Persons coming to the Consular Section for visa interviews need to be aware of the Embassy’s security requirements.
Visa applicants should arrive 15 minutes prior to their appointment time in order to go through security. Upon arrival, visa applicants need to take a place in line according to their scheduled appointment time. ACS clients should proceed directly to the front of the line and inform security personnel that they need to visit the American Citizen Services unit.
No luggage or large items are allowed on the consular premises; therefore applicants should make arrangements to leave their luggage elsewhere. Applicants may only bring document files after a thorough security screening. It is a security risk to leave items on the street. Such items may be confiscated by local authorities.
The following items are not allowed inside the Consular Section:
- Bags or purses, except diaper bags and wallets
- Backpacks
- Cell phones
- Car keys
- Suitcases
- Weapons
- Any electronics such as notebooks, iPods, PDAs, etc.
- Cameras
- Cosmetics
- Food and drinks
- Liquids
- Documents in non-transparent folders. Only transparent thin folders are allowed
- Medication (pills, sprays, syringes, etc.)
Other items may be prohibited at the discretion of security staff. There is no facility at the Embassy to store prohibited items. In the past, applicants were allowed to check and store certain small items including cell phones with embassy security staff. As of February 1, 2016, this is not allowed, and you must make arrangements to store these items before entering.
If you use electronic medical devices (such as hearing aids, pace makers, etc.), please inform the consular guards about this as soon as you arrive for your interview.
Parking or Waiting Outside the Consular Section
The Consular Section does not have a parking lot, and on-street parking is very difficult.
Because of traffic and narrow streets surrounding the Consular Section, waiting on the street is both inconvenient and potentially dangerous, especially for children.
