The German Embassy in Tehran has announced that it is currently not accepting visa applications. The Foreign Office told the Funke media newspapers that the embassy’s visa section is “temporarily closed” and that the external contractor responsible for processing visas, TLS Contact, is likewise “temporarily closed”. Applications already submitted will be processed “as far as possible” and previously cancelled appointments will be rescheduled, but new appointments are not being offered at present.
In response to questions from the Funke papers, the Foreign Ministry added that the embassy’s operational capacity in Tehran has been “significantly restricted” since June 2025. The staff has been further reduced under pressure from the Iranian government, and communications are “massively limited”. Despite these constraints, the embassy issued 1,300 visas in the current year. The previous year, it granted 23,400 visas in total, but the second half of 2025 saw a marked drop in the number of visas issued. For comparison, the embassy issued 46,600 visas in 2024.
The Foreign Ministry also highlighted the dire human‑rights situation in Iran, citing the “brutal response of the security apparatus” during protests and their bloody suppression in January. Opponents of the regime are reportedly “systematically persecuted, arrested, and sentenced to lengthy prison terms or the death penalty”.
