Welcome to the Consular Section
Going to Germany? Not only will this website help you find out whether or not you require a visa for Germany, but it will also guide you through the application process and allow you to download the relevant application forms free of charge. You can even fill in the forms electronically prior to printing them.
You can also find information on the German citizenship, German passports, other legal matters and further consular services offered by the German Missions.
Are you planning a short term visit to Germany? Do you want to visit a friend in Germany, attend a business meeting or maybe need medical treatment? Here you can find information on the application process and required documents.
Visa - short term
Are you planning to take up employment or your studies in Germany? Then please read the following pages on requirements for long term visas for the Federal Republic of Germany.
Visa - long term
The following webpages contain only the most important information about German passports and are meant for the very few German citizens who do not speak German. Please check the German version of this webpage for complete information about German passports.
Passport
If you want to know how one obtains the German citizenship or what the reasons for a possible loss may be, have a look at the information provided in this section.
Citizenship
Do you want to register the birth of your child or do you want to change your name under the German law? Here you can find information on these and other family matters.
Family matters
You have to sign a document in front of a German Consular Officer? Following information was compiled to illustrate the two different forms of notarial certification according to German law, signature certification and notarisation of documents.
Signature certification / full notarisation
According to German law, the estate (located in Germany) of a deceased person comes under the principle of 'universal succession,' meaning that the heirs become owners of the deceased person's estate upon his death. The succession is determined either by law or by disposition in contemplation of death. (The executor, under South African law, is basically unknown to German law)
Inheritance Matters
