Moroccans Denounce Delay of Student Visa Appointments for Germany

Rabat – More than 370 individuals have signed an online petition calling out delays in student visa appointments for Moroccans seeking to travel to Germany for Studies.

The petition, titled “Delayed appointments for list A students,” claims that the waiting period for student visa appointments for Germany was extended in June from 5-6 months to 7-8 months.

The petition says that the new change is holding back Moroccan students who want to pursue their prep college (STK), German language exam to enter university (DSH), and higher education in Germany for “a year or more.”

“This new law is applied even on those students who had planned their studies and exams according to the old law of 5 months,” the petition organizers explained, adding that the students have already been waiting to submit their documents for three months.

They also noted that the lack of answers from the German embassy in Rabat is making the students live under “incomparable stress.”

The organizers concluded their message with a direct plea to the German authorities, urging them to find “effective solutions that will help students pass their exams on time or reach the universities on time.”

The German embassy in Rabat did not respond to Morocco World News’ request for comment.

However, the “national visa requirements” entry on the embassy’s website states that, for list A students, the waiting time for an appointment is approximately 7-8 months long. The entry stresses that applicants are given “no guarantee[s]” when submitting their documents.

Earlier this month, reports of the repercussions of, and widespread backlash against the French visa restrictions on Moroccan citizens have dominated Moroccan social media.

Recent reports suggest that French consulates have been systematically rejecting visa applications from eligible Moroccan candidates, reducing the number of visas issued by at least 75%.

According to Schengen Visa News, 39,520 out of more than 157,000 Schengen visa applications filed by Moroccan nationals were rejected in 2021. This made the rejection rate for Moroccan Schengen visa seekers almost 30% higher than the global average.

The visa restriction measures have impacted regular citizens, business people, and diplomats alike.

Moroccans have rejected the French visa measures, labeling them as “unjustifiable.”

Last week, two Moroccan-Italian associations filed a lawsuit before a European court against EU embassies in Morocco, denouncing the visa restrictions they have imposed on Moroccan nationals in recent months.