Welcome
Visa: Fees, Waiting times, Remedies
Abolition of the remonstration procedure
The Federal Foreign Office has decided to abolish the remonstration procedure for visa rejections worldwide from 1 July 2025. This eliminates a legal remedy in the visa application procedure that is not statutorily prescribed and which up to now has been granted voluntarily.
This decision is based on a pilot project conducted in several German visa sections, where suspension of remonstrations for both Schengen visas and national visas was tested from 1 June 2023.
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. As a result, it has been possible to process both more national and more Schengen visa applications and to reduce waiting times compared to the same period in the previous year.
The processing of a greater number of visa applications and a reduction in waiting times benefits all applicants. 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. Furthermore, it goes without saying that all applicants have the option of submitting a new visa application at any time in the case of a rejection.
With the general option to apply for national visas for skilled workers, apprentices, students or for family reunification purposes online via the Consular Services Portal available worldwide since 1 January 2025, applicants also receive clear and intuitive step-by-step guidance through the application process to ensure that they submit complete (digital) applications. 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.
Processing times
Schengen visa applications are usually processed within around two weeks of handing in the application. Airport transit visa applications are processed in around three working days. Student and work visa applications take five to ten weeks depending on the category. The processing time of family reunion visa applications is on average six to twelve months.
Processing of visa applications can only begin once you have submitted all documents. If you experience long processing times, you have likely not submitted all relevant documents.
Visa Fees
Visa fees must be paid in PKR at the current exchange rate to Euro.
| Schengen visa / Short-term visa (cat. “C”) | € 90.00 |
| Schengen visa (children aged 6 to 12) | € 45.00 |
| Airport transit (cat. “A”) | € 90.00 |
| National German Long Term Visa (e.g. study, family reunion) (cat. “D”) | € 75.00 |
| Children aged 0-17 for family reunion | € 37,50 |
| Spouses/children of citizens of the EU | exempt |
Payment
German Embassy Islamabad
Visa fees must be paid in cash at the counter.
German Consulate-General Karachi
Visa fees must be paid in cash at the counter.
Customs obligations when entering the European Union
All travellers entering or leaving the European Union with €10,000 or more in cash must declare the sum to Customs.