Embassy of the United States Caracas, Venezuela

Carefully review and follow these instructions when planning your visit to the United States Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela:

Access to the US Embassy Compound

For security reasons, access to the Embassy compound, including the pavilion area, will only be allowed to applicants with scheduled appointments. Individuals under the age of 21 may be accompanied by their parents or custodians; individuals in need of physical assistance may bring a companion; all others will be asked to leave the compound.

Please be aware that there is no waiting area outside the Embassy.
Applicants should arrive no more than 30 minutes prior to their scheduled appointments.

Try to avoid being late for your appointment and do not arrive more than 30 minutes prior to your scheduled time. Doing so will not help you save time or enter earlier; applicants are only allowed to access the compound at the time their appointment is scheduled. 

Parking Spaces

We strongly advise all applicants to use public transportation when visiting the U.S. Embassy, however if this is not an option please keep in mind that there is no parking area for the general public at the Embassy, therefore you will need to park your vehicles on the streets nearby. Also there is a Taxi Service available on Embassy grounds.

Weather Conditions

At the Embassy compound you will find yourself at times waiting in line under open spaces, therefore we recommend you come prepared for unexpected weather conditions.

Children Under the Age of 14

We would like to remind you that children under the age of 14 do not need to be present for the interview and do not require fingerprinting. 
Parent(s) of children under the age of 14 can apply on their behalf. There is limited space in the pavilion; therefore we strongly encourage parents to leave their children under 14 at home. Parents who bring their children under the age of 14 will not be allowed to enter the compound and will be asked to make a new appointment.

The only exception to this rule would be for minors who are applying for student visas.

Approximate Waiting Time

Unfortunately we cannot provide a specific waiting time for your interview at the Embassy. Waiting time varies each day and is dependent on different internal and/or external factors. Please plan flights and/or transportation accordingly, more so if you are traveling from cities other than Caracas. Again, we strongly encourage you to use public transportation or a taxi service to get to the Embassy.

In Case of Illness

We would like to remind the general public that if an applicant carries a contagious illness and is very sick on the day of their interview they must reschedule their appointment with the Call Center for another day when in healthier conditions. However if regardless of their health issues, the applicant insists on attending their appointment, the Embassy staff may cancel it and provide the applicant with instructions on how to make a new one.

Security Procedures

All visitors and their belongings will undergo a security screening. In order to speed up the process, please minimize the amount of metal jewelry and other metallic items that you bring/wear to the Embassy.

Prohibited Items

Visitors who bring personal belongings to the Embassy can gain access only with the necessary documents to complete the visa application process. Large bags (including backpacks, travel bags, briefcases, folders, and accordion) will not be accepted inside the compound. Envelopes of any type sealed or not are also not allowed. The Embassy does not provide storage for any personal objects, please take the necessary precautions.

This regulation does not apply for baby bags or diaper bags. Bags containing medicine are also allowed.

Ladies can carry handbags big enough to hold only their personal belongings. Any paperwork must be brought in separately.

All bags must pass through a security check.

Electronic items are not allowed inside the Embassy. Prohibited items include but are not limited to, phones, cameras, PDAs, pen-drives, audio or video players, calculators, laptops, pagers, portable gaming devices, flashlights or other electronic devices, or any part of them (such as digital memory, chips, antennas and batteries).

No weapons are allowed within the Embassy compound and its surroundings. Replicas or items that can be used or confused with weapons, including but not limited to: knives, firearms, pepper spray or other gases, explosives and electric weapons. Also do not bring tweezers, scissors, envelope openers, nail clippers, metal nail files, metal razors or pencil sharpeners.

Lighters of any type are not allowed.

Anyone who ignores these warnings and the Embassy’s staff alerts when entering the compound is subject to have their appointment canceled.

Furthermore, depending on the severity of the incident it may be reported to the local police.

Important: The Embassy does not provide the public with any type of storage for personal items and is not responsible if an applicant decides to leave their belongings with someone who offers to store them for safekeeping.

We regret any inconvenience these security measures may cause.

Our main goal is to provide all of our customers with excellent levels of quality service and security.