The German government has revealed a major change in its trainee visa application process in Nigeria, moving all submissions to a dedicated visa application centre in Lagos.
In a notice launched on Tuesday, the German Embassy in Nigeria validated that prospective trainees will no longer send visa applications at the consulate. Instead, candidates will be processed through the VFS International centre situated in Lekki, Lagos.
According to the embassy, applicants who successfully secure an appointment online will be welcomed directly to the visa application centre.
“This implies that you will be invited to the centre, not the consulate, when an appointment is assigned to you after registering online,” the embassy specified.
The brand-new plan, formally introduced on March 25, 2026, was inaugurated by Deputy Consul General Gerald Wolf along with VFS Global’s General Supervisor of Operations, Stephen Kubasu.
The embassy even more recommended candidates to speak with the VFS Global website for thorough guidance on the upgraded application procedures.
Under the brand-new system, the Lekki centre will handle file submission, biometric information collection, and other associated services on behalf of German objectives in Nigeria, a move anticipated to simplify the process for thousands of Nigerian trainees looking for education chances abroad.
Germany continues to witness a surge in global student enrollment. According to the German Academic Exchange Service (Wissenschaft weltoffen report), the nation tape-recorded about 402,000 international trainees in the 2024/25 winter term, representing a 6 percent boost from the previous year.
The shift is widely seen as part of efforts to enhance performance and manage growing need from candidates in Nigeria.