Germany will officially abolish its global visa appeal mechanism, known as the remonstration procedure, starting 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.
This 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 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,” they stated.
Instead, applicants will be informed of the reasons for rejection and offered two options: file a legal challenge in court or submit a fresh visa application with updated documentation.
The German government also clarified 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.
Applicants outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland not on this list must follow the traditional visa route and submit their applications through the German embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
Processing times for certain visa categories that require approval from immigration authorities, such as study, family reunification, or self-employment, could take up to three months or more.
“Approval from the responsible immigration authority in Germany is generally required. The immigration authority of the place where the foreign national will take up residence is responsible.
“If the approval of the immigration authority is required for the visa process, the procedure can take up to three months, occasionally longer, as other authorities (such as the Federal Employment Agency) are often involved in addition to the immigration authority. The diplomatic mission may only issue the requested visa once the approval of the immigration authority has been obtained,” they stated.
However, employment-related visas are usually processed more quickly because they typically do not require external approvals.