Embassy of France

I had a great experience with the Embassy in Miami and Washington, DC. I thought that they would take a long time to approve my mother’s schengen visa, but they have approved it and sent it in less than a week. I truly appreciate the efficiency and professionalism. Highly recommend. I hope that once my mother apply for a long stay visa, it will be the same

Waited more than 15 years to come back to renew my passport. Have avoided this place like the plague. Even phone experience is painful. It is sad to see France represented by such rude and condescending staff. They always make you feel like you're inferior, stupid, inadequate. It is difficult to try to maintain or reclaim your French identity when dealing with such horrible customer service. I find it unacceptable to be called "ben, ma p'tite dame" with a condescending tone because I am not registered with the consulate. Why would I want to be? I get chastised for not bringing my American passport or a return envelop. The only good part in my visit were the guards at the entrance. They were polite and welcoming. The worst part is that I have to come back to pick up my passport because of that missing envelop! Mind you I drive 4 hours to get there, and had called before to make sure I was bringing everything. But they don't give a rat about the inconvenience to your life as you seem to clearly be a second class citizen.

I had a very disappointing experience with the French Embassy. After leaving multiple messages through their website and receiving no response, I had to search for a direct email to get assistance regarding a retroactive VAT refund verification. When I was finally contacted, the woman who called me was rude from the very beginning and spoke to me in a condescending manner, as if I didn’t understand basic information. She seemed irritated when I asked for clarification, partly because she was difficult to understand. She also tried to discourage me from submitting the application and ended the call abruptly, saying she would send me the application—only to email me a link to the same website I had already used. Overall, this was a very frustrating and unprofessional experience. I hope others have a better experience than I did.

Deeply Disappointed by the Injustice and Coldness of the French Consulate in Washington, D.C. I never expected to write a review like this, but our experience with the French Consulate has been nothing short of heartbreaking. My 72-year-old mother, who is a legal U.S. resident, applied for a short-term visa to visit her daughters and grandchildren in France — a country she has traveled to multiple times in the past without ever overstaying or violating any terms. She submitted all documents in perfect order: proof of residency, return travel, family ties, health insurance — everything required. Still, her visa was denied without explanation or compassion. No transparency, no communication, just a cold and dismissive decision. At her age, with limited chances left to travel and spend time with her family, this was devastating. We are not asking for special treatment — just fairness and a little basic humanity. She wasn’t trying to immigrate, just visit her family, like any grandmother would want to do. This experience has left us with a terrible impression of how the French Consulate handles visa requests, especially for the elderly. The process lacks empathy, transparency, and common sense. France claims to be a country of values and family — but this decision shows the opposite. Shame on the consulate for treating a law-abiding elderly woman with such disregard

We booked Air France ticket to India but needed airport transit visa in Paris. This useless embassy needed us to come in person to DC for a stupid visa. In any case we applied a month an half before travel and we got no response. After few calls and email exchanges we were told to take an appointment in person 2 days before the travel. We ended up spending on expensive hotel stay, travelled from different state and eventually during the appointment they said we cannot get visa stamped within 2 days but will take 5-7 days. What a useless process they have. We eventually had to cancel the flight and book some other airline. We promised ourself, no more Air France from now onwards. French embassy sucks! Wasted my time and money.

Worst experience ever! We asked for a visa short stay(3months) from Atlanta to Paris for my mum going to see her daughter who's French citizen. They didn't see each other for 13 years! They gave a visa for 30 days!!! So we needed to change the ticket plane that we already bought, therefore paying more money! Why you guys are so mean? My mum is 75! I'm so upset! Above of that, the consulate in Atlanta should hire people who can speak French, at least! It's a shame! Worst experience ever! Not recommended at All!

The process itself was fast, but sadly the customer service was awful. I was so happy to go there and feel like a small part of me was home, but turned out to be one of the most uncomfortable time of my life. They looked at me like I was from another planet, simply because I wasn’t sure which building to go to, and the lady didn’t tell me. I felt extremely disrespected and uneasy. I was prepared and had all my paperwork ready, and whoever took them laughed at my face because I had a bill as a proof of address (they just needed my Drivers license which I provided already). She highlighted my address on the bill and said « what is THAT? I can barely ready anything, I don’t need that ». Couldn’t walk out of it fast enough. I’m so sad and disappointed of these people’s attitude. Also, I did not need to receive a passive aggressive comment saying that « hopefully my daughter (11) will speak French next time she comes to the French embassy »

Health measures are respected. They receive only by appointment. Nice Cafe/restaurant

Summer Garden Party at the French Embassy (DC) The skies opened up with a huge monsoon like downpour, around 6 PM. The early access entry to the party, started at 7 PM and general admission at 8 PM. Good wine, food and music were anticipated by one and all attendees. A crowd of beautifully dressed and adorned guests awaited their turn to enjoy the fun and excitement, awaiting us on an official French soil reached after you went through security. It's a lovely and large complex in Upper North West, Washington, DC, very close to Georgetown University. As you entered, you came to a charming open courtyard on the right side of the guard room, with a beautiful golden statue and fountain. There's a few tents setup with some of the best food and wine offerings. The rosè and champagne, had their very own tent. The libations were free-flowing and made for a very pleasant, gracious and friendly atmosphere. French Baguette, a local DC based restaurant with French roots, offered their various crogels and quiche. Indoors, they had bread, ham, cheese and vegetables platters. Also, an ice cream machine and a crêpes station. While outside, a singer and piano player provided melodic notes to set the mood. It was an event you had to pay for in order to attend, it was something everyone should, as a Greater Washington DC resident should attend at least once.

La Maison Française is an amazing space. Wonderful concert and beautiful post concert reception

If you have business with the French govt then this is the place to come. Visas etc. across from Georgetown U hospital. Parking on the street. Lots of traffic and takes time to get here and in. More security here than in smaller embassies. Once inside-the architecture is amazing. Artwork and photos are incredible. Rooms flow nicely for entertaining. Wine tastings work well here. Receptions give people Lots to Look at and talk about. They do run out of plates and glasses. Food is usually short of what you want so plan for a higher number of attendees.

This was my first time at the Embassy of France in D.C., and I went for the Fete de la Musique (Festival of Music). Lovely event with live music, food, and drinks. I think I would have enjoyed it more, though, if it wasn't 100 degrees outside lol. I got there early and was able to find street parking easily, but I still had to bring my patience because traffic is not fun around there.

The cab ride to the Embassy of France was beautiful, taking me through Georgetown's most stately homes before arriving at the gated compound on Reservoir Road. Designed by Andre Remondet, who was once France's Chief Architect of Public Buildings, it is the largest French diplomatic mission in the world. The embassy regularly hosts events that are open to the public such as the French wine and food celebration I recently attended there. This event was hosted by The French Wine Society and the French International Culinary Society and it paired wines from the Loire Valley (which happens to contain some of my favorite appellations) with food prepared by local restaurants and chefs. We toured table after table savoring crepes and cheese and quiche and other delights that were well-matched with the wines we tasted. The Embassy of France is the closest you can get to the country without leaving DC. I highly recommend a visit!

So, funny story....... I left my phone at the Embassy of France-yep, how many people can say that? They were super awesome about communicating with me on locating it. I found it on the find my iphone feature at the embassy (I think this was after the last grand fete 2017) and they told me no one yet turned it in, but I was welcome to come by (on a Saturday no less) and look for it. When I got close to the embassy I called and they actually had an employee turn in my phone (which was found in the bathroom of course) so they had it at the gate waiting for me. Saved me $$$ in getting a new one. Lesson learned to not indulge so much in all-you-can-drink events. Besides that, we come to la grand fete every year and it's always AWESOME! We were able to talk to representatives of several countries we were planning to visit in the latter half of 2017, and this year I am looking forward to talking to those same representatives about our travels and possibly looking for new Francophile countries to explore. The embassy has displayed hospitality not only to groups at their events but to me individually and I appreciated that because we all know how much losing your phone sucks. I'm looking forward to returning to the embassy again soon on a better note than retrieving my phone!

Had my visa interview with VFS in chicago the last week in June for a long stay (1 year) visa. The process was smooth and they told me i'd have a response and my passport back no longer than 3 weeks. Well it's now been 8 weeks and still nothing. No one at VFS will give me an answer, and no one at the embassy in DC will take my calls. They've had my passport for two months now, meaning my current lease is now ending and I still haven't been given an answer about whether i've been approved or not so i'll have to book a hotel for the next few weeks until MAYBE I can move to France for the year. Absolutely ridiculous. No one wants to help you. I have no idea how people renew their visas each year with how long this takes and how unorganized the embassy seems.

I found an eventbrite for a Waltz, Tango and Salsa Soiree and bought a ticket. Glad I did. I had an amazing time learning waltz and tango. I had so much fun I forgot to take pictures! Danced all night pretty much non-stop and met new people. It was almost even between men and women. The only thing I'd say is lower price to $20 from $30 since it's a cash bar and desserts. Entering and check in was smooth so overall no complaints.

Lots of street parking spots around this embassy. Gate, security check, and go! Towards the building on your right, you'll see a golden statue at the center of a fountain. Coat check and restrooms on your right and an theater room is on your left. It's a little bit old building but clean and spacious. I wanna join their gala or a dance party next:)

Stunning incompetence. They only accept visa applications through VFS. We submitted our visa application in mid-October and only received it back in early January. It took them almost THREE MONTHS to process the visa. Needless to say, we cancelled our trip. And forget trying to phone them -- they don't answer phone calls. Don't do it unless you're able to wait 3 months without your passport.

2.75 (yeah I'm petty like that) Initially, I was warned as far as parking goes. But on a Sunday afternoon there was surprisingly lots of parking along the street. My 1st visit here and I am working. Earlier that day I had an opportunity to see the ins and outs from the aspect of a rental facility. We had a chance to walk around outside and the patio area nice, wooded clean, a few sculptures here and there. The main area from the entrance is large enough for vendors to set up booths, a small reception, and in this case a fashion show to seat 200 some odd people. Not bad, but here is where the problem came in. As I was bouncing from the registration desk to seating people, women were coming out the bathroom complaining about the smell and saying there was no soap, paper towels or toilet paper? What do I tell these women? Hold on and shake yourself dry? Embarrassing.... Well maybe more embarrassing for them. WHERE IS MAINTENANCE??!!! Shouldn't there be some old man in a flannel shirt, overalls, and thick gum-soled shoes, walking around with 80 keys on his hip? WHERE'S THAT MAN??!! Finally after an hour or so, we found a closet that we presumed was locked, well it was actually open, and fully stocked with paper products and cleaning solution. A worker friend took one for the home team and went in the bathroom and did a quick cleaning and restocked all the stalls. Thank God!!! I must say any faint thoughts of prominence or prestige that I ever had for this place just through word association at this point went right down the drain. Not that I expected this place to be The Vatican, but the property was severely understaffed with furniture that was considerably aged and dreary. Embassy of France is in serious need of minor upgrades and weekend staff, with 400 employees and they say this is their largest foreign embassy? They could really use a boost.

My review reflects my experience acquiring my visa (carte de long sejour): This was one of the most stressful and rude situations I've ever had with government workers in my life. I am still sitting here flabbergasted that people this boorish and condescending represent the French government. I am American and I married a Frenchman. I'm preparing to move to France, so I applied for the carte de long sejour. I went through the DC French Embassy's website requirements with a fine-tooth comb and had every paper prepared beforehand. I went to the embassy twice and interacted with two excessively short people handling paperwork. Upon my first visit, I submitted my paperwork and was told I could return in approximately 1 month to get my visa sticker affixed into my passport at the embassy and wouldn't need to relinquish my passport if I intended to travel. I believed what I was told (and what I read on their website) and when I returned a month later, another surly man I saw stated that the website was "out of date" and he demanded to know who said I could keep my passport. I fully believe my application and papers had literally just sat in a desk drawer for 4 weeks. It's apparently not possible to get your visa at the embassy and it must be mailed to you (their website still states otherwise as I type this review). They will absolutely REQUIRE you surrender your passport and prepay an overnight envelope to have it returned to you. However, I feel you may be told otherwise because they seem to love providing contradictory and vague information when pressed. Every question I asked was answered in the most politician-esque fashion possible. I was extremely polite despite feeling frustrated the entire visit. My husband called to follow up on the confusion of my visa and was hung up on because the ornery woman who answered said she was "too busy" to answer his questions because she had other clients in queue behind him on the phone. It took them 3 days to mail my passport back to me after my second visit. I'm incredibly disappointed by the quality of these employees who are meant to represent France and assist Americans. I was so excited to go get my visa, but was treated so poorly. These individuals are poor representations of France and as many others have already stated on Yelp and elsewhere, my experience is not unique.

My sister needed a Visa for our Trip to Paris in February so we made an appointment for her at The consulate. The key to being approved is getting organized and doing research. Since I am covering the cost of the trip to Paris, I provided 3 months worth of pay stubs, 3 months worth of bank statements, affidavit of financial support with a notary seal, employment letter, copies of flight confirmation, hotel confirmation, proof of residence for her and most importantly a prepaid priority overnight envelope from USPS. The interview process took about 45 minutes and she was approved. Please note that only the person applying for the Visa is allowed entry into the consulate. There is parking across the street but parking is only allowed from 9:30am onwards.

Incredibly hard to get a hold of. Processing times are ridiculously long - have now been waiting for a month to get my visa. I have no clue when I'd get my passport back and there's absolutely nobody willing to help me with that - not even the consulate in San Francisco or the VFS office.

I used to be proud of being French... Now; not so much, after being treated like trash by the French embassy in Los Angeles. That woman at the first window has a serious attitude problem and should be replaced with someone gracious and agreeable, who loves her job! That frustrated ...... I know I need to stay polite so I won't call her what she deserves out right, but hopefully the next time I show up, which I hope is NEVER, it will be a different a better experience for ALL. ps: this was my1st review that I didn't publish (back in May), wait till you read the next one! It's crazy what these people are putting me through!

The Embassy of France has an excellent cafeteria whenever I go for lunch. They have lots of great entrees as well as their desserts. Their desserts are made in-house and you can actually order a full cake from them! I love it here. TIP: The cafeteria is not open to the public, so you need to know someone.

Staff was nice and the office took me before my appointment. I read a lot of bad reviews on yelp but I did have a good experience. Nothing else to say!

Snooty but impeccably dressed Frenchmen "greeted" me at the bottom of the hill. Sure, using valet or even taking a cab would have been a more glamorous mode of transport to an Embassy event, but my two feet work just fine, thankyouverymuch. The event space within the Embassy is great: open and meandering with a lot of options for set-up. Two large bars and an area for coat check, as well as a great patio outside that would have worked well tented with food/beverage outside. This is how event planners see spaces, I suppose. Even though the weather outside was quite mild, it was uncomfortably hot inside, to the point that I really couldn't enjoy the party... or drink more wine. I'll likely be using the French Embassy for an upcoming event so I'll be sure to update on the inner-workings of the place.

I had all the documents they needed. I applied for Schengen Visa and they gave in one hour! I had booked a tour through a travel agent and booked my flights before going there. So I showed the receipts from the travel agent, airline tickets, Itinerary among other documents. They did not take any of the original documents apart from the passport and they returned back with Visa in just one hour!! We had the appointment at 9:15 and we were there at 8:30. There were lot of empty parking spots on the road (paid spots). Maximum time limit is four hours. You can use either credit card of coins to pay. Most of the spots were filled when we returned back at 10:45.

This is only for the Fête de la Musique held outdoors at the embassy as we didn't get to tour inside or anything like that. The venue was beautiful, the people were diverse - literally, figuratively, representatively, in every demographic, etc. - AWESOME. But the event itself was incredibly INCREDIBLY poorly executed and ill prepared. There were two or three stages, three "booths" to buy tickets in, no explanation for what the fuck tickets were meant for, excruciatingly long lines that were very disorganized - it wasn't clear if i was standing in line for a crepe, a ticket, or god - standing in line for a chance to cross the line yeesh. To buy anything at the fete - food, drink (yes water), activities - you had to first get tickets. They don't tell you this. Have fun standing in a food line until someone clues you in. There were 3 ticket lines stationed all around the place and some of them blended into other lines and others were just plain slow. Oh and expensive. With 10 tickets = 20 dollars. We got 3 pastries and 1 faux tattoo. Yeaaaah... And you had to buy them bc no outside food or drink was allowed (not that they checked...) Food: They only had 1 section for crepes which meant the line wrapped around basically the entire fountain (possibly more than once). They ran out of cheese for the crepes... There were 3 lines for pastries but really it was just a mob of people halfassing it. Tere were no clear distinction of which line was for what or if they all had everything, no signs for what was being served. Subs and ice cream were also offered. Those lines..... Drinks: Did not have any, but I did hear someone say it was 12 tickets for a bottle of champagne. Activities: Face painting and faux tattoo artist were STELLAR and quick and the lines weren't long. But they were slow. Bottom line: Go early and/or go with groups that are willing to splinter off and stand in line. We took our food, sat out on the gorgeous green hill/lawn, chilled, talked, listened to softpop from the 90s, and people watched. Not bad for a couple hours. Certainly an experience. But not one I'd readily repeat...

We went to the ICDC Oscar event hosted at French Embassy and it was the worst party ever. To start with the venue; it was like a high school cafeteria decorated for a high school ball. There were like 3 tables and no ther place to stand or socialize. Secondly there were no drinks, just wine and champagne for $10 a glass but even that was sold out at 8 pm (keep in mind the party started at 7 pm). There was a bar literally as big as the size of a kitchen isle. The desserts they offered were an insult for the French patisserie art. The Oscars were shown in a auditorium and there was nothing French or glamorous about the event. It was just an excuse for the host to make money. I am seriously thinking, if all ICDC events are that glamorous then I wouldn't wanna go to any. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. You can have a better Oscar party at home with your friends, nice cocktails and good food.

REVIEW FOR FRENCH CONSULATE ONLY I spoke with an extremely rude, inappropriate, and dismissive consulate associate today (short, tan, dark hair with glasses -- AVOID HIM!), who yelled at me after I brought all necessary paperwork to my appointment to apply for the student visa (stagiaire). My paperwork was in FULL COMPLIANCE with all requirements on the consulate's website. As a general customer service matter, it's pretty unacceptable that the consulate fails to update their website to reflect current information and policies. There is absolutely NO basis for enforcing procedures that were never accurately communicated to applicants in the first place. At least answer the phone (which they will not do) if you're going to disseminate misinformation (which they do). Two important policies that the consulate fails to mention on the website, but will strictly enforce and if you're lucky, verbally assault you about, to the point where you decide to pay the exorbitant fee to change your flights because you'd rather not endure the administrative and emotional nightmare: (1) No matter the duration of your internship (even if less than 90 days), you will need a stamp from DIRRECTE (Direction Régionale des Entreprises, de la Concurrence, de la Consommation, du Travail et de l'Emploi). The information on the website is INACCURATE. (2) You no longer have the option to keep your passport with you and seek a pre-approval letter. You must obtain a pre-paid overnight express mail envelope from USPS. The information on the website is INACCURATE. Appointments are also booked up at least a month in advance so no way to reschedule. I'm shocked that select members of their staff lack any basic human decency as "representatives" of the French government-- even worse, that they would lack a baseline level of respect for foreign nationals who would otherwise have been very enthusiastic about visiting France. BONNE CHANCE TOUT LE MONDE... you'll need it

I attended the Halloween Gala and Party that the French Embassy was having. It appeared that Things To Do DC was hosting the event and the venue was the embassy. I am going to base my review just on the embassy itself. The embassy from what I saw was nice. The hall had two bars, a dance floor, large area for coat check, and plenty of seating. I would love to come here for another event in the future

My first visit to the Embassy of France. It occupied a spacious real estate in Georgetown right across from the Georgetown University Hospital. It was Fete de la Musique, there were multiple sites with bands playing all kinds of music. The security people were idiotic, totally singled me out to scan me as if my tiny dress was hiding some dangerous weapon!! Need no spelling out what opinion they had of Asian people. The turn out was great there was probably about a thousand people. There were food stands everywhere selling croissants to French sandwiches. Other than beer, they sold wine and champagne by the bottle as well. Young people with amazing etiquette were drinking right out of the bottles!! The event was from 4 PM to 12 and I originally wanted to go at 4 PM but due to the LAME cancellation of a later plan, I was able to go to the later part of the event. I saw everyone out of the woodworks. One friend who knew other friend, social network friends, people I met online that I didnt want to meet in person, people I met once and never saw again etc it was crazy! Every turn I took I saw someone I knew. It was a great night indeed. The night ended with the rest of crowd dancing in the hall of the Embassy the music was not great and the sound quality was awful!!

DISCLAIMER: VERY DETAILED and this mostly about VFS: Ok! So, I'm giving this place 5 starssssssssss ! If I'm could give it 100 stars, I would!! This isn't my story to tell but whatever ! Soo my boyfriend is a legal resident of US (green card holder). He wasn't aware that he needed a visa until a week before our trip! He went to VFS NY on February 6 and our trip was on February 15. He went to VFS with all his paperwork which was the travel insurance, plane tickets, hotel accommodation, travel stubs ,passport , etc. The guy who help him was extraordinary-- I forgot the name. We told him the situation and he put urgent on mailing envelope and the application. So those who don't know Vfs sends the passport to Washington DC to get the visa approved. VFS Sends the passport the same day you give them all your paperwork! So Washington gets the passport a day or two after Vfs sends it ! The VFS tracking system is cool ! The only thing I would change is to have tracking status that tells you that Washington received the passport! So for those of you who don't know this either is that VFS only have 2 tracking statuses! The first status is that the passport is being sent to Washington embassy and than the next status is that the processed passport is being sent back to you! So if your looking for updates in between you won't get it! Soooo anyways .... we got the status changed that the processed passport was being sent back on February 11. FYI just because it says processed passport doesn't mean it was approved. Anyways we got the approved visa on February 12 th so basically 3 days not including the weekends and the day we sent it cause the washington embassy isn't open on weekends ! So yeah if you guys are freaking out just breath and pray and trust GOD! And everything will work out!! Thank VFS AND FRENCH EMBASSY sending our approved visa just in time And sorry for it being detailed just wanted to give you all the info!

To be fair, I've only come to one of the embassy's cafeteria, but it was delicious! Take a tray, some silverware, and start with the create your own salad section. On the day I went, they had quiche, soup, fish, and spaghetti with tasty sides (bok choy!). I noticed someone ordered a steak freshly grilled. Delicious and seemingly affordable, you might possibly need an ID? But otherwise, worth it! I hope to come back for a quiet lunch.

I must say the consular section of Embassy of France in Washington DC, perhaps is one of the best not only in DC but overall. I had only a few days left before my travel and believe it or not but the Section officer did an amazing job and i got my passport back the next day (in 24 hours after the submission of the document) this is the fastest visa i have ever received! Thank you so much for understanding and issuing visa within limited time! this motivates a lot! France is the best and the Consultar Section of this embassy in DC is the best consular!

The officers in the visa section were extremely rude and unaccommodating. If you want to visit Europe, my suggestion is to plan your trip so that you spend more days in another Schengen country thereby avoiding French consulate altogether!

Awful customer service! It is extremely hard to have the consulate personnel to answer the phone and staff answering the telephone is obnoxious and far from being friendly!

I was here for the Smithsonian at 8 event, La Grande Fete. It was a great event and introduced me to lots of French speaking cultures. I honestly did not know all the places that were represented. The food from all over the world was simply delicious, as were the drinks. I recommend coming hungry, as I couldn't even hit half the tables that I wanted to and came away absolutely stuffed. Whatever you do, don't miss the French table. They do a great job representing their home country's cuisine. There was a duck dish that was amazing, as was the little quiche from there. I just wish I had room for more. The drinks from all over were strong but very tasty. Every country seemed to be there to showcase the best of what they had to offer.

I recently visited the consulate to apply for a visa. The first thing I would like to say: Don't come near that "troubled" woman on the 1st window (she explicitly shows no respect anyone who comes NEAR her with a question and while she sits there doing nothing). Talk to any of the two guys on window 2 and 3. They are Okay but could be more diplomatic considering they are representing the French government. The other staff are helpful and they take ur situation under consideration.

FRENCH CONSULATE - VISA OFFICE I went to the visa office this morning to apply for my long stay visa (I will be studying abroad for four months in the fall). The staff were all very civil and helpful. My only complaint is regarding their inefficiency--my appointment was at 9am but I did not speak to an employee until about 9:55am. Very slow, with lots of people in the waiting room. I would recommend making a copy of your driver's license, because the officers at the entrance will hold onto your ID before you go through security and keep it until you leave the embassy. Overall, a decent experience!

Attended the Great Gatsby affair last night. The venue was horrible - chairs around the edges of the room, minimal air conditioning and overpriced drinks (only wine, champagne, water and juice was available). Water was 3.00 for a small glass (about 1/3rd of a bottle of water). Wine was 6.00 for about half of a small plastic glass - ridiculous! The band was excellent - when they played - which was minimally. The room itself was the equivalent to a nice hall. Not quite a Moose lodge hall - but not far from it. Save your money and time. Not worth the trouble.

Bastille Day July 7, did not live up to expectation. Some of the featured events did not materialize as expected. Plenty of food and of very good quality. The disco was extremely disappointing, they over promised with the parisenne music. The closest thing played was an ABBA song and they are Swedish. Generally, the events held at the French Embassy are fantastic and I will attend them in the future. I doubt that I will attend Bastille Day in again especially for the $85-$100 charged for the event.

The Grand Fete is one of my favorite events - I've been going for years and I love it! So many wonderful countries serving their best food, chocolate, wine, beer etc. and a fabulously diverse, fun crowd.

Basically a glorified DMV. Overall, the experience wasn't too bad. The man at the main gate was polite and helpful. However, once I went in for my visa appointment, I was greeted by the extremely hostile receptionist. Don't walk up to the 1st desk unless you want to be verbally abused. She doesn't seem to have a hard job, so I'm not sure why she acted so incredibly aggressive. I've read other reviews that state the same thing, and I'm not sure how she still has her job considering she just sat there and the consulates (who were considerably occupied) had to instruct other visa applicants who were coming in. The rest of the process was mostly simple. The consulates have little patience, but they're not outright unkind and rude. Just make sure you have your required documents organized and easily accessible and everything should go smoothly. I was in and out within an hour.

The worst embassy I have ever visited. I have been working in U.S.A for last 15 years and wanted to take a vacation in Paris for the first time. I have a US green card. The guy on the counter was rude and asked for additional documents as my insurance letter did not say that it will cover for repatriation. He asked me to fax it later. I got it updated and faxed it next day. Then they email me that the don't have my employment letter. I offered to fax it or email it or drop it in person. They said no only US post. When the guy went over my documents during person interview I showed him direct deposit on bank statement , my federal tax return for 2014, stable balance of close to $50K. Now despite that he wants a pay stub. I don't know why he did not tell me that during person interview. During the personal interview he said only my updated insurance letter is needed. This is not say that I had to drive 4 hrs to reach to appointment from Leigh valley in PA to this consulate, when NYC consulate in 1hr away from where I live. The whole experience has been bitter and I am ready to cancel my request and get my passport back. I think these guys are crazy. Don't know what their fear is. I am brown skinned and may be a terrorist lot I want to settle in France??? I know nobody who has immigrated from US to Europe for better jobs??? I might be missing something here..

I visited the French Embassy on 30th June for a tourist visa. Even though the reviews here state the opposite, I received a good response at the embassy. I thought both the visa officers in windows 2 & 3 were thorough and professional and I was done with my appointment in like 15 mins. Best thing, I received my passport back in 2 days exact. Thank you French consulate in Washington DC.

Horrible.Ridiculous! I was at the France embassy,visa sec located on reservoir rd, Washington DC earlier this morning. When I enter the visa service area , the place was not busy, and me and my husband was quickly being called and helped. However, the immigration officer's attitude was not friendly at all! ( comparing to the one that helped us later to paid for the fees, he was actually OK) so he asked for everything he need, and we were done in about 15 mins. Then, a lady immigration officer called, and ask us to pay( RUDE, very unpleasant.seems to be very annoyed, when I didn't hear her and ask her to repeat!) So we were informed that my husband need to have another type of medical insurance since our insurance did not state the amount covered outside of the U.S. That was ok, they have their requirements, BUT when I asked what is the actual requirements, she simply said: like what is stated online! At the moment, I was about to blow off, but I hold my temper. She then proceed on asking us to sign and confirm everything. Since France write their date format a little different than U.S, I wanted to make sure that it's (date/month/year )format for my husbands birthday. Again, she was very impatient! And annoyed by this! She then said: "oh your going to the Tahiti, not France. Then I charged you more, it's not $63 but $9!" (that was fine, everyone makes mistake.She then walks off with my card again for the refund.) While she was gone, my phone vibrated in my bag I quickly took a glance at the phone( she returned, and saw this.) She violently said: "PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY BEFORE I THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW!" Oh my god. I was just taking a peek. She said that there's sign everywhere said no cellphone, BUT she did not have to be so rude! It might be my fault to have the phone out, but again, is it necessary to act like this? An embassy, especially an immigration officer should represent ones country, to be so rude and unpleasant towards visitors that's going to your mother country is definitely a shame. I hereby ask someone to pay attention to this matter, and make France embassy a friendly place to be! I'm an U.S citizen myself, and had it not been my husband, who needs a shengen visa to visit Tahiti, I absolutely will not step back into this embassy ever again! FYI it's this lady at the first window!!

I attended the Green Night in Dec 2015 at the Embassy of France to support action on climate change. The venue, the information booths, the music, and reception was amazing. It was a cash bar which some tall bearded guy was pretty upset about. You'd think people attending these events wouldn't wince for $5 dollar wine. Fortunately for him someone took pity on him and offered one of their wine vouchers. Overall, great place to go.

Had a visa application appointment. Quick and extremely courteous. He just checked we had all the required paperwork and didn't ask too many questions. Very friendly. We were in and out in less than an hour. Visa approved a couple days later.