What can you do after your visa application is rejected?

As of 1 July 2025, it is no longer possible to object to a visa rejection by filing a remonstration with the mission abroad. Remonstrations submitted to the mission have no legal effect whatsoever and will no longer be processed. This means that no confirmation of receipt will be sent, and queries about the status of the remonstration will not be answered.

If you have submitted a remonstration against a visa rejection dated before 1 July 2025, this will still be processed in full.

As of 1 July 2025, you have the following options after a visa application is rejected:

1. You may submit a new visa application at any time; this will generally be subject to the usual fee.

For this new visa application, you will again have to present all relevant documents and documentary proof. The application will be reviewed neutrally on the basis of the current legal situation.

2. You may appeal against the visa rejection by filing an action with the Berlin Administrative Court at your own expense.

The rejection notice contains official information regarding legal remedies, including details on the form of remedy (filing an appeal), where this should be done (Berlin Administrative Court) and the deadline (1 month from the date on which the notice is served).

You can appoint a lawyer to file your appeal for you. However, there is no obligation to do so. If you do, separate lawyers’ fees may be incurred.

The language of the court is German (section 184 of the Courts Constitution Act – GVG).

Fees will be charged for the legal proceedings. The amount will be determined by the court. The fees must generally be paid in advance, immediately after you file your appeal. They will be based on the number of requested visas. The value of the claim is usually 5000 euro per visa applicant, meaning that the fees for court proceedings are currently set at about 480 euro. You can apply to the court for assistance with the costs, but this is usually only granted if your appeal has a good chance of succeeding. Only the Administrative Court can answer questions about costs and the relevant rules and regulations.

The court determines the exact duration of the proceedings and how they are conducted. The mission abroad cannot provide any specific information about this. However, processing times of several months can generally be expected. This can be reduced via a fast-track procedure in special cases only. For fast-track procedures (applications for interim measures), additional court fees must be paid.

Further information on administrative court proceedings in visa matters, particularly regarding costs, is available on the website of the Berlin Administrative Court: https://www.berlin.de/gerichte/verwaltungsgericht

Information sheet from the Berlin Administrative Court on challenging a visa rejection: https://www.berlin.de/gerichte/verwaltungsgericht/service/visumsverfahren/merkblatt_visum_englisch.pdf