Requirements for a Visitor's Visa

Please submit your application for a Schengen Visa to the representative of the country which is your main destination - considering length and purpose of your intended stay. If no such main destination can be ascertained, please contact the representative of the country of your first entry into the Schengen Area.

Residents of the following countries/provinces must submit their visa application to the indicated mission:

• GERMAN EMBASSY PRETORIA:  Free State, Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Lesotho, Swaziland
  
• GERMAN CONSULATE GENERAL CAPE TOWN:  Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape
  

OPTIONAL (please check special conditions when applying through the honorary consuls and liaison officer)

• Kwazulu-Natal: Honorary Consul Durban
• Eastern Cape: Honrary Consul Port Elizabeth
• Swaziland: Liaison Office Mbabane
  

If you are not a South African national, your residence permit for South Africa must be valid at least another four months from the date the Schengen visa expires.

Applications must be submitted in person and may not be submitted by courier, regular post, fax or e-mail. Only applicants who can prove to have travelled at least twice to the Schengen States within the past two years, may be exempt from applying in person. A third party may apply on behalf of such applicants.

We advise you to apply at least three weeks prior to your intended date of departure. Normally, the visa process is finalised within three to four working days upon submission of a complete visa application. In some cases, however, we may need more time due to the necessary involvement of German and/or Schengen authorities.

Please note that only complete applications will be accepted. In order to ensure that your application is processed without delay, please submit the following documents (in original and one copy as indicated below). Unfortunately, copies cannot be provided by the German Missions.

• A duly completed Schengen Visa Application form (please ensure that you sign the form)
  
• A valid passport with at least two blank pages & valid for at least three months longer than intended stay (please ensure that your passport is signed)
  
• One recent passport photograph according to biometric specifications  check here for further details regarding biometric specifications of photos [pdf, 550.79k]
  
• Declaration of True and Complete Information in accordance with §55 Residence Act, signed and dated (included in the latest visa application form you find on this page) Declaration §55 [pdf, 117.52k]

• Proof of previous trips to the Schengen Area (i.e. visas in present or previous passports)
  
• Travel Medical Insurance valid in all the Schengen States for the entire duration of the intended stay (minimum cover of €30.000)
• Proof of Flight reservation – Roundtrip (including details of the first border of entry into the Schengen Sates and, if applicable, also documents indicating further travel within the Schengen Area)
  

Documents validating the applicant's social and economic ties to South Africa:

• latest three month bank statements (originals, certified by your bank)
• employees/students: Letter from your employer confirming your employment relationship/work contract i.e. proof of study as well as confirmation of leave.
• self-employed: Official documents confirming your self-employment (e.g. Copy of the CK1 registration/VAT registration including name and proof of business activities)
  

VISITORS

• A signed invitation by the host mentioning the place (full address) and duration of stay
• If you face financial hardship: A formal letter of obligation (according to paragraph §§ 66,68 of the Residence Act) from the invitee in Germany. The letter is issued by the local Aliens Authority/Municipality in the city where the invitee lives. Please note: should the invitee and the host not be the same, then the domicile including the telephone number and name details of the host need to be completed on the second page of the letter of obligation.
• If you have your own financial means: Documents proving a minimum of 40€ per day for the duration of stay
  

TOURISTS

• Documents proving a minimum of 40€ per day for the duration of stay
• Hotel booking(s) i.e. reservations. In the case of round trips confirmation of payment has to be included

Please note that each visa application is reviewed individually. Therefore, the requested documents might vary. The German Missions reserve the right to ask for additional documents. Besides, the submission of the above mentioned documents does not guarantee the issue of a visa. Applicants can at any time be asked for a personal interview. Submission of an incomplete set of documentation or refusal to attend the mandatory visa interview will lead to a refusal of your visa application. Once a visa has been issued, the purpose of the trip may not be altered