Germany Ease Visa Restrictions

In 2012 the German government will ease visa controls making it much easier for Russian and Chinese companies to do business there

London, UK (Pryce Warner International) January 11th, 2012 – The move is part of an attempt by the German government to liberalise their visa policy in the face of a global economy.

The new regulations will be designed to increase the speed and efficiency of the application process by asking for fewer documents and making more of the process take place online. Decisions will be aimed to be made within 72 hours.

One of the key changes being proposed is that business people will not be required to have a face to face interview with German authorities before being granted a visa. Aspects of the administration process will also be outsourced to help speed up the decision making.

Russia and China look set to be among the main beneficiaries of this new policy, as traditionally individuals would have to travel a considerable distance to meet German authorities as part of their application. Experts have previously stated that this rule was more restrictive than measures in other EU countries and has for some time been a source of friction between Germany and Russia.

Several groups, including the East Committee for the German Economy, have praised the new measures for granting visas. They point out that they cost of the current rules is enormous and modern measures are capable of producing the same results at a much lower cost.

This may prove to be one of the first steps towards visa-free travel between Russia and the EU, something that is presently being worked on. With trade values between the EU and Russia increasing every year it is being seen as more and more vital to ensure the free movement of labour between the two bodies.

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By Aneil Fatania
Financial Editor
Pryce Warner International Group
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