The German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to cancel the procedure of remonstration (appeal) for visa refusals worldwide from July 1, 2025. This legal mechanism, which was previously provided on a voluntary basis and was not prescribed by law, will now be completely abolished. Applicants who receive a refusal will be able to either apply for a new visa or apply to the court for a review of the decision.
Reasons for cancellation and results of the pilot project
The decision to cancel the appeal procedure is based on the results of a pilot project conducted in several German visa departments. The suspension of remonstrations for both Schengen and national visas has been tested since June 1, 2023.
An analysis of the results of the pilot project demonstrated that the abandonment of the procedure freed up significant human resources in the visa departments, allowing staff to process more new applications. As a result, it was possible to:
- Increase the number of processed national and Schengen applications;
- Reduce the waiting time compared to the same period of the previous year;
- Redistribute the workload to the staff of the visa departments;
- Optimize administrative processes.
Statistics and prospects of the German visa system
According to statistics, the number of national visas (type D) issued by Germany is steadily growing. From 325,000 in 2019 to 400,000 in 2024. This confirms the attractiveness of the country for long-term migration.
In parallel with the abolition of remonstrations, the visa system is being digitized. Since January 2025, Germany has launched a Worldwide Consular Services Portal allowing applications for 28 categories of national visas to be submitted online. This transition to digital application processing is intended to:
- Improve the quality of the application processing procedure;
- To avoid delays due to incomplete statements;
- Provide applicants with an intuitive step-by-step guide;
- Modernize the immigration system.
According to the German Foreign Ministry, the cancellation of the opportunity to appeal a visa refusal does not limit the applicants’ legal protection, as they still have the possibility of judicial review. In addition, applicants can apply for a new visa at any time in case of refusal.
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Professional advice on visa issues
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