Spanish Consulate General

It’s more like going to boot camp or a very strict military school. My husband and I had an interview a few days ago and the guy in the reception area was alright and asked us if we had made copies of everything. We indicated that we had all the required documents and the photocopies. We were then interviewed by an extremely rude, pompous and overbearing individual who certainly lived up to his online reputation stated in other reviews of the Spanish Consulate. That said, the lady behind the counter seemed affable and helpful. We also noticed that any person who was Spanish /​spoke Spanish and had a query was being treated very nicely and without a trace of contempt. He spoke to my husband and I like we were dimwits and told my husband that there was a stain in the application form and that this was being disrespectful to the application process. My husband mentioned that one of the children must have got their hands on it and he apologised. The guy also spoke to us like a stern headmaster and said that the Spanish consulate made every effort to provide information about everything and we tourists who wanted to travel to Spain couldn’t even follow simple instructions. He seemed incapable of listening to logic and reason and acted very boorishly. Perhaps Spain needs to remember that us tourists pumps money into its economy and probably take a cue or two from the Swedish consulate who were nothing but polite, friendly and courteous. If extra photocopies needed to be made, it wasn’t made to seem like we were idiots, they were royalty and it was the end of the world. Perhaps, they were less in need of getting their ego’s stoked unlike the dude behind the counter who probably hadn’t heard of customer service to begin with.

Despite the fact that my experience with this consulate is very far from being as bad as the horrendous story related by smogmag, I can confirm that the visa officer there has some serious mental issues. I have very seldom in my life encountered a person as negative as him. His countenance is as empathic as a brick and he constantly strives to demonstrate his frustration with the applicants. It is a shame that the Spanish government chooses to have such a troubled person as a representative of their country, especially given the fact that for some applicants he might be the one giving the very first impression of Spain…