Germany has issued new guidance to its citizens reminding them that entry to the United States is not guaranteed by a visa or entry waiver, following recent problems experienced by Germans at the US border.
Although officials insisted the message from the German foreign ministry did not amount to a travel “warning”, the alert reminds citizens that possession of US ESTA approval or a US visa does not give them the automatic right to enter the US. Instead the decision on entry remains with border authorities.
“The final decision on whether a person can enter the US lies with the US border authorities,” Reuters reported a ministry spokesperson as saying on Wednesday.
U.S. visa screening does not stop after a visa is issued. We continuously check visa holders to ensure they follow all U.S. laws and immigration rules – and we will revoke their visas and deport them if they don’t. pic.twitter.com/aZsnUTnXGP
— Department of State (@StateDept) March 17, 2025
Three German citizens prevented from entering US
The German government advice comes after three German citizens were confirmed to have been detained by US immigration services earlier in March. While two of those cases have since been remedied and the citizens involved have returned to Europe, the third case is still unresolved.
WGBH broadcaster has reported that a German man in possession of a so-called “green card” residency permit is being held at a Rhode Island detention centre and is being assisted by Germany’s consulate in Boston. Named by press as electrical engineer Fabian Schmidt, the man was allegedly “violently interrogated” on 7 March when he attempted to return to his US home in New Hampshire after a trip to Luxembourg.
I'm telling you. For ICE to do this to a German, to somebody who looks like I do. You can't even tell he's German for crying out loud, just looks like some normal white dude in America. Electrical Engineer, 8 year old daughter, girlfriend.
— EV_Trapper (@EV_Trapper) March 16, 2025
If they are willing to do this to… https://t.co/L3p1cibLaD pic.twitter.com/ddckd90vAz
Taken to hospital
Schmidt’s mother told reporters her son was stripped naked by immigration authorities, given a cold shower, and kept with little food and water and no access to his medication. She was only informed of his whereabouts when he collapsed and was taken to hospital on 11 March. With no explanation for the detention, the mother said she felt “absolutely helpless.”
As well as issuing the foreign ministry notification about visas, German authorities say they are monitoring whether there has been a change in US immigration policy since Schmidt’s detention follows a flurry of border-related executive orders from the White House since Trump took office. They include measures intended to enhance national security and clampdown on undocumented migrants.
Travel bans looming and confidence dropping
As the Trump administration prepares to announce travel bans on a swathe of countries deemed to have “deficient” vetting processes, Germany is not the only nation experiencing a low in confidence about travel to and from the US. A recent survey of travel stakeholders by Business Travel Show Europe revealed that a large proportion of industry professionals is predicting that US travel is likely to become more expensive and more difficult during 2025, which could have a chilling effect on the corporate travel sector.
