The German Embassy is relocating from the Diplomatic Area to a new state-of-the-art building in Salmaniya.

It will be closed today and re-open for the public tomorrow.

German Ambassador Dr Hubert Lang said the new embassy would have better facilities.

'We will have more parking room around the embassy for its core business and there might be the possibility of holding events there because there is a large hall,' he said.

Dr Lang said the embassy was a busy place especially during the peak season and advised travellers visiting Europe to apply for visas two weeks before their departure date due to high numbers of summer applications.

The embassy processes visa applications for Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden. Visa applications can be submitted up to three months prior to the intended date of travel.

Dr Lang said the embassy planned to introduce a new system where people requiring visas can register online.

'On average during the high season we have about 60 to 70 people per day coming to the embassy to apply for visas and per year it's about 7,000,' he told our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News (GDN).

'People like to go to Germany, but with the Schengen Visa they can enter other countries under the system. Here we share the task of giving these visas with the three other European countries France, Italy and Britain.

'I'm happy to see increasing numbers going to Germany and we have really realised there is a trend away from other classical destinations like southern Europe or the traditional trip to the US.

'Germany has been listed as the most welcoming country in the world and a very diversified country and has what the typical Arab visitor wants to see in a country, where they can go for shopping and a medical check-up at the same time.'

The new embassy address is Building 39, Block 327, Salmaniya Avenue (near the Japanese Embassy) and new telephone number is 17745277 and fax 17714314 or 17744767 (consular section only).-TradeArabia News Service