German Embassy in Tehran temporarily closed
According to the German Foreign Office, the visa office at the German Embassy in Tehran is temporarily closed. This also applies to the external service provider TLS Contact, which is involved in the application process. No new appointments for visa applications are currently being made. Appointments that had already been made have been canceled.
Visa applications already submitted to the embassy will be processed "as far as possible." Cancelled appointments will be rescheduled as soon as the situation allows. According to the Federal Foreign Office, a return to normal procedures is not foreseeable at present.
The restrictions are due to the security situation in Iran. The State Department announced that the already reduced embassy staff had been further reduced for security reasons. In addition, communication options are severely limited. Regular embassy operations have been severely restricted since mid-2025.
According to the federal government, the situation on the ground remains dangerous. Therefore, it is currently not possible to give a specific date for when regular service will be possible again.
Significant decline in visas issued
The effects are also reflected in the figures. In recent years, the number of visas issued has declined significantly. While the embassy issued more than 46,000 visas in 2024, the number fell by around half to 23,400 in 2025. So far in 2026, only around 1,300 visas have been issued.
For applicants, the situation means one thing above all else: anyone currently wishing to apply for a visa for Germany from Iran must be prepared for indefinite waiting times. According to the German government, there is no relief in sight in the short term.
