Welcome
The Federal Government Digital Strategy
The Federal Government approved its new Digital Strategy, © Flashpic
Since 2022, the Federal Government has had its own digital strategy. Further details on how the Federal Foreign Office has contributed to the strategy can be found here.
The Federal Government Digital Strategy describes specific projects with concrete, measurable goals to advance digitalisation in Germany. It includes binding to-do lists that the Federal Government is imposing on itself in all policy areas, divided into three fields of action: Connected and digitally sovereign society, Innovative economy, work, science and research and Learning, digital government. Every federal ministry contributed at least one lighthouse project. The Digital Strategy is closely aligned with the Federal Government’s Data Strategy and Open Data Strategy.
Progress in visa services: The Consular Services Portal - a Federal Foreign Office lighthouse project
Since 1 January 2025, the Consular Services Portal has enabled people around the world to apply for a German visa online – directly from home – without compromising the security of the process. Following a pilot phase with three visa sections, in four cycles, the Federal Foreign Office linked all other visa sections to the Consular Services Portal, digitalising the relevant visa applications for employment, studies, training and family reunification.
In this way, the Federal Foreign Office is meeting its obligation under the Online Access Act (OZG) to make administrative services available online. The Consular Services Portal facilitates online visa applications. Whether you want to work or study in Germany, whether you want to do a training course or join other members of your family, you can now apply for these national visas from any visa section in the world online via the Consular Services Portal.
In the future, it will also allow users to apply for a new German passport online. This function will first be piloted at selected passport sections before being made available worldwide.
Digital and secure confidential communication
Under the auspices of the Federal Foreign Office, a highly secure, digital information and communication platform was developed for classified interministerial communication (R-VSK). This platform makes bureaucratic procedures more efficient and will in future in particular also serve as a channel to exchange information with Germany’s Länder (L-VSK).
In addition, the Federal Foreign Office is now providing the entire federal administration with access to PLAIN (Platform Analysis and Information Systems), an established platform for securely processing and analysing large quantities of data as well as a platform for AI applications as a standard and product.
The Federal Foreign Office has set up an AI and Data Lab to work on specific issues relating to data and AI, establish the ministry’s data governance and increase its data literacy.
The Federal Foreign Office engaged in a modern, participative process to develop a strategy for digitalisation by 2027, which it presented at the end of 2021, making it a trailblazer among the federal ministries. The strategy defined 17 goals that will guide planning and action over the coming years until 2027, clustered under the headings “Data and knowledge”, “Staff”, “Processes and organisation” and “Tools and infrastructure”.