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The German Federal Foreign Office will abolish the remonstration procedure for visa rejections worldwide, starting July 1.
This was announced by the German Missions in India following an official decision communicated through the Federal Foreign Office.
The remonstration process, which allowed applicants to challenge visa rejections through an administrative appeal, was not a legal requirement and had been offered voluntarily.
Its removal follows a pilot project conducted since 1 June 2023 in several German visa sections, where the remonstration process was suspended for both Schengen and national visa categories.
According to the German Missions in India, "Evaluation of the pilot project has shown that dispensing with the remonstration procedure has released considerable staff capacity in visa sections in some cases, freeing up staff to process more visa applications.
The data indicated that the suspension led to an increase in the number of processed applications and reduced waiting times compared to the previous year.
Officials stated that removing this step helps all applicants by accelerating overall processing. At the same time, they emphasised that legal protections remain intact.
"Adequate legal protection will also be guaranteed in the future, for judicial review under law will not be limited by the abolition of the remonstration procedure," the statement added.
The German Missions also highlighted the global rollout of online visa applications for skilled workers, students, apprentices, and family reunification.
Since 1 January 2025, applicants have been able to file national visa applications through the Consular Services Portal, which provides guided instructions to ensure all necessary documents are submitted digitally.
The German Missions stated that experience from the online application pilot project has shown that this significantly improves the quality of the procedure and avoids delays caused by incomplete applications.
