was great! If you buy a rush service the "days" are only how long it will be with the government, not including shipping or reviewing your documents, so make sure to keep that in mind! I had 4 weeks until my trip which is why I picked the 2 weeks service. I am very satisfied with this service and I would use it again if I had another situation where I needed to renew my passport quickly. The customer service always answered my calls quickly and professionally. I also liked the tracker that showed where in the process my passport was as well. Thanks!

Terrible experience! Avoid this place at all costs. What should have been a simple passport renewal…read moreturned into a nightmare that cost me a missed flight, an extra week of hotel fees, and airline change fees. The issue was entirely their fault. I paid the state fees directly to them, but they failed to include them in my application. When I called to sort out the mistake, Louis Baldassarre from Rush My Passport argued with me, literally yelling, claiming they don't handle state fees and refused to issue a refund since the application was already in process. Their incompetence cost me hundreds of dollars and a significant amount of stress.

This business is now CLOSED in San Francisco…read more We have used these agency multiple times and I am so sad that it is not open now that the government has slowed their response in getting passports issued. What a loss for the city and surrounding communities.

The worst. Don't waste your money nor time. They pretend they going to make you an app with agent…read more They lied. Once you go to "agent app" they said this company always do this. I had to tu o bug her to please help me. "The Passport Office" is a rip off. I did all paper work and mail my self. The Passport Office only gets your money that's all.

Made a random inquiry if Bow Joy could arrange a Chinese speaking tour guide for the Bay Area, with…read more24 hour notice. Great help, arranged seamlessly and was highly professional and personable. Thanks Sue and Spencer

I had a very pleasant experience with their service. They were all quick and responsive throughtout…read morethe entire process.

Great service, had just around 2-3 min wait time when I went for my 11.30am appointment. I was done…read morewith submission in less than 8 mins of arrival, but had to wait about 15-20 min for the receipt. The person who I interacted with, Meera, was nice and friendly. If you have all your documents right you'll be outta here in no time. Staff is friendly and helpful, but bound by their rules n constraints obviously. Recommendations/Tips: 1. Read every instruction very carefully. They mandate Masks, be there on time, read every document in the mandatory checklist- what purpose they serve, and don't dismiss anything with assumptions. 2. I had paid for their photo services, but later realized that I have to get the change of appearance notarized, so I got the photographs in prior and didn't use their service. Even the photocopy/printing service. So think before choosing the services you avail at VFS and do not overpay. 3. Change of appearance is mandatory for passport re-issue even if your appearance has not changed. You have to notarize stating the same. One lady who missed it had a tough time, as she had to either come back or mail it. You cannot reschedule 48 hours before the appointment or defer your slot after check in. 4. Parking could become a pain, so if you're driving yourself to the office, it's better to book a garage that's next to it or anywhere close, and not struggle around in the city at the last min. 5. The address building number 228 is not a number you'll see on a building door at the street, but there's a small door/passage beside 230 that leads you to a lift and can be let in with a valid appointment. You'll see the address written along a vertical banner above the door. Just don't look for door numbers on a building.

This is for the new office 642 Harrison street…read more I am still doing OCI MISC services which I got frustrated when I started Feburary 2021. Now it is mandatory to get the OCI Misc serivecs. After four years still nothing changed. Here is my updated review from March 2026 I applied for OCI miscellaneous services through the Government of India website. The online application process itself was actually quite easy compared to a few years ago. However, the problems started after submitting the application. The instructions said to create an account with VFS and follow their guidelines. Unfortunately, the instructions were not clear either on the Indian government website or on the VFS website. I mailed my physical application along with a check to VFS, and it has now been 14 business days with no response. When I try to track the application online, the VFS website does not work properly. When I attempt to contact them through the online support system, I cannot even submit a query because the page stalls. I also tried calling their customer service number. They mention that the first 10 minutes are free, but after that it costs $2.48 per minute, which is ridiculous. Even after calling, the service was very poor. The representatives were not able to answer my questions and simply kept telling me to track the status online. However, the main issue is that their website itself is not working, so I have no other way to get information about my application. Overall, the service experience has been extremely frustrating. I am not sure why the Government of India has hired this company to handle such important application processing.