Bundestag Approves Ambitious Law to Digitalise Germany’s Migration Administration

In a late-night sitting on 19 July, the German Bundestag adopted the "Migrationsverwaltungs-Digitalisierungs-Weiterentwicklungsgesetz"—a mouth-twister that could nevertheless streamline the way Germany issues visas and residence permits. The bill, championed by the Interior Ministry, sets out a multi-year roadmap to replace paper files with fully digital case-management across embassies, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and more than 500 local foreigners’ authorities. A centrepiece is the legal basis for once-only collection of biometrics: photos, fingerprints and signatures captured for an electronic residence permit may now be reused for subsequent extensions, eliminating millions of repeat appointments. The act also opens the Ausländerzentralregister (AZR)—Germany’s central foreigners’ database—to structured upload of supporting documents and to real-time status queries by welfare agencies, courts and police. Visa-issuing authorities abroad will gain direct access to digital copies of job offers, health-insurance proof and recognition notices, accelerating security checks. For employers, the promise is shorter lead-times when hiring third-country nationals. The Interior Ministry projects a 30 % cut in average processing times for work visas and Blue Cards once the new platforms go live in 2027. HR departments will be able to track applications online and receive automatic notifications instead of paper letters. Privacy advocates had voiced concerns over broader data sharing, but lawmakers inserted additional logging, access-tiering and a mandatory deletion review after five years. The opposition also secured a review clause requiring the government to report annually on error rates and system outages. With Germany competing fiercely for global talent under its revamped Skilled Immigration Act, digital service levels are becoming a location factor. Multinationals welcomed the vote: “The ability to upload contracts and receive electronic approvals is critical for project mobility,” said Siemens Global Mobility head Sabine Kraus. The Bundesrat is expected to rubber-stamp the law next week, allowing pilot roll-outs at selected missions in India, Brazil and Ghana from November.