The administration of this blog frequently posts information such as this in an effort to forestall needless trips to US Embassies and Consulates abroad. This author has traveled to more than one US Embassy abroad only to find the facilities closed in observance of an American or local holiday.

Many Americans overseas find that they require services which can, sometimes, only be performed by an American Citizen Services (ACS) Section of a US Consulate or Embassy abroad.  Services such as this include, but are not limited to: US passport obtainment, visa page addition, promulgation of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or notarial services. In situations where services such as these are sought, Americans are well-advised to check the official website of the US Mission in their area in order to ascertain if appointments with ACS can be booked online. This can greatly streamline the processing of an American’s request as the Consular Officers can be put on notice of the appointment and also, in some cases, of the services sought.

Those seeking visas from a United States Mission abroad should check with the Mission’s Visa Unit in order ascertain how visa interview appointments should be scheduled. Often Immigrant visa applications are handled differently compared to non-immigrant applications (for those interested in US family visa obtainment, the K1 visa [Fiance Visa] is usually treated as an immigrant visa for application processing purposes).