Germany’s foreign office has apologised after an ill-judged joke on its Twitter account linking visas to seduction.

“Your visa got approved #SeduceSomeoneinFourWords,” the diplomatic service tweeted in a move that seemed to confirm long-standing stereotypes about the clunky German sense of humour.

The social media account, which is in English, was attempting to ride the wave of a Twitter trend which emerged on Thursday and spread around the world.

With the hashtag #SeduceSomeoneinFourWords, Twitter users were suggesting four-word sentences that would spark romance. The fad attracted a mix of genuine and humorous responses.

After six hours and 20 minutes and numerous complaints, the foreign office deleted the offending tweet and apologised.

“Being funny is apparently not always our strong suit,” it said on Twitter.

“We know the visa process is complex, and visa decisions can deeply affect peoples' lives. Our colleagues take these decisions very seriously.”