Germany accelerates application process for Pakistani citizen work visas

ISLAMABAD: The German Embassy in Islamabad has introduced a

new Consular Services Portal to simplify and accelerate the

application process for all types of work visas for Pakistani citizens.

The embassy announced that the online system, accessible at

digital.diplo.de/visa, will increase the number of visas processed

and eliminate the need for waiting lists.

The portal guides applicants through a streamlined process,

requiring them to complete a questionnaire and upload necessary

documents for preliminary review.

“This ensures applications are fully prepared before in-person

appointments, speeding up processes at the embassy,” the embassy

stated on its Facebook page.

Applicants must attend an in-person appointment to verify their

identity, submit biometric data, and pay the visa fee.

The new system covers various employment visa categories,

including skilled employment, EU Blue Card, Opportunity Card, self-

employment, and recognition of Pakistani degrees.

The German embassy urged those who have not yet received an

appointment to begin their applications on the portal, noting that

additional visa categories will be transitioned to the system in the

future to further enhance efficiency.

In a separate development earlier, Germany’s Consulate General in

Karachi introduced a new visa appointment system, effective

immediately.

Due to high demand, applicants can no longer book appointments

directly. Instead, they must register on a waiting list, and

appointments will be allocated later based on availability.

It is now mandatory for Pakistani citizens to register their names on

the waiting list.

According to a statement issued by the Consulate, this change affects

the procedure for booking appointments for Schengen and long-

term visas (excluding the Opportunity Card/Chancenkarte).

Appointments for opportunity card/Chancenkarte can still be

booked directly through German Consulate’s appointment allocation

systems.

The Consulate explained that applicants must first register on the

waiting list, after which appointments will be allocated in

chronological order based on the registration date and available

capacity.

“Due to the constant high demand, it has been decided to set up a

waiting list in order to efficiently adapt the appointment allocation

to the capacities of our visa office” the statement said.–NNI