Germany to Abolish Administrative Visa Appeals from July 2025 Following Successful Pilot

Starting July 1, 2025, Germany will eliminate the administrative appeal process (remonstration) for visa rejections worldwide, as confirmed by the Federal Foreign Office. This means that applicants whose visas are denied will only be able to pursue a formal judicial appeal, which is significantly more costly and time-consuming, often taking up to two years. In contrast, administrative appeals are typically resolved within three months.

Experts anticipate that the number of appeals will decline once the new policy takes effect due to the complexity and expense of judicial proceedings.

Pilot Project Leads to Decision

The decision follows a pilot project launched on June 1, 2023, across several German visa sections, where the remonstration process was suspended for both Schengen and national visas. The results showed positive outcomes: visa centres were able to reallocate staff, increasing processing capacity and significantly reducing waiting times for new applications.

According to the Foreign Office, these improvements support the policy shift, allowing visa centres to operate more efficiently and benefit a larger number of applicants.

Visa Demand and Rejections in Germany

Germany continues to be one of the most sought-after Schengen destinations. In 2023, the country received 1,459,560 visa applications, of which 208,155 were rejected, according to SchengenVisaInfo statistics.

The new policy aims to improve overall efficiency, although it may limit recourse options for applicants facing visa denials.