In response to the continuing security risks posed by the Iran-US conflict, Germany’s Federal Foreign Office has quietly rerouted the processing of Iranian visa applications to the German embassy in Yerevan, Armenia. The move, confirmed in a written reply to Green Party MP Boris Mijatovic and reported by n-tv on 7 May 2026, affects thousands of students, skilled workers and family-reunification applicants whose files had been stuck in Tehran since fighting began last month.
![Germany shifts Iran visa processing to Yerevan as Tehran embassy remains closed]()
VisaHQ, an international visa and passport services platform, can help applicants and employers navigate this sudden change. Through its dedicated Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/), VisaHQ provides real-time guidance on documentation, appointment booking in Yerevan, and can even facilitate the necessary Armenian e-visa—streamlining logistics for students, skilled workers, and HR teams now rerouted by the policy shift.
According to the ministry, all pending long-stay (D-category) visa files have been transferred electronically to Yerevan, and extra consular staff have been seconded from Berlin to clear the backlog. New applications from Iran will also be accepted in Armenia “until further notice”. While applicants will have to travel to Yerevan for biometrics, the Foreign Office says it will waive the usual requirement to lodge papers in the country of residence, citing “force-majeure circumstances”. German universities have welcomed the workaround, warning that a lost semester would exacerbate talent shortages in STEM programmes. For German employers, the redirected processing offers a short-term lifeline: tech firms in Munich and Berlin rely heavily on Iranian software engineers hired under the Skilled Immigration Act. Companies are being advised to budget for higher relocation costs (Tehran-Yerevan flights plus accommodation during the appointment) and to allow at least eight weeks for security vetting while the embassy scales up capacity. Longer-term, Berlin is working with EU partners on a humanitarian corridor that could see Schengen visas for certain categories issued directly at the Armenian–Iranian land border. However, officials stress that any scheme depends on a durable cease-fire. In the meantime, the Foreign Office reiterated that the visa section in Tehran will stay closed “until the safety of staff and applicants can be guaranteed”. Practical tip: HR teams should re-issue invitation letters referencing the Yerevan post and remind travellers that Armenia is outside the Schengen area, so a separate Armenian e-visa or visa-free entry (where eligible) is required for the appointment.
VisaHQ, an international visa and passport services platform, can help applicants and employers navigate this sudden change. Through its dedicated Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/), VisaHQ provides real-time guidance on documentation, appointment booking in Yerevan, and can even facilitate the necessary Armenian e-visa—streamlining logistics for students, skilled workers, and HR teams now rerouted by the policy shift.
According to the ministry, all pending long-stay (D-category) visa files have been transferred electronically to Yerevan, and extra consular staff have been seconded from Berlin to clear the backlog. New applications from Iran will also be accepted in Armenia “until further notice”. While applicants will have to travel to Yerevan for biometrics, the Foreign Office says it will waive the usual requirement to lodge papers in the country of residence, citing “force-majeure circumstances”. German universities have welcomed the workaround, warning that a lost semester would exacerbate talent shortages in STEM programmes. For German employers, the redirected processing offers a short-term lifeline: tech firms in Munich and Berlin rely heavily on Iranian software engineers hired under the Skilled Immigration Act. Companies are being advised to budget for higher relocation costs (Tehran-Yerevan flights plus accommodation during the appointment) and to allow at least eight weeks for security vetting while the embassy scales up capacity. Longer-term, Berlin is working with EU partners on a humanitarian corridor that could see Schengen visas for certain categories issued directly at the Armenian–Iranian land border. However, officials stress that any scheme depends on a durable cease-fire. In the meantime, the Foreign Office reiterated that the visa section in Tehran will stay closed “until the safety of staff and applicants can be guaranteed”. Practical tip: HR teams should re-issue invitation letters referencing the Yerevan post and remind travellers that Armenia is outside the Schengen area, so a separate Armenian e-visa or visa-free entry (where eligible) is required for the appointment.
