Visa and the Embassy in Tunis

Which channel applies to which purpose, fees, waiting times, and what to do after a refusal.

Tunisian citizens need a national visa (D visa) for stays over 90 days and for work. It must be applied for in advance at the German mission: the visa-free application inside Germany (§ 41 AufenthV) does not apply to Tunisia. Applications are made in person after booking an appointment at the Embassy in Tunis. Start on the Embassy page National visas (status 29 June 2026) and the Auslandsportal.

Which channel for which purpose (Embassy page)

• Family reunification: new registrations on the waiting list since 15 January 2026 only via the Auslandsportal. If you registered earlier, keep your place and do not register again.
• Direct booking with TLScontact (no waiting-list registration): language course, internship by agreement, persons with prior approval under § 81a (3) S. 1 No. 6 AufenthG (accelerated skilled-worker procedure) and their family applying the same day, nursing staff, doctors attending a specialist language course, students with a German or European public scholarship.
• Ausbildung and skilled workers (Blue Card, degree, vocational qualification): online application via the Auslandsportal. Foreign qualifications must be recognised before the visa application.
• Other purposes (for example Opportunity Card, study visa, training-place search): the page does not list every category; check it for your purpose.

Waiting times, fees, processing

• The Embassy states waiting times of about 5 months for family reunification and more than 12 months for employment, and says they change. The page gives no date for these figures.
• National visa €75 (minors €37.50), paid in cash in TND on the day of application; not refunded if refused. No fee for spouses and children of Germans and for publicly funded scholarship holders. Processing can take up to three months.
• Blocked account: since February 2023 the Embassy accepts only German blocked accounts.
• Bring two printouts of the online form and all documents in A4 format. Do not send documents unasked.
• TLScontact service fee: not confirmed.

If the visa is refused

• The remonstration (re-examination request to the Embassy) was abolished on 1 July 2025. An objection (Widerspruch) is excluded as well (§ 68 (1) S. 2 No. 1 VwGO).
• The remedy is a lawsuit in German at the Administrative Court of Berlin within 1 month of service, or 1 year if the refusal had no instructions on legal remedies (§ 58 (2) VwGO) (§ 74 VwGO). Or apply again with a better file. Use a lawyer for migration law.

Fees exempt for some groups: § 52 AufenthV. Do not book flights or resign from work before you have the visa. After the visa: After arrival.