Since the outbreak of war on 28 February 2026, consular operations in Tehran, which had already been severely strained, came to a complete standstill. The German Embassy in Tehran, which had been operating at sharply reduced capacity since the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and Israel in June 2025, has now suspended all visa and consular services until further notice. The external application center TLScontact – which had only opened in Tehran in mid-2025 – is also closed. No new appointments are being scheduled. Existing appointments have been canceled.
For the many Iranian nationals with pending visa applications, family reunification cases, or plans to study, work, or settle in Germany, the situation is deeply uncertain. According to the German Foreign Office, over 46,000 visas were issued by the German Embassy in Tehran in 2024; that figure had already dropped by over half to around 23,000 in 2025 following the earlier conflict, and in the first weeks of 2026, only approximately 1,300 visas have been issued. With the current conflict now underway, no resumption of normal services is foreseeable in the short term. For a full overview of immigration pathways from Iran to Germany, see our complete guide to immigration to Germany from Iran.
The closure of the embassy does not necessarily mean the end of the road for your visa application. At Schlun & Elseven Rechtsanwälte, we can still submit a written visa application on your behalf and, where necessary, pursue your case before a German court.
Does Germany Still Have a Legal Obligation to Process Visa Applications?
This is the central question – and under German administrative law, the answer is generally yes.
Germany’s obligations under the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG) do not fall away because an embassy has suspended its operations. A closure on the ground in Tehran does not extinguish a legal entitlement to have a visa application properly considered and decided. Where authorities fail to act within a reasonable period without adequate justification, applicants have legal remedies available to them.
The Untätigkeitsklage: Taking Your Case to Court
Where a visa application has gone without a decision for an unreasonable period, German administrative law provides a specific remedy: the Untätigkeitsklage (failure-to-act lawsuit) under Section 75 of the Code of Administrative Court Procedure (Verwaltungsgerichtsordnung, VwGO). This legal tool transfers a case to the Administrative Court in Berlin, which has exclusive jurisdiction over all German foreign mission visa matters, compelling the Federal Republic of Germany to make a decision regardless of what is happening operationally at the embassy in Tehran.
Section 75 VwGO sets three months as the point from which such action becomes possible, though in practice, given the scale of backlogs at the Tehran mission, the realistic threshold is often considerably higher, and each case is assessed on its own facts.
The Untätigkeitsklage does not guarantee that a visa will be granted. What it does guarantee is that the indefinite waiting ends with a concrete decision.
Schlun & Elseven: German Immigration Lawyers for Iranian Visa Applicants
With over ten years of experience as one of Germany’s leading immigration law firms, we assist Iranian nationals across the full range of visa and immigration categories, including work visas and EU Blue Cards, family reunification, student visas, residence permits, and citizenship and naturalization matters.
Our approach is straightforward: we submit written applications on your behalf, maintain formal legal pressure on the relevant authorities, and take your case to court where that becomes necessary. If your application was already in progress when the embassy suspended operations, or if you have been unable to initiate an application at all, we encourage you to contact us for an assessment of your situation.
Our immigration law team works in both German and English. Our Iran Desk is headed by Dr. Sepehr Moshiri, a Farsi-speaking lawyer, ensuring that clients who prefer to communicate in their native language can do so throughout the process. As a digital-first law firm, we can take on and manage your case entirely remotely — you do not need to be in Germany to work with us.
Act Now: Legal Options While the Embassy Remains Closed
We recognize that many Iranian nationals are currently dealing with far more than a visa application — people are worried about loved ones, about safety, and about their future, in a situation that is entirely beyond their control. For those whose immigration case is also pressing, we are here.
There is no timeline for the resumption of normal services in Tehran. For those with applications already in progress, the legal clock is running. For those who have not yet been able to apply, every week of inaction is a week that cannot be recovered.
The legal framework is intact. The courts are open. And we are ready to act on your behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The inability to attend an appointment or access the embassy in person does not prevent us from acting on your behalf. Contact us to discuss your situation, and we will advise on the options available to you.
The German Embassy in Tehran has indicated that passport collection is possible by prior appointment. We can assist with the correspondence necessary to arrange this and advise on next steps for your application once your documents are returned.
No. As a digital-first law firm, we manage cases entirely remotely. You can instruct us, share documents, and communicate with our team from anywhere in the world.
Timelines vary depending on the individual case, the status of the application, and the workload of the Administrative Court in Berlin. We are unable to provide specific timeframes, but legal intervention consistently represents the most effective way to compel a decision and end the uncertainty of indefinite waiting.
