The German Federal Foreign Office has confirmed that, from 1 July 2025, applicants whose Schengen visa is refused by a German mission will no longer be able to file a free informal “remonstration” directly with the embassy or consulate. Instead, they must submit a fresh application—paying all fees again—or launch a formal judicial appeal in an administrative court in Berlin.
Germany was the last Schengen state to offer this low-cost internal review, which typically resolved around 40 % of refusals without litigation. A two-year pilot across 15 visa sections showed that eliminating remonstrations cut processing times for new files by up to nine days and reduced backlogs by 18 %, according to the ministry.
Corporate mobility managers should expect higher third-party costs and longer timelines when a key assignee’s visa is rejected. Whereas a remonstration required only a letter rebutting the refusal grounds, a court appeal must be filed in German, often involves power-of-attorney formalities and can take several months. Legal fees alone can exceed €2,500, and applicants must normally remain outside Germany while the case is heard.
The change particularly affects high-volume markets such as India, Türkiye and China, where appointment lead-times already stretch beyond eight weeks in peak season. To mitigate risk, employers should double-check invitation letters, financial proofs and travel-insurance coverage before submission, and budget for a possible re-application rather than an appeal.
Although the policy is framed as an efficiency measure, critics worry it will disproportionately hit students, researchers and small businesses that cannot afford court proceedings. The Foreign Office says it will publish updated refusal templates to make the reasons for denial “crystal clear” so applicants can file stronger re-applications.
Germany was the last Schengen state to offer this low-cost internal review, which typically resolved around 40 % of refusals without litigation. A two-year pilot across 15 visa sections showed that eliminating remonstrations cut processing times for new files by up to nine days and reduced backlogs by 18 %, according to the ministry.
Corporate mobility managers should expect higher third-party costs and longer timelines when a key assignee’s visa is rejected. Whereas a remonstration required only a letter rebutting the refusal grounds, a court appeal must be filed in German, often involves power-of-attorney formalities and can take several months. Legal fees alone can exceed €2,500, and applicants must normally remain outside Germany while the case is heard.
The change particularly affects high-volume markets such as India, Türkiye and China, where appointment lead-times already stretch beyond eight weeks in peak season. To mitigate risk, employers should double-check invitation letters, financial proofs and travel-insurance coverage before submission, and budget for a possible re-application rather than an appeal.
Although the policy is framed as an efficiency measure, critics worry it will disproportionately hit students, researchers and small businesses that cannot afford court proceedings. The Foreign Office says it will publish updated refusal templates to make the reasons for denial “crystal clear” so applicants can file stronger re-applications.
