Germany’s Foreign Ministry has unveiled a new digital platform for visa applications, which Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock described as “a real administrative revolution” in a recent press release.
Launched on January 1, 2025, the digital portal allows applicants to apply for one of 28 different categories of national visas.
The system aims to streamline the process for those wishing to work, study, or reunite with family members in Germany.
The platform is accessible across all 167 of Germany’s visa offices worldwide.
Baerbock lauded the initiative, noting that the reform was “long overdue.” She explained, “Every year, Germany is short of at least 400,000 skilled workers,” adding, “At times like these, we cannot afford to downright put the best off coming here to roll up their sleeves because of long paper application forms and even longer waiting periods.”
She emphasized that, as an immigration country, Germany needs “a national visa process that is state-of-the-art — modern, digital and secure.”
