Visas, residence and remonstration
We assist with Schengen visas, remonstration, family reunification, student visas, training visas, freelance and business visas.
We review refusal reasons, willingness to return, financing, purpose of travel and the prospects of a claim before the Berlin Administrative Court.
Important change: remonstration abolished since 1 July 2025
Until 30 June 2025, a refused visa application could first be challenged by way of remonstration — a renewed review by the same German mission abroad. This procedure was abolished nationwide as of 1 July 2025. Since then, there is generally only one route after a refusal: an action before the Berlin Administrative Court, which has exclusive jurisdiction for all visa disputes involving German missions worldwide. Anyone relying on an outdated notice of legal remedy mentioning remonstration risks missing the actual filing deadline — we therefore check every refusal notice for the currently applicable deadline first.
Action before the Berlin Administrative Court
The action is directed against the Federal Republic of Germany, represented by the Federal Foreign Office. It must be filed in writing within the deadline and substantiated — in particular why the refusal grounds assumed by the mission (e.g. doubts about willingness to return) do not apply. In particularly urgent cases, such as an approaching deadline for study or employment, we additionally assess an application for interim relief.
Preparing residence applications
We structure documents, legal arguments and communication with the embassy and immigration authority — from initial applications through to extending existing residence permits.
Family reunification
For spousal and child reunification, we assess the requirements under §§ 27 et seq. AufenthG, in particular the required language certificate, securing of livelihood and — for recognised refugees — the shortened three-month window for simplified reunification. For EU Blue Card holders, the language requirement for the joining spouse regularly does not apply at all.
Frequently asked questions about visas and residence
Can I still remonstrate after a refusal?
Since 1 July 2025, the remonstration procedure has been abolished nationwide. Individual missions may still accept voluntary review requests in exceptional cases, but there is no longer any entitlement to this. The standard route is an action before the Berlin Administrative Court.
How long does a visa lawsuit before the Berlin Administrative Court take?
Experience suggests proceedings generally take several months; no fixed timeframe can be reliably predicted, and only the court itself can give a binding statement on duration. In particularly urgent cases, an application for interim relief may be worthwhile.
Is it worth suing over a refused Schengen visa?
For short-stay Schengen visas, courts grant missions a wide margin of assessment, so such claims rarely succeed. For national visas (D-visas) for study, employment or family reunification, prospects are often considerably better, as a binding legal entitlement may exist.
Do I need a lawyer for the lawsuit?
There is no requirement for legal representation in first-instance proceedings before the Berlin Administrative Court. Given the burden of proof, deadlines and the complexity of immigration law, legal representation is nonetheless generally advisable.
Legal basis: §§ 6, 27 et seq. Residence Act (AufenthG), Code of Administrative Court Procedure (VwGO). Status: legal situation following abolition of the remonstration procedure as of 1 July 2025. All information is provided without guarantee and does not replace individual legal advice.