US Consulate Visit
The US Consulate in Auckland is not a particularly fun place to visit. It brings back every icky feeling related to American bureaucracy that is stressful when in the US, but doubly stressful when you’re in New Zealand and not accustomed to that feeling anymore. However, I realized right before our US trip that my son’s passport was about to expire and a trip was inevitable. I was able to secure a passport renewal appointment at the Consulate without too much difficulty as it seems like the backlog of passport seekers is shrinking after the initial rush when the borders opened up. I’ve figured out a few things that make the occasional trip to the consulate a little bit easier for everyone involved:
Parking - The closest parking option to the consulate is the Wilson Parking Lot at 27 Fort Street. If you’re running late, this is the quickest options. I’ve never seen it full because it is the most expensive place around at $18 for an hour or $30 for up to 12 hours. ($24 if you use the app). However, right down the block is the Lumley Centre Car Park that is $8 for an hour or $22 for 2 hours. Shockingly, if you think you’re going to be in the consulate for 1-2 hours, the best deal is to valet at the Central Britomart Valet which is $20 for 2 hours. The downside is the hours are limited to 10-4 Monday -Wednesday and 10-7 Thursday and Friday. Of course you can avoid all of the parking stress by either taking the train to the Britomart Station (a short 1 minute walk from the consulate) or using a rideshare service.
Come Prepared - I was shocked at how many people at the Consulate didn’t read all of the instructions for why they were there in the first place. People were surprised that there were fees associated with visa and passport applications and didn’t come prepared with enough money either in cash or in their bank accounts. People didn’t bring copies of all the supporting documents they needed to or didn’t bring acceptable forms of ID. Four of the five people ahead of us didn’t bring prepaid, self addressed envelopes to have their documents returned. (side note - if you live in Auckland, you can come pick up your documents yourself and don’t have to wait on a courier.) Please, for your sanity and for the sake of everyone else waiting in line, read the whole document you want to submit before showing up at the consulate and come prepared.
Set Expectations - This really applies to kids who have to apply for passports in person. Unfortunately, only your documents and payment can come into the consulate. That means no strollers, no phones, no toys, no games, nothing. It is boring for just about everyone involved, especially if you have a lot of people with appointments at the same time as you. There is a TV at one end of the consulate that will play a movie and that will be your only source of entertainment for as long as you are there. My nine year old knew going into this that it wasn’t going to be fun, but the visit was necessary. I think that helped tremendously.
Reward Yourself - After surviving the boredom and tediousness of a consulate visit, it makes it all a little better if there is a sweet reward at the end. If your appointment ends after 2:00pm on Wednesday-Friday, walk down Gore Street at try Giapo for the ultimate in ice cream delights. Alternatively, Devonport Chocolates in the Queen’s Arcade is open from 10-5 Monday-Friday and has the most delicious chocolate truffles.
We were told the current turn around times for US passports was 3-4 weeks, and exactly 4 weeks later my son’s passport was ready to pick up. Fortunately the pick up process is MUCH shorter than the application process. It only requires talking to the guard at the entrance and showing an ID to pick up a passport. We were in and out in under 6 minutes!
