German Embassy Closes Visa Office in Cameroon Over Electricity Issues

The German Embassy in Yaounde has temporarily closed down its Visa section over electricity supply problems.

In a release dated May 8, the diplomatic institution said the visa section would “remain closed to visitors indefinitely” as from May 9.

The shutdown, the Embassy explained, is “due to technical problems with the power supply”. It did not state the exact problems the embassy is facing with its electricity supply, as Cameroon continues to grapple with recurrent power cuts and low voltage.

Irregular power supply continues to have a heavy toll on businesses, companies, and institutions in Cameroon despite announced efforts by the government to boost power supply.

The measure taken by the German Embassy is bound to affect several persons seeking visas into the country.

Thousands of Cameroonians travel to Germany yearly, with more than 15,500 estimated visitors registered in 2018.

In 2021, Germany was hosting 27,0000 Cameroonians, making Cameroon the 12th country with the highest number of citizens living in Germany.

Cameroon also has the highest group of international students from Africa studying in Germany.

Acknowledging the inconvenience it will cause Cameronians, the German Embassy apologized for the unexpected shutdown of its Visa section.

The institution also said those who had initiated visa procedures prior to the shutdown are going to be notified via email when the service is reopened.

“Your appointment will be automatically rescheduled once the visa section is operational again. You will be automatically informed of your new appointment when it is issued. Please check your e-mail inbox at regular intervals, no further action is required on your part,” the Embassy said, addressing people who are processing visa documents.

©Mimi Mefo Info