Germany has announced its decision to slam the door on its visa appeal process, known as the remonstration procedure, for applicants worldwide.
This means that the German visa appeal process, which allowed rejected applicants to challenge decisions directly through embassies without costly legal battles, is being axed to streamline visa processing, starting from July 1, 2025.
This change means foreign nationals, including Nigerians who are denied a visa, will no longer be able to file a formal objection asking the embassy to reconsider the decision.
The development was disclosed by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany in an official update on its website, which also outlined several clarifications and new entry procedures for non-EU citizens seeking to live, work, or study in the country for more than 90 days.
The statement reads: “The Federal Foreign Office has decided to abolish the appeal procedure against visa rejections worldwide as of July 1, 2025. This eliminates a legal remedy in the visa process that was not provided for by law but was previously granted voluntarily.
“Adequate legal protection will continue to be guaranteed, as the legal process provided for by law will not be shortened by the abolition of the remonstration procedure.”
The Federal Foreign Office of Germany added that applicants will now be informed of the reasons for rejection and offered two options of filing a legal challenge in court or submitting a fresh visa application with updated documentation.
Also, the German agency declared that nationals from countries outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland must obtain a visa before entering Germany for any stay longer than 90 days or for employment.
However, citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States are allowed to enter visa-free and apply for a residence permit after arrival.
“Citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America can also obtain the required residence permit after entering the country.
“The following applies to all other citizens: A visa for a longer-term stay must generally be applied for at the responsible foreign diplomatic mission before entering the country,” they stated.
