Italian General Consulate In London review: I can't renew my passport 17

I am disgusted and appalled by the service. I have been trying to get hold of the telephone number for the passport booking service since November 2017. My passport is expiring in June 2018 - and now it is end of April and i still have no passport. I need to visit my niece who is very disabled and probably not going to be around for much longer (she has an awful condition) but your consulate is terrible. I want a response, how do i renew my passport. How do i get a new passport? I believe many people are complaining but you are doing nothing.
I am ashamed to be considered Italian right now as you are helping no italians.

To whom it may concern,

My name is Khalid Mao and I am hereby making an Official Complaint regarding the Italian Consulate service of renewing passports and expired documents for Italian nationals. I have been at the Consulate to file an application to renew my expired passport, on 02/04/18. Upon arrival I have been informed that I must apply using the online service or by calling the number provided for the service, I have therefore followed your instructions to go online only to discover that your service is a shamble! as there are no appointments available whatsoever. I am sure of this because I have been trying to obtain an appointment since April and it hasn't happened till now, even though the reason why I want to travel is quite urgent. I was planning to travel to Morocco to visit my sick brother, I made another attempt recently to apply for a new passport by going directly to the Consulate . Apart from being really disgusted to be be an Italian in this particular circumstance and ashamed at the way the Italian Consulate in the United Kingdom operates and treats it's people. I have also suffered emotional distress, anxiety and problem with my overall health because of this situation the Consulate has put me in. I request to speak to the General Consul Because this situation is unacceptable. And I also want to make an appeal to please be mindful of how you treat people and change your policies because you may find yourself guilty of many disasters in people's lives and not only, in the future. I will take this further, unless I receive a prompt answer from someone willing to solve this situation effectively.

Kind regards

Khalid Mao
MOBILE: [protected]

I have been trying to deal with the Italian Consulate in London for three weeks. My passport is due to expire in January but your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months and I need to travel for work in Sept and October. Spent every morning for the last three weeks calling that number and of course - since putting in place a simple queueing system is too difficult - the number is constantly busy. The online system is not working anymore. IN SHORT, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT. Without the appointment you cannot renew your passport.

I spent two hours in line today and all they tell me is to keep calling that number or make an emergency request with letter by my employer.

SHAMEFUL!

same as above...I don't really need to read the posts before me anyway..my experience is like so many others'..been through the whole thing...no result, but few bitter laughs.

Hey bureaucrats, you are paid by us, Italian citizens! Get the [censored] out of there or start working for us! You good day at work: a coffee break to start with, a chat, another cappuccino, a martini...Come on, dear friend, another day paid to do nothing...oh I was forgetting that favor! Oh I am such a good bureaucrat! I represent Italy: a [censored]ing mess, thanks to me too! Poor, the little men, how can it be their fault? They are incapable and therefore got those jobs.

questa e' la riflessione diretta del menifrechismo e l'inadequatezza del governo italiano vergognoso come l'eterno solito troppo poco, troppo tardi, o assolutamente e solitamente, chi se ne frega.vergognatevi tutti voi al governo per non fare nulla al riguardo. come cittadino italiano all'estero non mi sono mai sentito cosi'vergognoso come adesso di considerarmi italiano. e lashiamo le solite stronzate l'italia qui l'italia qua noi siamo i migliori in questo e quello, noi in questo caso siamo il cesso del mondo, inefficenza, inadequatezza, assenza, inefficenza, strafottenza, queste sono le parole che io definisco, la burocrazia di merda italiana.

Oh I so agree with all of the above. I have been making 50 calls a day for about a week now trying to get through. Really, it is time the Italian civil service had a thorough overhaul.

Yeh - I have just got through and have an appointment on 16 August. My advice is to hit callback on your iPhone constantly. It took 56 attempts today but I got there!

This is actually unacceptable. London and the United Kingdom is a major partner of Italy and has thousands upon thousands of Italian residents. It is extremely embarrassing and unprofessional to have a consulate that is not reachable in any way and a passport renewal process that is like winning the lottery. Maybe I should switch my nationality to a third world country...it will probably be easier to get a new passport that way. Shambles. Vergognatevi.

Recently I made a trip from Leeds to London to renew my passport. I had an appointment booked in, was seen on that day and after 4 hours I was walking out of the consolate with my new passport. I was not expecting that at all.
Very big thank you to all staf there as they are very friendly, working very hard and keen to help everybody.
Also people arriving without an appointment have been seen and dealt with on that day. So no need to try many attempts to call and to book.
Again a big thank to all staff for your hard work and help. 😊

I have managed to get an appointment with the Consulate on the 18th of December 2018. I have booked a trip back to my home country on the 6th of February 2019. They say it takes 30 working days for the passport to arrive. Do they stick to their 30 day word or do they keep you waiting for extra days. I don't want to lose out on the money i have paid.

I filled a request to have my AIRE changed to London almost one year ago, on 26/03/18, and it has not been accepted yet! They want you to keep your details updated, and change any information as soon as possible, but they do not do their part!

I am two years on, no passport, due to the birth certificate name change, I was born in Belgium on route to Canada to Italian parents. Belgium for some unknown reason translated my birth name to what it would be in their country. My wife and I have been attempting to call statocivili, for over 6 months and logged thousand YES thousand of calls. (I am convinced the phone is only manned by one person) Now we are attempting the e mail route. We did contact other departments and had one e mail with a bit of information. THANK YOU but the matter is far from settled. Given i have no passport, i am effectively stateless.

Ciao
Mi è stato detto che non potevo rinnovare il mio passaporto. fino a quando non cambierò nome e genere a causa del mio transgender, mi hai dato un elenco di avvocati italiani che tutti hanno rifiutato di farmi da servizio minacciando e riattaccando su di me, o quelli carini hanno detto che ti avremmo richiamato o e-mail e nessun contatto
così ho ricevuto informazioni su un avvocato italiano dal porto turistico di Cariatti
oh suppongo che fosse una vera avvocato che ha fatto illegalmente una menzogna ora che questo ha preso criminalmente i miei 1800 euro senza il cambio di genere e di nome presto mi è stato detto dall'avvocato per i diritti umani di Roma quanto il tuo governo tratta le persone transgender è inaccettabile
perciò sono registrato nel consolato italiano di aire London
è praticamente impossibile prendere un appuntamento per rinnovare il mio passaporto a Londra e portare il prosciutto
Alla luce di ciò mi hai lasciato con un passaporto scaduto dal 28 maggio 2018
ciò significa che non potrei lavorare e altre circostanze peggiori che il tuo personale è a conoscenza di questo e non fa nulla, ora potresti per favore fissare un appuntamento per me e ora per fare il mio passaporto AssApp manterrò il mio nome maschile e il genere e userò l'atto inglese polo
per favore, datemi un appuntamento con il passaporto dopo che Brexit mi farà imporre cose peggiori, quindi potete fornire un appuntamento con il passaporto
Cordiali saluti

Hello
I was told I couldn't renew my passport. till I get my name and gender changed due to me being transgender well, you gave me a list of Italian lawyers they All refused to be of service to me by threatening and hanging up on me, or the nice ones said we would call you back or email and no contact
so I got information about an Italian lawyer from cariatti marina
oh guess she was a real lawyer that unlawfully made up a lie now this criminally took my 1800 euros without the gender and name change soon I was told by human rights lawyer from Rome how bad your government treats transgender people it is unacceptable
thus fort I am registered in aire London Italian consulate
it is virtually impossible to get an appointment to renew my passport in London and bring ham
enlight of this you left Me with an expired passport since 28 May 2018
that means I couldn't work and other worse circumstances your staff is aware of this and does nothing, now may you please arrange an appointment for me and now to do my passport AssApp I ll keep my male name and gender and use my English deed pole
please give me a passport appointment after Brexit thier will worse things imposed on me so may you please provide passport appointment
Kindest Regards

Gentili Signori,

Hi inviato questa email a Marzo ma non ho mai avuto risposta. Ho inviato di nuovo oggi.

FAO Signor Michele nell’Ufficio Anagrafe

Nel Maggio del 2017, mi sono recata presso il Consolato per completare il rinnovo del mio passaporto. In quel momento i vostri colleghi mi dissero che per legge dovevo registrare la nascita di mia figlia che è’ nata a Edimburgo.

Avevo con me solo il certficato originale, e non avendo altra scelta, mi e' stato detto di rilasciarlo a voi in quel istante senza darmi l’opportunita’ di richiedere una copia originale per il vostro ufficio dal Registry Office a Edimburgo. Il certificato di nascita originale ha per me e mio marito un valore molto sentimentale. Questa situazione mi ha resa molto triste negli ultimi due anni e vorrei che il certificato originale mi sia restituito.

Ho nel frattempo richiesto una copia originale del certificato. Una volta fatta la traduzione e l'apostille, dovrei fare un appuntamento per rilasciarvi la nuova copia e riprendermi la mia originale? O posso presentarmi durante i vostri orari di apertura al pubblico?

Io e mio marito, che e' Inglese, siamo molto rammaricati da questa situazione e pensiamo che questo e' stato un gesto inaccettabile.

Saro’ costretta a mandare una lettera di lamentela al Ambasciatore Raffaele Trombetta per il modo in cui trattate i cittadini che vengono da voi per essere aiutati, se non ricevo una vostra risposta e mi sara’ restituito il Certificato di Nascita di mia figlia.

Attendo la vostra risposta.

Cordiali saluti,

Michelle

The service was appalling in 2019 and it's still awful in 2021. What is the Secretary of Foreign Affairs doing about it? Probably nothing, most likely they keep passing the buck until someone will do something about it. Couldn't they simply have an online calendar with multiple slots, automated emails that explain procedures clearly and concisely? Of course not, that'd be too much of hassle.

Stay Strong, Mattia.

Ive been bullied and harassed by the Italian policemen at the door.

They won’t let you in . They laughed and mocked me in group because of my sexual orientation and because of my job .

They laughed at me when I declared I’ve been receiving death calls threats even when I showed them Uk Police crime report.

They won’t reply .

My experience today was excellent with the call centre operator 44, who was very nice. I was first on the call list and I had a very happy time. All my questions and requests were well attended to. Thank you for your time and support. God bless you.