Ariful Haque had chosen Germany for higher studies and secured an appointment for his master’s application in December 2022. Two years later, he received a return email from the German embassy only in May 2025.
He then submitted the required documents through VFS Global, the visa facilitation service. The entire process took nearly two and a half years.
“I would advise anyone planning to study in Germany to secure offer letters from multiple universities, as many universities allow free applications,” he said.
It is not only Germany; students are facing hurdles in obtaining visas across European countries, often delaying or discouraging their plans for higher education.
The German embassy processes only around 2,000 applications a year, while it receives nearly 40 times that number, causing significant delays.
Limited Indian visa services force travel to Delhi
Since August 5 last year, the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Bangladesh has been offering limited visa services indefinitely.
Students must now travel to Delhi to apply at European embassies, requiring double-entry Indian visas, which has created additional challenges. Bangladesh does not host embassies of several European countries including Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Hungary, and Austria, forcing students to travel abroad for interviews.
Though Indonesia and Vietnam embassies were briefly alternative options, their visa services are now limited for Bangladeshi students.
Students losing hope
Many students, like Abir, have given up on their hopes to study in Germany.
He said: “No matter how the embassy processes visas, without increasing capacity, the situation won’t improve. It could take years just to process older applications, discouraging students from going to Germany.”
Another student said: “It has been more than 500 days since I booked an appointment for a student visa at the German embassy, but I have received no response. I hope those using fake offer letters stop doing so—then others would get a fair chance.”
Limited responses by German embassy
This correspondent emailed the German embassy in Dhaka to inquire about these issues. However, no replies were received.
The embassy occasionally posts visa updates on its Facebook page.
On October 1, it stated: “Due to a high volume of requests, we kindly ask applicants not to send email inquiries, as our website already provides guidance. This allows us to process applications efficiently with our limited capacity.”
Earlier, on September 17, the embassy had requested applicants to refrain from contacting them for special appointments, citing strict adherence to the waiting list.
Students must also spend several days in Delhi for visa interviews for countries where Bangladesh lacks embassies, adding extra costs. Some students reported needing at least 20 days in Delhi for visa processing. For example, applicants for Slovenia must travel to India three times, including written and oral tests at the embassy.
Human chain highlights student struggles
Last year, students held a human chain in Dhaka, highlighting the difficulties of obtaining visas for European higher studies. They pointed out that while many receive offer letters and pay tuition fees, they are blocked at the final step: the visa interview.
Students cited past government failures, including not establishing European embassies in Bangladesh, forcing applicants to travel to India. Even with all the required documents, Indian authorities sometimes deny double-entry visas, wasting time and money.
Many scholarship students cannot reach their destinations on time due to double-entry visa complications. Those self-financing higher studies may also lose tuition fees if they fail to attend the university in person.
Government efforts
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said: “Germany offers high-quality, often free higher education, which is why Bangladeshi students are keen to go. The German embassy receives 80,000 applications, but their capacity is only 2,000 per year, meaning most cannot be processed.”
He added that Bangladesh has requested Germany to accept a number of students comparable to Pakistan’s 9,000 annually and is exploring if this is possible.
Adviser Hossain added: “Students must appear in person at embassies for higher education or work visas. Many embassies are not in Bangladesh, with offices in Delhi, making Indian visa acquisition difficult. We are trying to diversify options to ease the process.”
