Oh, for sure! I’ve experienced this first hand while getting my summer trip plans together. Consulate rules definitely change from country to country. For example, the Greek consulate in the US has really specific visa rules, like your passport has to be good for three months after your trip ends if you wanna visit the EU. But if you tried the same thing in, say, Japan, the rules would be totally different—I had a buddy last year who ran into a form that didn’t even exist at another country’s consulate.

Things like which documents you need, how far ahead to make an appointment, who needs to come in person, even how strict security is—all of that changes. Sometimes you practically need a lawyer just to figure it out! I always check the official website for the consulate in the country I’m dealing with, though it’s a pain when the sites glitch or are in another language. Be prepared for a lot of different rules—in my experience, it’s never one-size-fits-all. Always double-check what the specific consulate wants and don’t assume it’ll be the same as last time.