Ambassador Passport & Visa Services

First, I need to start by thanking Eva for all of her help. Eva went above and beyond in helping me in getting my Brazilian Visa. I called Eva with questions, and follow up questions, several times because I wanted to be certain that I was doing everything correctly — Every time she picked up the phone Eva took the time to answer all of my questions, explain all of my options, Eva explained the entire process and what we could expect for wait times. Eva was very friendly and professional, and most importantly she actually took the time to listen and genuinely seemed to care about the time sensitive issue with my situation. She took a very confusing, and somewhat complicated process and made it very very easy.
I definitely recommend Ambassador Passport and Visa to anyone who needs a visa or passport and is confused or unsure about the process, and I cannot recommend Eva strongly enough! Thank you again Ambassador and thank you again Eva — Truly a lifesaver!

Please be careful with all their charges. They over charge visa fee as well as rush fee. I’m very disappointed with their dishonesty.

They are a SCAM! Be careful!!!
They give you the wrong price on the phone and pull you in, get you involved and submit your online request then raise the price from $ 160 to $ 276. Then you finish all the paperwork and for your final step for them to hand over your documents and confirmation number they raise the price again! This time it goes from $ 276 to $ 584!!!
Not only they don’t offer any reasonable explanation for the raise in the price they start swearing and shouting at you like people in a psychotic ward! They took my money and did not give give me the confirmation number in the end which resulted in much complications later.
There are many other visa services in Los Angeles, better to be safe than sorry!
By the way this was a while back but I always thought that I must write this so that others don’t get burnt like I did!

Amazing! They know what they’re doing and they make it quick and easy.

These folks are lifesavers!
One of my guys realized his passport expired on Wednesday.
He needs to leave the country on Monday for an important work meeting.
Panic ensues on Wednesday as he gets photos last minute and figures out what forms he needs to sign.
Call Ambassador Weds afternoon and they said they could get it to us by Friday «no problem» — which is ridiculously fast.
Call them on Friday at 4:30 and they said it was ready for pickup.
Like magic! Will definitely use again! Highly recommend.
Folks answering the phone are super patient and helpful.

I have NEVER written a bad review but I felt I had to after my experience–
I went in for the «one stop» expedited passport service that was advertised on their website. I paid $ 220.00 in addition to a check for the $ 175 passport fee and $ 50 dollar government fee. I had already downloaded the application so all the agency did was put my paperwork into an envelope and send me to a post office in Van Nuys to get a «seal» and then told me I had to return. I was a bit shocked because when I had called, I was told they did everything in house.
I drove over an hour in traffic only to be told by the Van Nuys post office that I did not have the necessary documentation for an expedited passport and that they would not give me the «seal.» By the time I returned to Santa Monica (another hour in the car) their office was closed. The following morning I went to the Santa Monica post office in hopes they could give me the seal. They too told me that I did not have the correct forms. At this point I was so frustrated, and since I was already at the post office, the woman gave me the correct form, and processed the paperwork for a passport right there.
I am so upset that I paid them 220 dollars for NOTHING except a two hours drive to the post office. Since when does ONE STOP shopping involve a trip to Van Nuys? I thought the whole point of their operation was to avoid the post office.
Awful experience!

My corporate parent is instituting legal action against this agency not only for having not obtained a visa for India after both extraordinary fees charged ahead of time and a five-​week lead time — I repeat, five weeks — but also losing the applicant’s passport in the process. This agency has repeatedly refused to return phone calls or emails. There is no rating low enough to describe this vendor. From the outset attempts to get status on the process were either ignored or treated with contempt.
In addition to the corporate legal action we are pursuing, I am also reporting them to both the BBB and the Consumer Protection Agency.

Great service. Dropped off passport on Wednesday and had visa Friday at 10:30AM. Will definitely use again if necessary.

Honestly I didn’t even understand jp’s negative review. All I know is if you look at her other reviews she is mad at the whole world. 10 out of 16 reviews by her got one star!
This company just saved my daughter’s summer vacation to three countries in the Far East. It was our college graduation gift to her. Four days before her trip I realized that she needed visas to travel. Everyone told us there was no way we can get the visas on time. Ladan and Yvette were just amazing. They asked us to scan the paperwork and send it to them. They even told us about an app for taking passport photos and email them to them. Mind you that two of the remaining four days were weekend. I am not sure what sort of miracle they performed but on Tuesday few hours before my daughters flight we got one package from DC and another from San Francisco with her passport in one and her visa in the other. I don’t think any passport agency in the U.S. could have accomplished what they did.
On our way to the airport our daughter was so incredulous and happy. We all were. I would never hesitate to use them again. Hopefully next time it won’t be under such pressure and time constraints.
Kudos to Ladan and shame on bad mouthers. Unilocal should not be used irresponsibly to slander amazing businesses. I have not seen their office, but if it is messy it’s probably because so many people are seeking their service.

Wow, what amazing service! We were in desperate need of a passport within 24 hours and Ladan was able to accommodate us with ease. It was an absolute pleasure working with her and I highly recommend them to anyone in need of an immediate passport and/​or visa

UPDATE THIS COMPANY MAY CONDUCT ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES WITH YOUR INFORMATION COULD TOTALLY BE COMPROMISED.
OWNER LADON told me she contacted the federal agency herself and looked at my confidential sealed information OF OUR CHILD to tell them that forms that were sealed, sworn and done in her office, she changed her mind BECAUSE WE WANTED TRACKING INFORMATION.
She even said this on a call to a federal employee that she made this call but refused to give the employee the name of the person she contacted at the FEDERAL AGENCY.
THIS IS A SERIOUS OFFENCE especially with confidential information and of a MINOR.
BE AFRAID TO USE THESE PEOPLE.
The office was horribly chaotic, people’s files and confidential documents co-​mingled on the desk and calls and people complaining that they had messed up their visas! The woman answering phones could not care less and said so to at least 10 customers when we were waiting that we could overhear. I was madly looking around on the walls or desks to see if I could find that these people were licensed or bonded in any way since it was easy to see that our personal documents and that of our child could easily be compromised here. People type into their computer system but no one is there to help them from the employees who were all overwhelmed, and rude.
Terrified we would have our personal information compromised and end up on the news, We unfortunately were stuck as the legitimate government offices are back logged.
I copied on our phone the documents and verified the placements in the envelope, SIGNED THE AUTHORIZATION PLACED IN THE SEALED ENVELOPE. They were surprised that I was following so closely but I was clear that under the circumstances of security breach and confidentiality and their clearly disorganized fashion, we would be cautious. Ladna the owner made a secret appointment at the post office to swear our child in. She even said it was secret and they take 3 people at a time. The post office swore our child in, SEALED OUR DOCUMENTS in and we paid them a fee. We were told to protect our sworn documents SEALED from this point forward.
We carted back to their office to have this given for hand delivery to the government office. AGAIN THE AUTHORIZATIONS, AND ALL SEALED DOCUMENTS, SWORN WERE TENDERED TO AN EMPLOYEE with a check. Our child’s passport and precious documents were sealed and delivered and accepted by the employee.
A whole day to do this back and forth with this for A RIDICULOUS HIGH FEE.
As I do as a business practice for ALL DOCUMENTS, ESPECIALLY LEGAL CONFIDENTIAL NATURE AS PASSPORTS AND VISAS is ensure tracking information of when the material will be delivered especially of legal nature such as birth certificates, passport information social security etc.
THEY REFUSED TO GIVE ME THE TRACKING INFORMATION SAYING IT IS CONFIDENTIAL. I am certain they have an obligation since if the service is 12 business days and the document is lost or is misplaced for their OWN CUSTOMERS THEY SHOULD WANT TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION.
The documents had already been legally surrendered and the check in their hands and the authorization, sworn statements. I asked to have the owner call me. They said the manager would be back in an hour so I should wait. I said I could not and she should call me. They told me because i wanted this verification that they wouldn’t serve me and they would take back my signed authorization, sworn to documents, sealed, paid for at the post office and delivered.
All because i wanted a tracking mechanism so that i wouldn’t be one of the 10 people we heard who got to a trip to Thailand and they had messed up her visa, or someone else whose order they only got half right.
These are documents of personal confidential nature that can easily be compromised and they should be mindful of this obligation.
The whole business feels like it is a scam and they should be reported to the Attorney General, government passport people, and all the authorities,
I am waiting for the material to be returned of a child’s documents and of course that we have no idea if they have tampered with them. I will post when we hear what the authorities say to this.

Easy peasy in and out 31 minutes from my metered spot out front to popping back in my car to write this review. Second time using them and was happy the first with my husband and son and happy again today. Thank you ladies!

I just got my visa today and thanks to Eva Hermano who facilitated everything. I had my doubts at first after reading all the negative reviews but all the other agencies turned me down already due to time constraints and Eva was so calm and confident she can get my visa in a very short time and she did. Eva is always available if I have questions and she’s very reassuring and caring. Look for Eva for all your rush visas and passports. For sure you’re in good hands! Thank you Eva for saving me on my Brazil trip. More power to you!!!

Horrible wait times, horrible cramped office. But guess what? They can churn out a visa is 24 hours like no one’s business. Literally because there isn’t a faster service in the area that will do at 3pm and have it next day.
The ladies here are constantly picking up the phone and putting people on hold, so if you are on the other end like I was, you’ll get a few hold messages before someone gets to you. But when they do, you’ve got 100% hands on deck. They checked my forms and I was out of there in 15 minutes. They are not a law firm with a swanky reception desk, everyone chips in and answers the phone. They don’t have cookies or even water while you wait. It’s just ask you expect *gasp* a passport and visa service center!
Street parking is metered, or park in the lot for $ 13.

Absolutely irresponsible people, honestly NEVER go here. I’ve been trying to get a hold of them and when they answer they say nobody is available like are you serious then why the hell are you answering and the lack of organization on a scale 1 – 100 I give them a ZERO THEY HONESTLY DONT DESERVE A ONE ! NEVER GO HERE !!

Im a fan because…
The ladies in the office are still very nice despite their unbelievable work load. If you’ve worked in an office ;OR OWN YOUR OWN BUSINESS LIKE MYELF; you can tell they are all over worked, and over phoned because of the DEMAND not because of management.
The ladies were very very helpful. The phone calls and emails were always very pleasant and every question was answered. I appreciate them through this process and I understand that there are things beyond their control.
Word to the wise; get your passport months before you travel, or just get now!
Good Luck and Bön Voyage!

After reading the reviews here i was a little scared to try ambassador passport services, but my experience there was amazing. I was leaving for dominican republic on friday night and realized THURSDAY MORNING that my passport had expired. I called to three different place Thursday and Ambassador was the only one who said they can get it done. I dropped off my old passport Thursday at 2pm… and Friday at 4pm I had my new passport at hand! Everyone there was very nice. Eva helped me fill out all the proper forms. They are professional! I am not sure why they got some bad reviews, because my experience was great! Thank you Amabassador for saving my Trip!

Honestly fuck the bad reviews! I read them and didn’t believe it so I made sure my lawyer was on speed dial just Incase they didn’t live up to their 48hours guaranteed. I promise you, I received my passport on time and couldn’t believe that it was there because I was worried after reading the reviews. I worked with Azi and she helped me a lot and made sure that everything was filled out properly. I live in Santa Monica and I’m here to tell everyone not to worry they will have your passport on time unless something crazy happens. Yes they have a lot of people calling them yelling but those are the inpatient people that don’t believe the bad reviews !

60%
Pretty good passport processing agency with a few minor organizational issues.
***
Came here in Dec ’13 to renew a passport I lost and needed a few days for travel outside of the country. This business offers rush passport and visa processing. The price you pay depends on how quick you need your travel documents.
Without going through this agency, the earliest appointment I could get through the government passport agency would have been the same day of my flight.
I visited on a Thur afternoon during holiday season, and picked up my new passport a few days later on a Mon afternoon. I decided on a 24 hour processing option. It entailed costing $ 500 ($ 300 to this business for 24 hour processing and $ 200 for government processing fees). I had to fly out of the country on Wednesday, so I opted to speed up the processing and pay a bit more, just in case.
If you have 2 weeks prior to your travel date, I’d just call up the government agency to get your passport renewed and skip using an agency entirely. No reason to pay extra.
Part of the process entailed that I had to drive from their office in Santa Monica to a post office in Burbank with a passport office, and back. It is a several hour process, so I highly encourage visiting Ambassador early to avoid as much rush hour traffic as possible. I arrived at the business around 1pm. By the time I drove to Burbank’s post office and got back to their office, it was close to 5:30pm. Best to plan early and save time.
The good thing, and most important thing about Ambassador is that they deliver what they promise in terms of delivery. While you are at their office, you will get the support you need in order to have your passport processed. The staff are generally cordial and helpful.
There are some minor cons. The place is pretty disorganized and appeared short staffed when I visited. I imagine it might be otherwise when its not the holiday season. When I first called, I was put on hold for 12 mins. When I arrived, I had to wait 15 mins before being attended to. Another customer cut in line, and the staff weren’t mindful about addressing that.
When I was told my passport would be ready on Mon and I would receive a call back, I did not receive that.
These aren’t the most important things in the scheme of having a travel document on time, but they do reflect as some things one might not easy forget in customer service.
I would say look into Ambassador if its outside of the holiday season. I’m thankful they delivered. I just wish it came with a bit less aggravation.

Honestly I’m not too sure why those who reviewed this agency as 1 star. I feel like they are kind of overreacting.
In general I’ve had a lot of experience with handling business visas/​passport renewals/​additional pages for my current company however I realize that Ambassador saves me a LOT of time. I’m so used to filling out all their online forms, mailing it, and having it done. Sometimes if there is a problem they will call back and even if I have to play phone tag to get back to the original caller it really isn’t a big deal especially when we are dealing with a time crunch.
I’ve never had anything but exceptionally helpful service. Literally any and every question I’ve had about visas for different countries, required documentation, etc. they’ve been able to help. And I’ve seriously been on the phone with them for hours just asking questions before I even gave them any business so that was very much appreciated.
I wouldn’t expect hand-​holding, but I really don’t think they’re that rude either. If you live in the area, I would definitely check them out because the last thing you want is to send your information to a far off travel agency and have limited communication with them b/​c of the time difference or have your passport go through shipping difficulties.
BTW if you want free parking, keep driving past the huge parking garage attached to the building. It turns into a residential area and if you find a spot, go for it! For those who are whining over paid parking… it’s LA. don’t you already know by now how parking is…