A tale of two embassies

zieak ♦ March 20, 2012 ♦ Leave Your Comment

I went to the American embassy in Ulaanbaatar last week. I had to get additional visa pages in my two and a half year old passport. I have been to the Chinese embassy here a few times. Let me compare and contrast the experiences.

Entrances – The entrance to the Chinese embassy is a door in a concrete wall.  Nothing really indicates that it is a door entering an embassy.  The American embassy entry had a covered area by the parking lot for people to wait out of the elements to be allowed into the buildings.

Scheduling – I have just stopped by the Chinese embassy and submitted my visa application.  For the American embassy I had to make an appointment online, print out the confirmation of the appointment, and bring it with me to gain entrance.

Guards – The Chinese embassy had one guard.  He seemed to be there mostly to tell people to put their cell phones away.  The American embassy had a guard by the parking lot that checked my passport and appointment sheet.  Then another guard approached and examined them.  they let me pass into a door where I was wanded with a metal detector after removing all my metal items into a bucket.  Then I was let pass into another area where a guard behind glass was passed my passport and he ran a computerized check on it.  After passing him I had to stow my items in a small locker and walk through a metal detector.  I was given a tag with a number on it to wear on my shirt.  I exited the opposite side of the building and walked through a small courtyard and entered another building where a guard ushered me into the waiting area to sit.

Waiting area – The Chinese waiting area is barren other than some pieces of paper with instructions taped around, a table with copies of forms and pens, and otherwise is just hard walls and flooring.  The American embassy waiting area had a magazine rack with literature in Mongolian and English, posters about what types of visas are available to foreigners interested in entering the US, 15 comfortable chairs, a television, wood trim, attractive walls, and carpeted flooring.

Queuing – The Chinese embassy you get in line and wait your turn.  The American embassy you sit until it is your turn.

Service – The Chinese embassy staff are quick, curt, and business-like.  Twice I have asked for multiple entry visas but have been denied both times.  (I had no problem getting one when I applied from one while in the US.)  The American embassy staff were nice about the poor quality of one of the bills I was using to pay for my additional visa pages.  She was understanding that I didn’t know the right PO Box for the school and double checked with me about how many inserts I wanted to put into my passport.

Overall quite a different experience between the two!