Last checked against the official source: 29 August 2026
The German Embassy in Tunis does not handle every application the same way: a Schengen visa application is filed with TLScontact, not at the embassy, while a national visa is booked directly through the embassy’s own platform, free of charge. Confusing the two routes is what wastes the most time here. And a second point many people miss: this embassy handles the official consular and legal work for Libya.
Embassy details
- Official designation
- Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany — Tunis.
- Head of mission
- Ambassador Elisabeth Wolbers.
- Address
- 1 Rue du Lac Windermere, Les Berges du Lac — Tunis.
- Postal address
- B.P. 222, 1053 Les Berges du Lac.
- Telephone
- +216 71 143 200
- Emergency line
- +216 98 305 090 — ⚠️ for emergencies only; no visa information is given on it.
- Fax
- +216 71 143 299
- Opening hours
- Monday to Thursday 07:30 – 16:30 · Friday 07:30 – 13:00.
- Summer hours
- June to September: Monday to Thursday 07:30 – 16:00 · Friday 07:30 – 13:00.
- Legal and consular section
- Monday to Friday 08:00 – 12:00 — most services require an appointment.
- Jurisdiction
- Tunisia · and Libya for official consular and legal matters.
- Honorary consulate
- Djerba.
Jurisdiction: who applies in Tunis
The embassy’s primary jurisdiction covers residents of the Republic of Tunisia. The official site, however, adds an important clause: official consular and legal work relating to Libya is carried out from the Tunis office, and the embassy refers to the site of the German Embassy Tripoli in that context. So if you live in Libya and need a legalisation or an official consular act, your practical destination is usually Tunis, not Tripoli.
The embassy also has an honorary consulate on the island of Djerba. Honorary consulates offer a far narrower range of services than an embassy — check what it actually provides before you make the journey.
How to book your appointment, step by step
- Establish the visa type before anything elseA Schengen visa if your stay in the Schengen area does not exceed ninety days in any hundred and eighty, or a national visa if it is longer. Everything after this step differs completely: the first goes through an external company, the second through the embassy itself.
- For a Schengen visa: register with TLScontactSince 1 April 2022 Schengen applications are filed at the external service provider TLScontact, the embassy’s only partner on this route. Registration and appointment booking happen on its site, and you must attend in person for fingerprints and questions.
- Complete the VIDEX form before the appointmentThe embassy expressly recommends preparing the application online through VIDEX, printing it with its barcode and bringing it to the TLScontact appointment, because it reduces processing time noticeably. The form is available in German and French.
- For a national visa: register on the embassy’s appointment platformThis route involves no intermediary. You register in the embassy’s own appointment programme, receive a first email confirming registration, then a second with your appointment once the waiting period has passed. Booking is free, and use a desktop computer: the embassy notes the programme is designed for computers even though phones work in principle.
- Count the waiting time before booking travel or paying feesThe waiting times published by the embassy are measured in months, not weeks (see the table below). Any financial or professional commitment built on an appointment you have not yet received is a risk.
- Do not ask for an expedited appointmentThe embassy states literally that no special appointment can be booked, and that questions about expediting appointments will not be answered. Anyone offering to “speed up an appointment” for money is selling what they do not have.
- Attend with a complete fileMissing documents can lead to refusal, and the visa section may request additional documents in individual cases. Read the requirements list for your specific purpose of stay, not a general one.
Published waiting times for the national visa
- Family reunification
- About 9 months.
- Gainful employment
- About 12 months — including au pair, the voluntary social year and vocational training.
- Study or language course
- ⚠️ Two official pages on the embassy’s own site give different figures: 6 months on the general information page and 9 months on the national visa page. We do not favour one over the other — treat the range as 6 to 9 months and confirm the current period before committing.
- What these numbers are
- Published by the embassy itself; they are waiting times for an appointment, not decision times, and they change.
Schengen visa fees — and why we do not print the number
The embassy’s page states that the Schengen processing fee is reduced to 40 euros for children between six and twelve. The standard adult fee is set at EU level and reviewed periodically, which is why we do not fix it on a page like this: any number written today may be wrong in a few months, and a wrong fee figure means a wasted journey. Read the current figure from the official fees page before you pay.
There is, in contrast, one time figure the embassy states clearly and you should know: a Schengen application may be submitted six months before the planned trip, and the usual examination period is around fifteen days.
What the embassy does not do: visa information is not given on the emergency line, requests to expedite appointments are not answered, and there is no “special appointment” for sale. Booking on the national route is a free service of the embassy itself — so if you are asked for money for the booking alone, you are dealing with an intermediary the embassy has nothing to do with.
The remonstration procedure has been abolished — this changes what you do after a refusal
The German Federal Foreign Office abolished the remonstration procedure against visa refusals worldwide with effect from 1 July 2025. If your application is refused after that date, do not send a remonstration to the mission — it will not be processed. The remaining legal route is an action before the Administrative Court in Berlin, which must be in German and involves court costs. And one door stays open always: submitting a fresh application. Which is why filing a complete file the first time now matters more than it ever did.
Official sources
Address, opening hours and jurisdiction — German Embassy Tunis · Schengen visa and TLScontact · National visa and appointment booking · FAQs and waiting times
Please note: this page is general guidance, not legal advice, and it is not an official page of the mission. Visa decisions are assessed individually, and the information here is taken from the official website on the verification date recorded above.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the German Embassy in Tunisia?
At 1 Rue du Lac Windermere in Les Berges du Lac, Tunis, with the postal address B.P. 222, 1053 Les Berges du Lac. If you are directed elsewhere to file a Schengen application, it is most likely the TLScontact office rather than the embassy building.
How do I book a visa appointment at the German Embassy in Tunis?
It depends on the visa type. A Schengen application is booked and filed at the external service provider TLScontact. A national visa is booked directly through the embassy’s appointment platform, free of charge, with a confirmation email on registration and a second email carrying the appointment.
Is booking an appointment free?
On the national route, yes: the embassy states that appointments are granted free of charge through its programme. The Schengen route runs through an external service centre with its own charges in addition to the visa fee. Nobody can sell you an expedited appointment.
How long is the waiting time for an appointment?
According to the embassy: about 9 months for family reunification and about 12 months for gainful employment including au pair, the voluntary social year and vocational training. For study and language courses two official pages give 6 and 9 months, so treat the range as between them and confirm before committing.
Does the German Embassy in Tunis serve residents of Libya?
Within a defined scope: the official site states that official consular and legal work relating to Libya is carried out from the Tunis office. Confirm the mission’s jurisdiction for your specific case in writing before paying fees or booking travel.
Can I apply for a Schengen visa long before travelling?
Yes. The embassy’s page states an application can be submitted six months before the planned trip, with a usual examination period of around fifteen days. Applying early works in your favour here.
What is the difference between a Schengen and a national visa?
A Schengen visa allows a stay in the Schengen area of no more than ninety days in any hundred and eighty. A national visa is for longer stays with a defined purpose such as family reunification, work or study — and it is the route booked directly through the embassy platform.