I thought this was going to be a great experience but any time a business asks you to pay up front before any services are delivered, that should be a red flag. My services were not delivered as I cancelled the order when the trip was cancelled, no email confirmations sent to me and was charged for nothing. Having a difficult time getting a refund. Stay away read more

I have used travel docs before and they were good to me, but this time they dropped the ball and refused to accept responisibility. I paid for a five business day turn around for my visa for Nigeria, and on day six, when I still had recieved or heard nothing I called and asked Dwayne what was wrong. He said "It takes 8 to ten business days' I told him I had paid for five business days - and suddenly he got with it and told me he would get it and fed -ex the the next day. My plane left that Sunday and this was Thursday night. Well he called me on Friday and said the lady who signs the documents was gone - so I could not get my visa til the next week. I would have to eat my tickets. He would not apologize for mishandling the visa and blamed the embassy - when he just sat on it until I called on day six. I hoestly would have been fine if he had apologized for misreading my order and thinking it was the 8 to 10 business days - and if he offered to return the difference in price - but he blamed the consulate for his mistake. So if you need a five day turn around - ride them!!! read more

We were about to leave for Spain and Portugal. I found that my passport had expired. Monte Rodriguez went way beyond helpful it getting my passport in time for our travel. I highly recommend Travel Document Systems and especially Mr. Rodriguez read more

I worried that this would be like a DMV sitch, but it could not be any more different! The people here are friendly and funny, and you will be in and out so fast. They do what they say they will do with a smile! 10/10 read more

USE AGAIN: YES! We had an OMG! Same Day Service renewal and they did it! Mailed them docs on Monday, Passport service on Tuesday through one of TDS's two regular daily appointments, and received the new passport on Wednesday morning. Excellent customer service. BUT expensive - almost $700 total, but worth it to save the foreign trip. Thank you. read more

Travel Document Systems (TDS) has been an excellent travel document facilitator and partner for our institution. Working with TDS has proven to be an assurance of speed and quality on multiple occasions. Additionally, they can advise and recommend solutions as you schedule and plan your travel. Thanks TDS! read more

I would love a call back???? I just paid for visa services yesterday and had questions but can't get anyone to answer a phone, email, facebook message......Im getting worried as i am scheduled to leave on Jan 21. read more

Needed to get passport pages sewn in, and they were very helpful. The price was a lot cheaper than nearby places i surveyed. Tip: Call first to see what you need to bring in before hoping into your car and driving there, realizing you need more documentations!! read more

I had 3 business days to renew my passport before my trip to Vancouver. TDS was a lifesaver, even though the charges really were quite exorbitant ($330 for 3 business days, wow, talk about a dent in my savings). But, they were timely-- let me print out my supporting documents for free at their office-- handled my pesky daily phone calls checking on passport status-- and remained open until 5:30pm for my boyfriend to pick up my renewed, expedited passport. Service was friendly and quick; clear; and the most difficult thing was finding the darn place (who knew "lobby" of the embaracadero center meant "2nd floor"??). The office is clean and professional and perfectly hidden around the corner, next to the Green cafe. Thanks to TDS, I will be able to go on my trip, and won't become a Canadian citizen bc I'll be stuck in Vancouver BC. Thank you! read more

Monte does a great job with the expedited passport service. He is very trustworthy and up front about the whole process right off the bat. You will be able to tell immediately that he puts the customer first. Definitely recommend! read more

I decided to use Travel Documents service to ensure my passport application was submitted without any errors. They reviewed my application and charged me $58.25 for their service and said it was good and ready to submit. I sent it in via USPS Two-Day service, only to receive a letter in the mail a few weeks later saying that it had errors and I needed to complete my application again. I do not recommend this service. Instead, if you have the need for someone to review your application, go to the Post Office and have the person who handles passports review it for free. They will do a better job! read more

Needed an expedited passport renewal on Christmass eve. They got it done in one day. Other nearby agencies said it would take 3-4 days. I have used them for regular services in the past as well. Exceptional. read more

I used TDS to get my tourist visa to China. I have been to the Chinese Consulate in SF, and it can vary from empty to a madhouse. The application process can be a bit burdensome too with the number of documents you need to submit. I used their non-express service about 3 weeks before my trip; they assured me that I wouldn't need the express service. I brought my materials in person and picked them up in person. My application got rejected a few times by the Consulate for various reasons, but TDS was very good about letting me know in a timely manner via email and offered some tips on how to fix it. I was able to resubmit the signed documents to TDS electronically which made things easier. No extra charges for the re-submissions. I would definitely use them again for any other difficult visa applications. read more

The plethora of 5-star reviews aren't wrong, folks... this place is on top of it! Like the true procrastinator that I am, instead of taking care of my passport months ago when I had all the time in the world to prepare for my trip to the Great White North for the Winter Olympics, I decided to wait until it was too late to expedite my passport through the proper Government channels. Lucky for me, TDS enables perennial laggers like myself, so it's all good. For $75, they'll make sure you get your passport faster than a crackhead on an elliptical trainer. It's as easy as walking in, jumping on one of their computers in the office, walking the paperwork to the post office... then, blizzow! - you've got yourself a ticket to a foreign land. Nice folks, and they'll even knock off $10 if you mention Yelp (though I didn't see that notice until right now. Boo!). read more

I have to renew my Chinese visa every year. Every year! Travel Document Systems is pretty much the easiest and most painless way of getting it. You do everything they ask on their website: 1. Fill out the visa application 2. FedEx back a passport photo, passport, application and endorsements 3. Fill out the online order form and pay And they review your application and ask you for additional information before submitting it to the consulate. Several days later you have your passport back with the necessary visa. Without TDS I'm not sure how much energy I would expend doing this on my own. read more

I have just experienced some of the worst customer service in my life with TDS! I phoned TDS a few months back to ask how long it would take, on average, to process an Indian tourist visa. Because I have a non-US passport, I was prepared for it to take a bit longer than a US-passport holder. TDS assured me that the average processing time for a non-US passport holder would be 7-10 days. Great, I thought! I had 1 month to go until my scheduled trip to India, so plenty of time. I filled out my paperwork and couriered my documents to TDS. The next week, I received a call from Tamera -- the staff member assigned Indian visa processing. Apparently, the embassy wanted some additional paperwork from me which I faxed over to Tamera immediately. I figured i would hear back in a week about the status of my visa. After 10 days, I heard nothing from TDS so I decided to give them a quick follow-up call. Tamera didn't know how long it would take but would ask the courier to check with the embassy the next day. Her response to me was flippant and borderline rude. I called the next day... TDS still didn't know the status of my visa. It's now been about 2 weeks since I sent the documents away and I'm starting to get nervous. I made a point of calling TDS EVERY day to follow up -- left voicemail messages that were not returned, or when I did speak with someone I received a vague response and no clear idea of what was going on. I understand that visas can take a while to process. That's why I sent my paperwork in early! However, the LEAST TDS could do would be to give their customers a courtesy call letting them know the status. I shouldn't have to call up every day -- stressed out about being left in the dark. Getting a visa is a stressful process and it would have been nice to just get some reassurance that everything would work out eventually. With the service I got, I was constantly worried that my case was not important or being taken care of. 3 days before I'm due to fly to India.... I STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED MY VISA. And, every time I call, no one gives me a straight answer. The front desk person told me she would look into it and call me back... but at the end of the day I still hadn't heard anything. My stress and frustration levels are at an all time high!! At least let me know that it's been denied so I can cancel my flights. Finally, 2 days before my flight, I was told that I would receive my visa via priority overnight Saturday delivery on the day before I was due to fly. To make a long story short, everything did work out in the end. However, the staff at TDS don't seem to care about their customers. I was constantly left guessing and frustrated. To make things worse, I was DOUBLE-BILLED and although they eventually refunded me, I'm still following up on paperwork I am yet to receive. I travel a lot for work/pleasure and I will most definitely be looking into an alternative travel document processing company in the future. So will my colleagues! read more

There is nothing more frustrating than a company who does not value there customers needs. It can be very stressful applying for VISA's for different countries when traveling, the biggest and most stressful factor is relying on other people to do their job......this DID NOT happen with the following company, they DID NOT do their job! I have copied and pasted the following review which I feel sums up one of the worst companies in the US..... .......needless to say...THEY DROPPED THE BALL I have left the review in full ENJOY, and STAY CLEAR of them. The reason I feel the need to post this is because after I read the following review, the company had the ability to delete it from the YELP reviews. OUTRAGEOUS. please AVOID if possible (Left by another YELP member) I have just experienced some of the worst customer service in my life with TDS! I phoned TDS a few months back to ask how long it would take, on average, to process an Indian tourist visa. Because I have a non-US passport, I was prepared for it to take a bit longer than a US-passport holder. TDS assured me that the average processing time for a non-US passport holder would be 7-10 days. Great, I thought! I had 1 month to go until my scheduled trip to India, so plenty of time. I filled out my paperwork and couriered my documents to TDS. The next week, I received a call from Tamera -- the staff member assigned Indian visa processing. Apparently, the embassy wanted some additional paperwork from me which I faxed over to Tamera immediately. I figured i would hear back in a week about the status of my visa. After 10 days, I heard nothing from TDS so I decided to give them a quick follow-up call. Tamera didn't know how long it would take but would ask the courier to check with the embassy the next day. Her response to me was flippant and borderline rude. I called the next day... TDS still didn't know the status of my visa. It's now been about 2 weeks since I sent the documents away and I'm starting to get nervous. I made a point of calling TDS EVERY day to follow up -- left voicemail messages that were not returned, or when I did speak with someone I received a vague response and no clear idea of what was going on. I understand that visas can take a while to process. That's why I sent my paperwork in early! However, the LEAST TDS could do would be to give their customers a courtesy call letting them know the status. I shouldn't have to call up every day -- stressed out about being left in the dark. Getting a visa is a stressful process and it would have been nice to just get some reassurance that everything would work out eventually. With the service I got, I was constantly worried that my case was not important or being taken care of. 3 days before I'm due to fly to India.... I STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED MY VISA. And, every time I call, no one gives me a straight answer. The front desk person told me she would look into it and call me back... but at the end of the day I still hadn't heard anything. My stress and frustration levels are at an all time high!! At least let me know that it's been denied so I can cancel my flights. Finally, 2 days before my flight, I was told that I would receive my visa via priority overnight Saturday delivery on the day before I was due to fly. To make a long story short, everything did work out in the end. However, the staff at TDS don't seem to care about their customers. I was constantly left guessing and frustrated. To make things worse, I was DOUBLE-BILLED and although they eventually refunded me, I'm still following up on paperwork I am yet to receive. I travel a lot for work/pleasure and I will most definitely be looking into an alternative travel document processing company in the future. So will my colleagues! read more

I totally spaced on Sunday and realized my passport expired a month before, when I was supposed to fly the next day to Prague. I freaked out and kept hitting my head against the wall (like how-can-you-be-so-stupid?!?) Once I calmed down, I went to my trusty yelp search page and found Travel Document Systems. I was able to get my passport back by Tuesday, pushed my flight back just one day and got to Prague without ruining my entire flight schedule. They rock. Fill out the paperwork from their website, hand it to them, and give them your credit card - you're good to go. They only have 2 same day passport appointments with the San Francisco Passport Agency - so you may get lucky enough to get your passport the same day if the 2 appts aren't already booked. It cost me $175 for their fee, plus $135 for the Passport Agency same day turn around. They gave me back my expired passport also with the new one in less than 24 hours. Love it! read more

Maureen put my mind at ease and was apparently very accostomed to dealing with frantic, disorganized passport-wanting people. She was fair, nice and very quick. She called me, as promised, left messages for me with her colleagues, when I was late and missed my appointment with her and she actually carried the passport to my car, when I couldn't find parking! She did all of this with a smile; and although I am certain she doesn't give everyone this type of hand-holding, she made me feel at ease, when I was in a dire state. Their prices are competitive too. I did the research. This made the process of renewing my passport so easy, i would do it through them again, instead of mailing the documents in myself, to avoid any stress, in the future. read more

Worth every penny! If you got the loot (and even if you don't!), I highly recommend using this service! Got a passport renewed in 48 hours! It required little brain power, a quick drive downtown and 5 minutes of paper work. The way it works - The government passport agency gives out a limited amount of appointments per day. Travel Documents books these appointments in advance. During each appointment, Travel Documents processes 5-6 passports at a time. So basically - what you are really paying for is that coveted appointment slot (which is impossible to get - and ladies don't think you can sweet talk your way to an appointment because it's a damn recording). In theory, I completely disagree because if Travel Documents didn't book all these appointments ahead of time - perhaps we would all get an appointment? But since this is the reality and the rules that we have to work with - I would recommend using this service if you need a passport ASAP and do not want the hassle!! Otherwise, if you have time - http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-francisco-passport-agency-san-francisco Great business plan - I wish I would have thought of it! read more

TDS is seriously amazing. My friend Erin and I were referred to them by a travel agent in Oregon who used them for tourist visas. I however, needed to stay in Brazil for a whole year and a tourist visa does not allow for this. I emailed them and got a reply right away! We emailed back and forth a ton to figure out which kind of visa I would need and they were very fast and helpful to accommodate me. I ended up applying for a volunteer visa through TDS and though it was their first time submitting this type, they did an incredible job and we were successful. Other visa services didn't think I could get one and if they did, estimated 6 mo to a year. I got mine within 2 months. That may seem like a long time, but it had everything to do with the consulate taking their time and demanding extra documents. TDS was a very fast, helpful and effective middle man to getting my visa and I have SO much appreciation for them. It wasn't an easy visa to get but they were persistent- sending representatives in to speak directly to the consulate several times and always keeping me informed. They were also extremely reasonably priced and I felt like their time and effort was more than worth it. I owe my year in Brazil to them! You won't be disappointed! read more

If I would give zero I would. These people are rip off. Kenya visa is only 50 dollars! These site they charged 187 dollars for the visa! It's because of the emergency situation and short of time that we had to use this option! They are not up front with the total amount until you have gone through almost 3 hrs of paperwork, when you pay that's when you see the final amount. If you are traveling to Kenya please don't use this site go to Kenyan embassy website depending on where you are! USA applicants use kenyaembassydc.org read more

Heading to Kenya and Uganda in March, and my passport expires in August. JoAnna at TDS handled my situation perfectly. I came into the office without having anything filled out. She sat me down, we printed out the right forms together, she gave me a computer work station, and together we in 20 minutes did what would have taken me a couple of hours. All the while, she was pretty friendly and very competent. I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly things went. The only issue is that services like these mark up the costs maybe 2x what you would pay if you did it yourself, but you save yourself the time of running around to different embassies, waiting in lines, etc. If you have multiple countries to visit--not to mention needing a renewal passport as I did, I think its kind of a no brainer. read more

I don't travel very often, so I'm not all that familiar with the visa obtaining process. In fact, I did not even know I needed a visa to go to Brazil. I scheduled my trip and realized I had about a month to get my visa! The Brazilian Embassy in SF has an online schedule to book visa appointments and it was not working at all and it looked like no appointments were available until a week and a half before my trip! I decided to go to TDS to see if they could secure an appointment for me since the embassy was not taking any phone calls from me. I was nervous because once the appointment was booked, I would have just one week to get the processing done before I was scheduled to leave! TDS did not guarantee anything but they did say it takes about a week. Having little other options and failing to accomplish anything by showing up at the embassy, I bit my lip and took a chance. To just gain that little extra control of the situation, I decided to drop my docs off in person rather than mail. Seeing the office, it seemed a little disorganized and the clerks didn't seem to understand that I had already booked my appointment. The lady immediately was like, you're not going to get your visa which really freaked me out. But once she understood that the appointment was booked and I was only dropping off my docs, she assured me it would get done. All in all, it worked out and i was happy enough with the service. Seeing that they were a little disorganized, i don't know how they would handle more complicated situations that would require multiple visas on a deadline. I do have to say though that they were my best bet in dealing with the Brazilian Embassy so maybe it depends also what country you're going to! read more

Okay, so Caribbean cruise coming up in like, 20 days; finally decide to pull out British passport, and....Yikes! It expired last year! Aaargh! What to do?? Called TDS San Francisco, who advised that since my renewal would have to be issued through the British Consulate in DC, it may be quicker to go thru TDS in Washington DC, which I did. Suffice it to say that Mr. Beh Rooz at TDS in DC was beyond great! He always took time for my phone calls, and in spite of the fact that he's gotta be ridiculously busy taking care of the needs of other passport procrastinators like myself, you could never tell by his calm demeanor and extremely courteous phone etiquette. Fast forward eight business days, and my brand new British passport was delivered via FedEx this morning, along with all my original documents in pristine condition! TDS truly rocks! read more

Everything promised and a bag of chips! This is the most efficient and fastest means to get your passport renewed hands down. I called to get my passport renewed within three days. I was given the information in an email with easy instructions from their website and completed all the forms. Pricing was compatible with all the other similar service providers. I dropped off my package and was in and out within ten minutes. Stephen Hopkins is a true professional and handled my case without any hassles. I was called two days later as promised and picked up my passport! If your in a pinch and absolutely need it done fast, TDS is the only one to rely on. I highly recommend TDS for your expedited renewal service. read more

Went in today at lunch time expecting a long line, no other customers were there. I was in and out in no time flat. The woman at the front desk (I didn't get her name) made it very easy to apply and was very nice. Now all I need to do is wait for my passport to be delivered to me next week... (and they validate parking for the garage in the building - wish I could give an extra star for that!) read more

Thank you very much TDS! After 2 weeks of trying to access the Indian Embassy's system to apply for visa to no success, we almost gave up our plan to go to India. (You see, the Indian embassy has outsourced their visa process. Nonetheless, applicants MUST first fill out their applications through the Indian embassy's system, which works when it wants to and then print and take it to the outsourced company.) We contacted our good friend, who had just been to India for advice. She referred us to TDS. We were so eager that we just dropped in. Even at TDS, it was not easy to access the Indian embassy's system. However, some how, TDS was successful and we placed our trust in them to take care of our visa process. As TDS promised, we got our passports back with notorious visa within 10 working days. Very friendly and helpful staff! read more

I just got my expedited renewal passport 7 days before I thought I would! You guys rock! Now I can rest assured that my trip abroad will not be ruined by my forgetfulness. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! All I had to do was go to their website, look at the checklist, fill out 2 short forms in addition to the US Passport form, get a passport photo and wait for five short minutes at the office for someone to be free to look over my paperwork. Seven short calendar days later (twice as fast as I paid for) I have my new passport in my hands. Seriously the most painless process involving a government document I have ever gone through (and bear in mind I did at one point work for a government agency). read more

As a visa expediter, they have branches in most cities with major embassies. Their main office (and main reviews) are for the DC office, but they play SEO games to bury that. When they get killed on Yelp, somehow one office disappears from the search results, and another one pop up with a clean slate at the top. While the reviews for their SFO office aren't flattering, they understate just how bad this agency is. If you'd like to know how these folks operate, please look at the reviews of their headquarters: https://www.yelp.com/biz/travel-document-systems-washington-3 read more

So here I am, days away from heading away on my honeymoon to Asia, when I look at my passport and see it expires in less than 3 weeks. Essentially, it is useless for travel. Doh! I went to TDS and Maureen becomes the savoir of my honeymoon - nay, my new marriage! - by taking care of all of my needs. Passport: done. Travel docs: done. Seriously, you need to go to TDS for any of your travel needs. They rock. read more

I have been using TDS since 2003! I have never been unsatisfied with their services and customer interaction! Very personable. They go above and beyond with communicating to their clients. If you call, ask for Maureen! She is a Rock Star, and very proficient! Throughout the years she has served me well and is the nicest lady you will ever meet! In all these years she remembers who I am! David - Colorado read more

WOW! My passport needed renewing and due to my London UK daughter's health challenges I need to sometimes travel rapidly. I paid for the 10 day service and 3 days later my new passport was in my hand!!! Thanks George et al !!!! read more

I am beyond happy with my experience with TDS (San Francisco). I have never had a passport before, and the website was very clear about documentation needed, fees, and the process itself. From the day I went to the post office to complete the package, and ship it (a Wednesday) it took ONE WEEK to get back. The package showed up the following Thursday. Tremendous turn-around time! Would definitely recommend TDS to anyone needing a passport! Thanks to Maureen M for her professionalism and assistance! read more

Surprised by the 4 star review. I strongly discourage this "service" for 3 reasons: 1. Adds unnecessary layers of (mis)communication that caused massive delays 2. Irresponsible with the handling of your important documents 3. Lack of knowledge of their domain. On top of this, you're paying a hefty fee, 5x the price of the regular visa in my case. My application was so terribly mishandled that I ended up having to contact the consulate myself, and these guys are shamelessly unapologetic about their mistakes. I would rather throw my money in the trash than give it to them. When I asked for a refund because they did not succeed in helping me get my visa in time for travel, they responded saying they had "done their part for the service," which was basically just mailing my application to the consulate and getting my passport back. This isn't honest money, THIS IS A COMPLETE SCAM. read more

These folks deserve the 5 Stars. After looking all over the internet for nearly an hour (including all the FAQs of the US Passport sites), then calling my airlines that had a 29 minute "anticipated wait" to speak with someone live, I thought I'd do a quick search here on Yelp. I'm sooo glad I did. My question was regarding the exp. date of a US Passport for domestic travel. My drivers license just got lost and I knew what a hassle it would be to try and renew either necessary pic I.D. She answered my questions so succinctly, politely & warmly ... it was such a relief to finally get an answer with a real, sweet person. I now just wished I had asked for her name because she deserves 6+ Stars and a raise. Now that's what I call Customer Service. Well done, Cheers! read more

i like my passports like my men: a little worn and rough around the edges been around the world a few times over bearing marks and scars, well handled been stamped with the seal of approval from foreigners and fellow countrymen alike entering and exiting as smooth as possible and without any pain so i found myself in a bind because i booked a last minute trip to cozumel and with all of the new visa and passport regulations, i needed to take it with me. unfortunately, my gorgeous little blue book (i even added extra pages only a year ago!) expired this month and i needed to get a new one pdq. luckily, i knew of tds and filled in the right passport forms, took a horrible picture and dropped off my old one at their offices. altogether it was around $250 for the expedited service and government fees. it took 48 hours for them to turn it around, and now i have an ugly, new passport with all of the watermarked and horrid american images superimposed on each visa page. i need to hurry up and start covering them up with visas and stamps. read more

I was supposed to get three visas for work trips to Africa, India and China, and my company uses TDS. I had some questions and concerns, though, so I emailed TDS with my predicament as they wanted to hold onto my passport for three months and I needed it for a trip to Canada during that window. They never responded. I tried calling multiple times, but only ever got a recording, never an actual person. So I emailed them again. Still no response. Finally, eight days after my last email, I called them and spoke to the rudest employee ever. She told me to email them. I told her I did. Her: "Well, how long ago?" Me: "A little over a week ago." Her: *snorts" "We get a lot of emails. You can't expect us to hold onto something from a week ago." WHAT?!? Then she snottily told me to email them again, but by this point, I was done. Customer service at its finest. My sister had used their D.C. office the year prior and had unfavorable things to say about TDS. So instead of paying upward of $700, including all the fees, I walked into the Chinese embassy in San Francisco and got my passport back within four days. Then, I walked my passport into Travisa Outsourcing in SoMa, which handles all India visas, and got it back THAT AFTERNOON, no expediting fees or anything. The last one, Ghana, was a bit more difficult--I had to send it off to the embassy in D.C., but it was still back in my possession within a week. My total time spent: two weeks. TDS required I give them my passport a minimum of two months in advance; anything closer to my travel date and there were additional, exorbitant expediting fees. My total cost: $376. TDS wanted double that. My recommendation to all travelers is to just get the visas yourself. If you're renewing your passport, send it into the state department on your own. My company is using TDS again for reason's unbeknown to me, and currently there's a Facebook thread circulating among my colleagues with more than 25 comments of people who have had similar experiences to mine, so this is clearly not a one-time occurrence. read more

Wow, I am honestly surprised by the reviews of this place. After several emails and phone calls with the SF and NY office I decided to use a different company. The customer service was terrible from both offices, bad enough for me to go with a different company at the last minute. read more

Watch out for the wrong information they have given in the website. I am an Indian Citizen working in a tech company, and I needed Visa for Romania for business. I looked on the website and it was saying to send the documents and get it done. When I sent my document to their SF office (after talking on phone with TDS), they called me back after receiving the documents, saying they can not process it and I need to go in person to LA. If that was the case, why there was wrong information on website, and then on phone? It wasted my time and then I was charged $23, to ship my passport back.... completely waste of time and money.. just because information was not passed nicely! read more