Germany Re-Entry Visa From Pakistan: Expired or Lost Residence Permit, 75 Euros, Every Document
Germany re-entry visa from Pakistan for an expired, lost or stolen residence permit costs 75 euros. See the 8 papers, police report and how to book by email.
If your German residence permit expired, was lost or was stolen while you were in Pakistan, you need a re-entry visa from the German Embassy in Islamabad or the Consulate General in Karachi to get back: it costs 75 euros for an adult and 37.50 euros for a child, and the appointment is booked by email. Bring a police report if the card was lost or stolen, and ask your aliens' authority in Germany for a pre-approval to speed it up.
This happens more often than people think. A family flies home for a wedding, a parent falls ill, the trip runs long, and the card expires in a drawer in Lahore. Or a wallet goes missing in a market in Rawalpindi. The German Missions in Pakistan have a page for exactly this, and we read it on 1 November 2026. Below is what to collect, where to send it and what to do first.
An expired or lost permit means a new visa, not a renewal
The German Missions say that if your residence permit expired or was stolen during your stay in Pakistan, you need a visa to re-enter Germany. The Embassy cannot renew the permit itself. The re-entry visa only gets you back to Germany, where your local office handles the permit.
This catches people who assume the Embassy can print a new card. It cannot. The residence permit belongs to your aliens' authority, called the Auslanderbehorde, in your German city. The visa is a bridge back to them.
| Situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| Permit expired while in Pakistan | Re-entry visa, with the original expired card |
| Permit lost in Pakistan | Re-entry visa, with a permit copy and a police report |
| Permit stolen in Pakistan | Re-entry visa, with a permit copy and a police report |
| Permit still valid and in hand | No visa needed, travel as normal |
The fee is 75 euros for adults and 37.50 euros for children
The re-entry visa costs 75 euros for adults and 37.50 euros for children from 0 to 17. The German Missions add that some applicants may be exempt from the fee because of the residence permit they held. Ask when you email for your appointment.
Each family member needs their own application and their own set of documents. A couple with two children applying together would pay 75 plus 75 plus 37.50 plus 37.50 euros, so 225 euros, unless an exemption applies. The fee is paid at the Mission. If it is paid in rupees, the rupee amount depends on the Mission's exchange rate on the day.
Collect 8 documents, with a police report for a lost card
The German Missions list 8 items: the Videx form, a recent photo, your German address registration, your old permit or a copy plus a police report, your passport, an optional pre-approval, the applicant's declaration and the legal representation form.
- Videx long stay application form, filled in on a computer and signed, one per applicant. Parents sign for children under 18.
- One biometric passport photo, white background, no older than 3 months.
- Meldebescheinigung, your German address registration certificate, no older than 6 months.
- Your original expired residence permit, or a copy of the permit plus the police report and its German or English translation if it was lost or stolen.
- Your current passport, with copies of pages 0 to 3 and all pages with stamps and visas.
- A pre-approval, called Vorabzustimmung, from your aliens' authority in Germany, if you can get one.
- The applicant's declaration form.
- The information sheet on legal representation.
Copies must be A4, complete, readable and not stapled. Bring the originals too. For the police report, file it where the card went missing. Islamabad residents can use the Islamabad Police lost report service, and in other cities the local police station issues one. Have it translated into English or German before your appointment.
A pre-approval from your German city office speeds things up
The pre-approval is not compulsory, the German Missions say, but it might be useful. It is a note from your aliens' authority in Germany agreeing to your return. Contact them by email from Pakistan as soon as you find the problem.
Your aliens' authority holds your file. They know your permit history, your job and your family situation. A short email with your name, date of birth, old permit number and a scan of your passport is a sensible start. Ask them to send the pre-approval directly to the Embassy or Consulate if they can. This one step can save weeks.
Email Islamabad or Karachi for an appointment
Re-entry appointments are booked by email, not on the online portal. Islamabad uses visainfo@isla.auswaertiges-amt.de. Karachi uses visa@kara.auswaertiges-amt.de or telephone. Write only once you have every document ready, as the German Missions ask.
| Mission | How to book |
|---|---|
| German Embassy Islamabad | Email visainfo@isla.auswaertiges-amt.de |
| German Consulate General Karachi | Email visa@kara.auswaertiges-amt.de or call the visa section |
Bring your original documents and your passport to the appointment. The passport you will travel on stays at the Mission while the visa is processed. The Mission may also contact you after you apply to ask for more papers. Plan your return flight only after the visa is in your passport.
Your Pakistani paperwork matters as well. If your Pakistani passport is close to expiry, renew it first, since a visa goes into the passport you travel on. Fees at the German end for Pakistani passports in Germany are listed separately, and Germany visit visas are a different process altogether.
Common questions
Can the German Embassy in Pakistan renew my residence permit?
No. It issues a re-entry visa. Your aliens' authority in Germany deals with the permit.
How much is the Germany re-entry visa fee?
75 euros for adults and 37.50 euros for children up to 17. Some permit holders may be exempt.
Do I need a police report for a lost residence permit?
Yes. The Missions ask for a copy of the permit plus a police report with a German or English translation.
Is the pre-approval from Germany compulsory?
No. The Missions say it is optional but might be useful.
How do I book a re-entry visa appointment in Islamabad?
Email visainfo@isla.auswaertiges-amt.de once all your documents are ready.
Will the Mission keep my passport?
Yes. The passport you will travel on stays with the Mission during processing.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 1 November 2026. We read the German Missions in Pakistan re-entry visa page, dated 19 February 2025, which was still the live page on that date, and its linked document checklist. The fee, documents and email addresses come from that page. The page does not give a processing time, and we could not confirm one. Which permit holders are exempt from the fee is not listed, so ask the Mission.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
