What's the difference between iDATA and the Consulate for German visa applications?
iDATA is the official intermediary agency that accepts visa applications and handles preliminary processing on behalf of German consulates. You submit your applications to iDATA, but the final visa decision and approval authority belong to the German Consulate. iDATA is solely an application center.
Current status (checked 15.10.2026): In Türkiye, study and study-place-search visas do not go through iDATA but only through the Consular Services Portal (digital.diplo.de/studium) (source). For other national visas the missions work with iDATA and IOM-FAP (source). The visa decision is always made by the mission.
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