Employment Visa

Residents of the following provinces must submit their visa application to the German Embassy in Pretoria:

  • Free State, Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West

Residents of the following provinces must submit their visa application to the German Consulate General in Cape Town:

  • Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape

We request that you take advantage of our Online Appointment Booking System. Applications must be submitted in person and may not be submitted by courier, regular post, fax or e-mail.

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 two copies as indicated below). Unfortunately, copies cannot be provided by the German Missions.

Required Documents

Original documents required for:

Original + two copies required for:

  • A signed contract of employment with specific details of the job function, salary and duration of employment
  • Upon request, details of qualifications entitling the applicant to the aspired occupation in Germany (e.g. university degree)
  • Proof of accommodation/rental agreement (accommodation mentioned in a letter of the employer will be sufficient)
  • Police Clearance Certificate (not older than three months). Please note it can take up to ten weeks for the South African authorities to issue this certificate
  • Proof of health insurance valid from date of arrival and for the duration of intended stay in Germany (German Statutory/National or Private health insurance)

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

The German Missions require approximately two to three months to process your visa application. We strongly recommend that you do not purchase an airline ticket unless the visa has been granted. We kindly ask that no status requests on the visa application be made during the first two months. 

We will notify the applicant on any change of status or progress of the application as soon as possible and whenever the need arises.

Attention!

Important Notes

Please make sure you present yourself at the visa section with all required documents. Incomplete applications can unfortunately not be processed. Should you apply with an incomplete application, you may be asked to come back at another time – which would mean having to make a new appointment using our online appointment system.  Please understand that Email/Fax/Postal invitations sent to us prior to having handed in the actual application will not be considered. 

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that their application is complete upon submission. We also would like to point out that each application has to be presented with all necessary photocopies for documents that you would like to have returned to you. The visa section will not be responsible for making necessary copies. During the visa processing period no update can be given.

Important when receiving the visa: Please check the data of the visa for possible mistakes as soon as you receive your passport. Please pay particular attention to the validity (start and end date) of the visa with regards to the total duration of your planned stay. You should also check the correct spelling of your name, as well as the number of entries you were granted. The visa section must be informed of possible mistakes immediately and cannot be held responsible for any problems that occur as a result of possible incorrect data or a missing signature in the travel document.

Employment Visa

Opening hours and contact details of the Visa Sections

Visa Section Pretoria

  • Please note that the Visa Section will be closed on May 17 and 28, 2012.

Application submissions only after prior booking online or via phone
0861 00 22 45 (Mon-Fri, 8:00-17:00).

Online Appointments

Opening Hours Applications:
Monday-Friday

 07:30 - 12:00

Collections (Counter 1)
Monday-Friday

 12:00 - 13:00

Public Holidays 2012

Telephone and e-mail enquiries:

Monday-Thursday

09:00 - 15:00

Friday

09:00 - 13:00

Telephone

+27 (0)12 427 8974

Enquiries via e-mail

Further information on visas

Comment

Unfortunately, there is no parking available on the premises. For visitors with disabilities, parking can be arranged.

Address

1267 Pretorius Street "Hadefields Office Park", Hatfield, Pretoria 0083

Directions

Fax:
+27 (0)12 427 8984 (please do not send any documents prior to application submission)

Visa Section Cape Town


Visa application only after prior booking 

by phone 

0861 00 22 45 (Mon-Fri, 8:00-17:00)

or

Online Appointments

.

Telephone and e-mail enquiries:

Monday - Thursday only

14:00 - 16:00

Telephone

+27 (0)21 405 3052

Fax

+27 (0)21 405 3010

Enquiries via e-mail

Further information on visas

Opening Hours for Applications:

Monday-Friday

 09:00 - 12:00

Public Holidays 2012

Directions to our office

.

Address

Physical address:

19th floor Triangle House
22 Riebeek Street
Cape Town

Postal address:

P.O. Box 4273 

Cape Town, 8000

Book your appointment online or via phone

Calender

Please use our online appointment system to schedule personal interviews for Visa applications. Through Intergate Visalink CC, you can book your appointment via phone (0861-002245) or online. A 75 Rand fee will be charged for this service. By booking your appointment, waiting times are greatly reduced and you have the option to have your passport delivered via courier for a fee of 150 Rand. If you do not wish to use this service you may contact the German Missions directly by phone book your appointment free of charge. Please note that because priority is given to appointments booked via Intergate, this can result in a waiting period of several weeks and the courier option will not apply.

VISA - Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

Information on Visa Fees

South African Rand

The fee for a Schengen Visa is 60.00 Euro, payable in South African Rand at the current exchange rate. Exemptions from the visa fee are possible for certain types of visas. Please note that we are in the process of introducing payment by credit card. However, until further notice only cash payments can be accepted for visa applications.