If you are having trouble scheduling or confirming your appointment, or paying your application fee, please reach out to our help center.

Local DRC Calls:

+243 97 654 4386
+243 97 176 8449
+243 82 246 6672

+243 81 877 4818

Calls from the United States:

+1 703-831-3418

Email:

fae_contactus+cd+info+en@visaops.net

Skype:

Add a new contact to your Skype account with the Skype name “skype-cd”

Assistance is available in English and French, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm GMT +1 (Kinshasa local time).

Our Customer Service Center CAN help you with the following:

• Provide information on where to research visa information.
• Provide general visa information or how to apply.
• Provide information about how to pay the visa application fee.
• Schedule or reschedule your appointment as an alternative to doing this online.
• Resolve technical issues with the website, your visa fee payment, or your sign-in information (email and password) to enter the site to pay and schedule the appointment. Please use the email contact information above and provide detailed information for such cases.

The Customer Service Center CANNOT help you with the following:

• Determine the required visa for your purpose of travel.
• Complete or assist with completion of the visa application DS-160 form or DS-260 form.
• Provide status information on your individual application after your interview.

To check the current wait time for a visa appointment, please click here.

Local Mailing Address 

Ambassade des États-Unis
B.P. 697
Kinshasa 1
RDC

 

 

 

U.S. Mailing Addresses

Consular Section
Department of State
2220 Kinshasa Place
Washington, D.C. 20521-2220

or

U.S. Embassy
Consular Section
Unit 2220, Box 265
DPO AE, 09828-0265

All applicants, including children, must access the GSS website to schedule or reschedule their appointment and then appear in person with a printout of their appointment confirmation for the selected appointment day and time. We encourage applicants to apply early, as this is a first-come-first-serve service.

Please note that the consular section is closed for training days and U.S. and Congolese national holidays.

Electronic Devices Restriction

Cellular telephones, tablets, or laptops are not permitted in the consular section. U.S. Embassy Kinshasa does not provide any space for the storage of such devices.  Please plan accordingly.

Location

Avenue des Aviateurs, No. 310 Kinshasa, Gombe (Note: the entrance to the Consular Section is located on Avenue Dumi around the corner from the Embassy main entrance and across from St. Anne’s Residence.)

Physical Address

Ambassade des États-Unis
310, Avenue des aviateurs
Commune de la Gombe
Kinshasa, RDC

Tourist and Business Visa applicants must demonstrate their eligibility for a visa.  During your interview, you must convince the consular officer that you will leave the United States at the end of your stay and will not engage in prohibited activities.  To do so, you should come prepared to discuss the purpose of your trip, your previous international trips, and your social, economic, professional, and financial ties outside the United States.  Submitting all required documents does not automatically make you eligible for a Tourist and Business Visa. Consular officers can consider visa eligibility only during the visa interview.  Therefore, make sure you bring in any additional information that may help to establish your eligibility, such as medical statements, employment letters, financial information, business documents, and previous passports.  Any documents sent directly to the Embassy will be destroyed.

Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons who want to enter the United States temporarily for business (visa category B-1), tourism, pleasure or visiting (visa category B-2), or a combination of both purposes (B-1/B-2). According to United States Immigration Law, visitors with B1/B2 – class visas may not engage in certain activities, including working (whether formally or informally), producing artwork, selling items, and performing.  For these activities, applicants need a U.S. sponsor to file a petition for them in the U.S., and a different type of visa (not a B1/B2).  Violation of visitor status may result in ineligibility for future visas.

For additional information on other visa types, please see the directory of nonimmigrant visa categories.

Here are some examples of activities that are permitted with a visitor (B1/B2) type visa:

• tourism
• vacation (holiday)
• visit with friends or relatives
• medical treatment
• participation in social events hosted by fraternal, social, or service organizations
• participation by amateurs in musical, sports, or similar events or contests, if not being paid for participation
• enrollment in a short recreational course of study, not for credit toward a degree

United States immigration law does not set aside a specific type of visa for medical treatment.  Eligible applicants will receive a B1/B2-class visa.  Visas can only be issued at a United States Embassy, and only a consular officer of the United States may determine visa eligibility.

Foreign visitors are permitted to enter the United States for medical treatment if they can demonstrate their ability to pay for the full course of treatment.  Medical treatment includes giving birth.  They are not permitted to enter the United States for medical treatment if they intend to use public funds or are unable to pay for their treatment.  Visa applicants who intend to obtain medical treatments in the United States must state this on their visa application and during their visa interview; failure to do so could be result in being permanently ineligible for a United States visa.

Applicants should also present a letter from the hospital or doctor in the United States explaining under what circumstances and at what cost the hospital will provide the required treatment and hospitalization. Applicants must demonstrate their treatment plans and financial ability to pay for this treatment during an interview with a consular officer.  They must also demonstrate their intent to return home rather than stay permanently in the United States.

Applicants who have had medical treatment in the United States in the past, may be asked to demonstrate that they personally paid for their medical treatment without assistance from public or government funds when they apply for a subsequent visa.  If they did not, the consular officer can refuse the visa if they believe the applicant is not credible or intends to obtain medical treatment without proper payment.

The Student (F-1/M-1) Visa provides opportunities for qualified applicants to study at accredited postsecondary institutions in the United States. With thousands of academic programs, world-class institutions, and unmatched flexibility, the United States offers a wealth of higher-education opportunities. Visit the Department of State’s EducationUSA website to learn about educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate study, opportunities for scholars, admissions, and more.

Before you can apply at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate for an F or M student visa, you must first apply to and be accepted by a SEVP approved school. Visit the Department of Homeland Security Study in the States school search page to search for SEVP-certified schools.

When you are accepted by the U.S. school you plan to attend, you will be enrolled in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). You must pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee. The U.S. school will provide you with a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1/M-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students (Form I-20) to present to the consular officer when you attend your visa interview. If your spouse and/or children intend to reside with you in the United States while you study, they must obtain individual Form I-20s, but they do not pay the SEVIS fee.

During your interview you will need to convince the consular officer that you are a qualified student, that you will complete your studies and that you will return to your home country after completing your studies. Additionally, you must prove to the officer that you have sufficient funds to cover the first year of study and access to sufficient funds to cover subsequent study years.

If the consular officer is not convinced that you are a qualified student or that you will not return after your course of study or that you do not have access to sufficient funds to complete your studies, your visa will be denied.

Visit the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) website to learn more about SEVIS and the SEVIS I-901 Fee.

Exchange Visitor Visa (J-1)

The Exchange Visitor (J-1) Visa program provides countless opportunities for international candidates looking to travel and gain experience in the United States. The multifaceted programs enable foreign nationals to come to the United States to teach, study, conduct research, demonstrate special skills or receive on-the-job training for periods ranging from a few weeks to several years. To learn more about exchange visitor visa programs, program sponsors, and more, please visit j1visa.state.gov.

Before you can apply at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate for a J-1 visa, you must first apply for and be accepted into an exchange visitor program through a designated sponsoring organization. Visit the Department of State J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program website to learn about program requirements, regulations, and more.

When you are accepted into the exchange visitor program you plan to participate in, you will be enrolled in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Most J-1 Exchange Visitors must pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee and provide the Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status, Form DS-2019.  After your program sponsor enters your information in the SEVIS system, a SEVIS-generated Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status (Form DS-2019) is provided to you. All exchange visitors, including their spouses and minor children, must be registered in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Each person receives a separate Form DS-2019.

Visit the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) website to learn more about SEVIS and the SEVIS I-901 Fee.