DAAD Encourages German MFA to Facilitate Student Visa Application Procedures Amid COVID-19

Posted date: 22 Jul 2021

Germany’s largest support organisation in the field of international academic cooperation, the German Academic Exchange Service, widely known as DAAD, has asked from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resume visa application procedures for students from third countries.

The request has been directed to the Ministry after thousands of students have ‘protested’ through social medial the closure of German Embassies and visa centres, claiming they risk losing their place at German universities for not succeeding to get their visa on time.

Through a tweet, the DAAD has announced that it has encouraged the Federal MFA to facilitate visa procedures for students wishing to pursue their studies in Germany while pointing out that all science and research organisations in Germany support the request and the #EducationIsNotTourism campaign.

In March this year, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered the closure of all its embassies, consulates and visa centres located abroad due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic worldwide.

With the closure of German embassies, interview appointments, visa issuance and all other procedures were brought at a halt. Students from third-countries, set to start their studies in Germany this year, remain among the most affected categories by the closure of German missions, as they now risk losing their chance to study in Germany after not getting their visas on time.

Under the hashtag #EducationIsNotTourism, these students have united through social media like Twitter and Facebook, and for weeks now are asking the German government to undertake the necessary steps and enable students to travel to the countries where their studies are set to start soon.

Germany is among the most famous study destinations in the world. Data on the academic year 2017/18 shows that 374,951 international students were enrolled in German higher education institutions and 2,842,225 students were seeking a degree at German universities.

Posted By

GSP Admin