German visa (Visum) for Iranian applicants
An Iranian national permanently resident in Iran follows the German Embassy Tehran’s visa route, even during a temporary stay abroad. Select Schengen or the relevant national-visa category and check the current restricted-service instructions before arranging an application.
Step by step
- Identify the responsible routeUse your permanent residence and travel purpose to identify the German mission and Schengen or national category for your Iranian passport.
- Read the current category instructionsCheck Tehran’s restricted-service notice and the category leaflet before preparing evidence or joining the correct waiting list.
- Submit through the authorised channelFollow the responsible mission’s application or invitation process; do not approach another mission independently. Keep your records and follow further requests.
The German mission responsible for an Iranian applicant depends on permanent residence. Tehran remains responsible for applicants resident in Iran; an Iranian national permanently resident elsewhere uses the German mission for that residence. For Schengen applications, Germany must also be the competent destination under the embassy’s destination rules.
Tehran’s visa services remain restricted. Its current notice separates Schengen waiting-list access from national-visa categories for study, employment and family reunion. Do not assume that a Schengen waiting-list registration also registers a national application, or travel to another mission on your own to seek faster processing.
For Schengen travel, complete the embassy-linked application, use the leaflet matching the journey’s purpose and follow the TLScontact waiting-list instructions. The notice says some national family-reunion applicants on Tehran’s list are contacted by IOM FAP for filing in Istanbul; this is an invitation-based coordinated route, not permission to book independently with Istanbul or iDATA.
For study or employment, follow the exact national category in the embassy’s current notice and its linked instructions. Keep copies of your submission and follow requests for additional evidence. A visa does not guarantee entry: border officers make the entry decision. Recheck service availability before making travel commitments.
Sources
- Eingeschränkter Betrieb der Botschaft · Deutsche Botschaft Teheran
- Zuständigkeit für iranische Visumanträge · Deutsche Botschaft Teheran
- Schengen-Visa: Verfahren · Deutsche Botschaft Teheran
