Germany ends visa appeals: Costlier path for Indian students, workers

Business Standard

23-05-2025

Come July 1, Indian visa applicants to Germany will no longer be able to appeal a rejection through a simple letter to the consulate. The German government has decided to end its visa remonstration process globally, meaning any challenge to a visa refusal will now require formal court proceedings.
Germany has become an increasingly popular destination for Indian students and workers, particularly as visa hurdles grow in countries like Canada, the US, and the UK. But this change introduces a fresh layer of complexity for those hoping to travel, study or work there.
'In the past, on a rejected German Schengen visa application, a person could provide a remonstration letter to the consulate or embassy of Germany that rejected it,' said Mamta Shekhawat, founder of Gradding.com, a study abroad platform. 'This was an informal appeal of the application where the applicant could provide additional information or clarify any misunderstanding without going through the formalities of legal procedures. It was an affordable and convenient means of reviewing potential mistakes or oversights in the original application.'
Shekhawat said the change will affect Indian students in several ways:
Greater pressure for perfection: Small mistakes in documentation or confusion on the application could now lead to a flat rejection, requiring a full restart of the process
Increased costs and longer delays: Reapplying for a visa means paying fees again and waiting weeks or even months for another appointment
No middle ground: Legal appeals are costly and slow, often requiring a German lawyer and possibly taking up to two years for a decision
Emotional toll: Students who earlier had some hope of correction through informal channels may now find the process too stressful or uncertain to attempt
'Without the informal appeal, rejected applicants now face two main options,' said Sanjog Anand, co-founder of Rostrum Education. 'One, reapply and pay the fees again. Two, file a formal judicial appeal, which is a far more difficult, costly, and time-consuming path. A case must be filed with the Berlin Administrative Court. For many Indian students, this choice is too expensive,' he said.
Shekhawat added, 'The move also highlights the absolute necessity of filing a perfect first-time application. This requires careful preparation, detailed documentation, and expert advice.'
She said the German government's reasoning is that scrapping the remonstration process will free up consular staff, allowing them to focus more efficiently on new applications. 'It promotes transparency and creates higher documentation status,' she said.
Despite the tougher visa pathway, Shekhawat said Gradding.com's services for German university admissions remain unaffected. 'Our focus has always been on getting things right the first time.'
Anand noted, 'While initial processing might be faster, the absence of an informal appeal means that any rejection will lead to a complete restart of the application process or a lengthy legal battle, potentially causing significant delays in study plans.'
Skilled workers may hesitate to appeal
For professionals seeking to work in Germany, the impact is similar.
'The removal of the remonstration process is part of Germany's efforts to improve administrative efficiency, potentially leading to faster processing times for visa applications,' said Varun Singh, managing director at XIPHIAS Immigration.
'But on the downside, skilled workers facing visa denials will now have limited recourse, potentially affecting job opportunities and employer timelines. The formal appeal process may deter some applicants due to its complexity and expense,' Singh added.
Tourists and business travellers also affected
Visa rejections for short-term visitors will now be harder to contest.
'Streamlined visa processing could benefit travellers by reducing wait times for visa appointments and decisions,' said Singh. 'However, tourists and business travellers who experience visa rejections will no longer have a straightforward method to contest decisions, possibly impacting travel plans and incurring additional costs for reapplication or legal appeals.'
Consular Services Portal and rejection data
Germany introduced the Consular Services Portal in January 2025, offering step-by-step digital instructions for student, skilled worker, and family reunification visa applications. Early feedback from applicants suggests that the portal has helped reduce documentation errors.
'Dispensing with the remonstration procedure has released considerable staff capacity in visa sections,' said the German Missions.
In 2024, Germany rejected 206,733 Schengen visa applications, with a rejection rate of 13.7%. Indian applicants have faced some of the longest delays, with appointment wait times stretching to nearly nine months. The German Missions say they now expect this to drop to just a few days.
This change could benefit students applying close to term start dates or workers needing to relocate quickly for jobs.