VisaIranian families face waits of more than a year for German visa appointments
Germany’s Tehran family-reunion waiting list reports delays exceeding a year. Families approaching an age limit must take separate action rather than relying on their place in the queue.
Official source date: 2026-11-02
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
The waiting list is not a visa application
The German Embassy’s family-reunion booking resource gives a waiting time of more than one year as of October 2026. This current guide concerns Iranian citizens seeking national visas for family reunion or marriage, rather than short visits. The estimate describes the appointment queue, not the time needed to decide an application after an interview. It therefore cannot serve as a reliable moving date for a family arranging accommodation or schooling.
The registration system sends a reference-number confirmation and later an appointment message. Keep access to the registered email account. An acknowledgement establishes a place in the booking system; families should not treat it as evidence that Germany has assessed their relationship, documents or entitlement to residence.
Wait for the authorised Istanbul arrangement
The embassy’s restricted-operations notice says Tehran remains responsible for Iranian family-reunion applicants habitually resident in Iran. Its queue is being handled in limited numbers, in registration order. When a case reaches its turn, the International Organization for Migration’s Family Assistance Programme contacts the applicant. Applications under this arrangement are submitted through the programme’s Istanbul office.
This does not open a separate appointment route at Germany’s Istanbul consulate or through iDATA. The notice specifically tells applicants not to register there. Wait for the individual invitation before organising travel for submission. Appearing independently at another German mission does not accelerate the Tehran case. Already-submitted applications continue within available capacity, while visas ready for issue are issued in Tehran. The embassy provides no assured date for full normal service to resume.
Protect an approaching age limit separately
The embassy’s deadline-preserving application instructions address families who cannot obtain an appointment before an eligibility deadline. Examples include a child joining a parent and parents joining a minor refugee. Anyone close to an applicable age limit should read this resource immediately; waiting patiently in the appointment queue is not the same action as submitting the required application.
Write an informal application identifying the applicant and the relative in Germany, with their names and dates of birth, the request for a visa and the family relationship supporting it. Adults sign for themselves; the instructions recommend both parents’ signatures for a child. Send a scanned signed application to the address stated in that resource, [email protected], using its specified German subject line. This step preserves a procedural claim where applicable; it does not waive the substantive visa conditions or guarantee approval.
Use the checklist for the actual family relationship
For a spouse joining a foreign national in Germany, Tehran’s dedicated checklist requires a signed VIDEX printout, passport, recent biometric photograph, marriage evidence and the applicant’s Shenasnameh. It also specifies evidence of the sponsor’s passport, residence title and German registration. German translations and legalisation requirements differ by document; an apostilled foreign certificate does not require additional legalisation under that checklist.
The spouse checklist generally requests recognised A1 German-language evidence and links to exceptions. Establish whether an exception applies rather than assuming every spouse must take the same examination. Its published adult national-visa fee is EUR75, payable in cash at submission, and is not refunded following refusal. Certain family members of Germans or eligible EU/EEA citizens are exempt; an external provider’s service charge can still apply. Confirm the invited submission office’s payment instructions before travelling.
Keep the case contactable after submission
The national-visa procedure page explains that substantive processing starts after personal attendance, biometrics and supporting documents. German domestic authorities may also need to participate. Appointment availability and the later decision timetable are separate uncertainties, so neither the waiting-list estimate nor travel to Istanbul guarantees an immediate result.
After submission, follow any specific request for additional evidence. If circumstances change, such as the sponsor moving, the procedure page explains how to send a PDF with the processing reference, applicant identity and an explanation. Do not post original certificates unsolicited. Using that resource for correspondence helps the embassy connect a relevant change with the existing application instead of creating an unidentifiable enquiry.
