Visas Archives - Page 3 of 4 - South Africans in Germany

We are not immigration agents, and your first point of contact should always be the German embassy or consulate in South Africa.
Most of the information you need to apply for your visa at the Germany Embassy in South Africa can be found on their website
Here is some additional information that could help when something is not clear.
For individual queries, you can send an email to visacapetown@kaps.diplo.de or use their online form

Friends or Family Visits

We have a page dedicated to Friends and Family visit visas.

Friends or Family visits

Do you want to invite friends or family to come and visit you in Germany?For their trip, they will need a tourist visa, which is one of the short stay (less than 90 days) Schengen visas. There are two types of tourist visas. One is for general tourist and the other for family and friends who wants to visit someone in Germany. More

Family reunification visas

We have several pages dedicated to Family reunification visas.

Family Reunification Visa – Your stories

These are shared experiences by people who recently went through a Family Reunification Visa application process. You can share yours with us via an easy-to-fill-in form on this page. Detailed Stories An FB member shared a more detailed experience. You can read it here. Another member, Tom, also shared his experience with us, you can read about it here Shared by Cheryl

Family Reunification Visa

“German citizens or citizens from non-EU countries who have an Aufenthaltserlaubnis (residence permit) or a Niederlassungserlaubnis (settlement permit) are allowed to bring their relatives to Germany. This is known as the ‘reunification of families. For short term family visits please refer to the relevant page.To enter Germany, the relatives require a visa; to continue to stay, they require a residence permit. A visa allows you to

Birth and Marriage Certificates

When a birth or marriage certificate is required, it must always be an unabridged copy.

Translations

Unless specifically asked for, documents that are in English do not need to be translated.

Apostil of documents

When something needs to be apostilled, it will say so explicitly on the Embassy website as in the example below. If you click on the arrow it will take you to this page, which states that documents must be apostilled by DIRCO

Medical insurance

Short-term visas

You need medical insurance for your whole trip.

TIC in South Africa is accepted by the Embassy.
You can also use the insurance offered by your Credit card but make sure it satisfies the minimum requirements from the Embassy.
Travelsure from Old Mutual is also accepted by the German Embassy in South Africa

July 2022 – Valid travel health insurance covering your requested stay with a minimum coverage of 30,000 euros, valid for all Schengen countries.

Try the following companies for insurance for older people:

TIC – leisure Senior
Klemmer – They also offer student cover
Allianz – Für Besucher aus dem Ausland und bis zu 93 Tagen Reisedauer – ohne Höchstalter
Axa – Schengen Travel Insurance
Dr Walter / Provisit
ADAC Die Reisekranken- und Haftpflichtversicherung für Ihre Gäste aus dem Ausland

Long-term visas

Time-limited visas like study, Au-Pair etc
You will need medical insurance to cover the whole period that you are in Germany. Good options are Klemmer or Dr Walter
Employee – Health insurance is mandatory, please bear in mind that this insurance can only begin when you take up residence in Germany and enter into employment. If you enter Germany beforehand, private health insurance must be taken out for the period before employment begins and before being eligible for health insurance. In its terms and conditions, travel health insurance can exclude protection if a long-term or permanent stay is planned.
So-called incoming travel insurance can also contain such exclusions, so make sure you know what your insurance covers.
TIC offers emigration cover but only for up to 32 days. Other options are Dr Walter / Provisit
Family reunification – you also need cover when you come to Germany on a family reunification visa. The same options as above apply.

Medical

Health insurance is mandatory for everyone visiting or living in Germany.When living in Germany you can either take our private (privaten Krankenversicherung – PKV) or public (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung – GKV) health insurance. Your choice will depend on your age, salary and employment

Rejected Visas

When your visa is denied, you can re-apply immediately afterwards. Fees are the same.

Travel to Germany – Tips

If you’re planning a trip to Germany, we’ve got some travel tips that we think you’ll find incredibly helpful. If you’ve got your own tips

List of Long Stay Visas

Long Term visas are seen as visits longer than 90 days and will typically be for work or study visits. If your application is approved,

List of Short stay Visas

According to the German Embassy in South Africa, “South African passport holders require a visa to enter Germany. It is important to note that if you

These are shared experiences by people who recently went through a Family Reunification Visa application process. You can share yours with us via an easy-to-fill-in form on this page.

Detailed Stories

An FB member shared a more detailed experience. You can read it here.
Another member, Tom, also shared his experience with us, you can read about it here

Shared by Cheryl on 03 May 2024

When did you apply for your FRV	2023-08-23
How many days did you wait before it was approved	82
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	German passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Engaged
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse applied for in Germany	German passport holder
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	We got married in Germany so it was not needed
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	We got married in Germany so it was not needed
Proof of language skills	A minimum of A1 level was required
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	It took 2 and a half years to get my Visa. These are the documents we needed to apply to get married in Germany Passport copies (I had these taken to a Notarised Attorney). Unabridged Birth Certificate (needed to be Apostilled and translated). Letter of Non-Impediment – I had to wait a year to get this from Home Affairs so get this as soon as you can (Apostilled and translated). “Versicherung zum Familienstand ( the only place I could get this was from the German Embassy(Eidesstattliche Versicherung) which ended up working in my favour as they helped me when they gave us trouble in Germany). Finally, on the 28th of July 2023, we were given permission to get married in Germany. We had time till the 05th of January 2024 to get married (I Got married on the 4th of January as I still had to apply for my Visa within this time). When I applied for my FRV I also gave my Verpflichtungserklarung which my Fiance needed to get in Germany. Hope this helps.

Shared by Lesego on 06 March 2024

When did you apply for your FRV	2024-02-06
How many days did you wait before it was approved	14
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	German passport
Marital Status at the time of application	In a relationship
Children	I am a parent to a German child (see next question)
Parent to a German Child	I am a parent to a German child and applied for the “parent to a minor German child” visa – as it is less restrictive and easier to obtain
Type of Visa your spouse applied for in Germany	German passport holder
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	No
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	No
Proof of language skills	Language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	i had initially applied for a Schengen visa for myself and baby. Embassy came back to say baby cannot be issued visa they need to apply for German passport. they further advised me to apply for national visa instead. email the embassy and plead your case, i find them understanding and helpful. i could apply for my national visa at the same time as baby’s passport. visa came relatively quick while we had to wait a while for baby’s passport. tip email the relevant channels. Tip email the relevant channels.

Shared by Julia on 16 February 2024

When did you apply for your FRV	2024-01-24
How many days did you wait before it was approved	19
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	German passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse applied for in Germany	German passport holder
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	A minimum of A1 level was required
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes

Shared by Angelica on 15 February 2024

When did you apply for your FRV	2024-01-09
How many days did you wait before it was approved	29
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	South African passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse applied for in Germany	Bluecard (Highly skilled)
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	Language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	My application was approved with High Court Apostile in Cape Town office. I emailed them before to ask if High Court apostile is ok and they said yes. Follow up with local Ausländerbehörde, I did after 2 weeks they said application wasn’t there yet, so I followed up with embassy again then after 2 weeks it was approved.

Shared by Tom on 03 December 2023, who also sent us detailed info that we added to this page

When did you apply for your FRV	2023-10-31
How many days did you wait before it was approved	23
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	German passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse applied for in Germany	German passport holder
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	A minimum of A1 level was required
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	We decided to emigrate last November. Between then and now we spent the time collecting the documents, resigning from jobs, making arrangements overseas etc.

Shared by Daichan on 17 November 2023

Name	Daichan
When did you apply for your FRV	2023-08-02
How many days did you wait before it was approved	78
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	German passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Engaged
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse applied for in Germany
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	We got married in Germany so it was not needed
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	We got married in Germany so it was not needed
Proof of language skills	A minimum of A1 level was required
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	Start with the language, home affairs to collect all documents Especially if you intend to marry in Germany.

Shared by Pride on 15 November 2023

When did you apply for your FRV	2023-10-04
How many days did you wait before it was approved	10
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	South African passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child
Type of Visa your spouse applied for in Germany	Work Visa (not Bluecard)
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	Language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	We applied for the visa in Germany, and then the spouse in Germany received an email from the Welcome Center asking them to confirm a few details including proof of accommodation, income, medical and a data protection form, the following day. There were some delays in getting some documents such as a nomore than 1 month proof of employment from the employer of the spouse in Germany, as companies do not necessarily respond instantly, so it took about 5 days to get the letter from the company employer. After that, documents were sent to the Welcome Center in Germany and then after 4 days we received an email that our application had been accepted in Germany and we should book a flight and buy travel insurance and send it to the Embassy in SA. After that, our visa was issued. It was quite a smooth journey and we didn’t need any language since the spouse abroad was on a research visa. The spouse coming to Germany is also allowed to work any type of job.

Shared by Julia on 05 October 2023

When did you apply for your FRV	2023-08-22
How many days did you wait before it was approved	38
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	German passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Engaged
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse applied for in Germany	German passport holder
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	We got married in Germany so it was not needed
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	We got married in Germany so it was not needed
Proof of language skills	A minimum of A1 level was required
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	From getting engaged to getting the visa it tools us about 6 months. The longest process was getting the unabridged birth certificate and letter of no impediment, both with apostille. Agencies can get the documents faster, but they said they don’t have an influence on the time the apostille will take. The visa application itself went rather smoothly since we had all the documents required. The bottleneck here always seems to be the alien office in your town in Germany! After not hearing anything for 5 weeks we called the alien office at our town in Germany and only a few days later it was approved! So if you apply for this visa keep in mind to try calling the alien office in the town your moving to in Germany, hopefully they will then start processing it.

Shared by Matthew on 21 August 2023

When did you apply for your FRV	2023-05-03
How many days did you wait before it was approved	110
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	She has a Turkish passport with EU Blue Card residency in Germany
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse applied for in Germany	Bluecard (Highly skilled)
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	We got married in Germany so it was not needed
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	We got married in Germany so it was not needed
Proof of language skills	Language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	We had an agency helping us and they followed up with the visa authorities in Germany. We think that the visa application may have been on hold due to additional documents that were required. We were contacted two weeks earlier asking for payslips of my wife and update rental agreement from the landlord. Two weeks after that the visa was issued.

Shared by Liezl on 15 May 2023

When did you apply for your FRV	2022-09-29
How many days did you wait before it was approved	184
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	Dual SA and DE
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse applied for in Germany
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	A minimum of A1 level was required
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	Definitely study well for the A1 exam. It’s costly and can cost you time waiting for the next exam date. Appostile all your unabridged documents. I also translated them into German and have found that to be helpful once converting my drivers. Our application was delayed because the Ausländerbehörde was extremely busy in our small town. Also our 10 year marriage wasn’t registered in Germany and was mistaken for it happening in Germany and not in SA, causing confusion.. We got a family member who speaks German to communicate to the manager at the Ausländerbehörde who reluctantly helped. Delay could’ve been avoided if they bothered to reach out to us and ask. All in all be prepared to wait more than the stated 3 months.

Shared by Chantell on 26 April 2023

When did you apply for your FRV	2023-03-08
How many days did you wait before it was approved	35
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	South African passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse applied for in Germany	Work Visa (not Bluecard)
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	A minimum of A1 level was required
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	No
Tips you would like to share	Start with German A1 as soon as you can as this can take time with finding a date for your test. This was the thing that hold us back the longest. I went through Goethe Institute in Johannesburg and they were great. I received the results of my test within a week but I had to wait for two months to write because of the date for tests they have available. Start with the Apostille of Unabridged Marriage Certificates 6 months prior if you can and Expedite through companies given on the site. It’s affordable for the time that they get the certificates back to you. Once you make your appointment make sure you have all your documents otherwise the process will be delayed. Good Luck!

Shared by Mariska in March 2023

When did you apply for your FRV	2023-01-11
How many days did you wait before it was approved	62
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	German passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse have for Germany	German passport holder
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	Language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	The wait is emotionally and mentally draining. Being away from your spouse is not easy. Keep in mind – The Embassy sends your application to the authorities at the Ausländerbehörde in the area you’re emigrating to. If/when you follow up, make sure it’s to the correct Ausländerbehörde. My advice is to give it a few weeks before following up. Even though we never got feedback from the Ausländerbehörde, it’s worth a try. The Embassy can’t give you information regarding the process, but we still sent them emails and their response time was quite good. As difficult as it is, you’ve got to have patience and a little bit of faith. (; Good luck x

Shared by Ryan in March 2023

When did you apply for your FRV	2023-02-21
How many days did you wait before it was approved	28
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	German passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Engaged
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse have for Germany	German passport holder
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	No
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	No
Proof of language skills	A minimum of A1 level was required
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	It took 10 days to receive an email from the Aliens Office, and other couple weeks to hear back from the Consulate in Cape Town. I thing home affairs here also gets a bad rep and DIRCO for the apostille. I read so many horror stories but in reality, it was a breeze. On the German end, it may have taken quicker because we are registered to marry at a smaller quieter Rathaus in the country side.

Shared by Jemma in February 2023

When did you apply for your FRV	2023-01-04
How many days did you wait before it was approved	42
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	South African passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	Our children have only South African passports
Parent to a German Child
Type of Visa your spouse have for Germany	Work Visa (not Bluecard)
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	Language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	The wait is hard and it takes multiple emails to the Ausländerbehörde to get an answer sometimes. My experience is if they have no update then they simply won’t respond.

Shared by Retha in December 2022

When did you apply for your FRV	2022-11-11
How many days did you wait before it was approved	38
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	Dual SA and DE
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse have for Germany	German passport holder
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	The language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	After your appointment at the embassy, it takes the application 3-4 weeks to reach the ausländerbehörde in Germany. We started following up with them after 3 weeks had passed. The language certificate requirement was waived as I am colloquially fluent in German (B2ish level) so I had my entire visa interview in German at the embassy. I saw on international groups that the rule of thumb for approaching the language requirement this way is, you should be a letter grade higher than required. So if you need A1, you should speak at least B1 level German.

Shared by Rosa in December 2022

When did you apply for your FRV	2022-11-18
How many days did you wait before it was approved	14
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	EU passport (not German)
Marital Status at the time of application	In a relationship
Children	Our children have only South African passports
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse have for Germany	Work Visa (not Bluecard)
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	No
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	The language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share

Shared by Chrisni in November 2022

When did you apply for your FRV	2022-08-10
How many days did you wait before it was approved	104
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	Dual SA and DE
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	I am a parent to a German child (see next question)
Parent to a German Child	I am a parent to a German child and applied for the “parent to a minor German child” visa – as it is less restrictive and easier to obtain
Type of Visa your spouse have for Germany	German passport holder
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	Language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	It’s worth finding out which municipality your place of residence is in, and emailing the Ausländbehorde there if things seem to take a while. I would likely still be waiting for my visa if I didn’t mail them, as my application fell through the cracks due to a staff change.

Shared by Magdelie in November 2022

When did you apply for your FRV	2022-02-16
How many days did you wait before it was approved	180
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	South African passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse has for Germany	Work Visa (not Bluecard)
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	A minimum of A1 level was required
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	As a lot of people moving to Germany can attest, permanent housing is not always very quickly found. In the event that you are moving to a smaller town, ensure that there are not multiple Auslanderbehörde for different regions of the town. This is what caused the delay for my visa, since my husband’s different AirBnB’s fell under 2 different ABH despite the fact that the 2 areas were part of the main city. This resulted in my application being ping-ponged between 2 ABH and the Embassy in SA, which delayed the entire process to a total of 6 months.

Shared by Eric on 03 October 2022

When did you apply for your FRV	2022-08-03
How many days did you wait before it was approved	54
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	South African passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	I am a parent to a German child (see next question)
Parent to a German Child	I am a parent to a German child and applied for the “parent to a minor German child” visa – as it is less restrictive and easier to obtain
Type of Visa your spouse have for Germany	German passport holder
Did you need an Unabridged marriage certificate	Yes
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	Language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	To start, if your child does not yet have a German passport and you are considering emigrating in future, get it done ASAP. It took us 5 months to get the name declaration done and another 6 weeks for the passport. This lead to me applying for the visa later than expected and we got seperated. They did accept just the name declaration at the appointment as proof of German citizenship, but when it ended up in Germany a few weeks later they required copy of passport as well as our marriage certificate for some reason even though it was reunification to child. In both cases, the ND & Passport application as well as for the visa, had family following up on the German side. At time of application my wife and daughter were still in SA so I put my father-in-law as my sponsor with their address as that’s where we’d be staying while we get things in order.

Shared by Samuel 28 July 2022

When did you apply for your FRV	2022-05-11
How many days did you wait before it was approved	43
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	German passport
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	No children involved
Parent to a German Child	NA
Type of Visa your spouse have for Germany	German passport holder
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	A minimum of A1 level was required
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	1. Apply to a smaller district if possible. I was told that in the bigger cities, these applications can take many months! 2. After a month or so (they send your application to Germany in hardcopy, so give it time to arrive) try to find the person that is responsible for your application at your local municipality and call and email them frequently (in German helps – I got my wife and mother-in-law to phone). It looks like once they become aware of the application they process it quite quickly.

Shared by Tasneem 29 July 2022

When did you apply for your FRV	2021-09-14
How many days did you wait before it was approved	36
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	Dual SA and DE
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	I am a parent to a German child (see next question)
Parent to a German Child	I am a parent to a German child and applied for the “parent to a minor German child” visa – as it is less restrictive and easier to obtain
Type of Visa your spouse have for Germany	German passport holder
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	Yes
Proof of language skills	Language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes

Shared by Vaughn 28 July 2022

When did you apply for your FRV	2019-01-07
How many days did you wait before it was approved	14
Nationality of the person applying for a FRV	South African passport
The nationality of your spouse whom you will be joining in Germany	Dual SA and DE
Marital Status at the time of application	Married
Children	I am a parent to a German child (see next question)
Parent to a German Child	I am a parent to a German child but applied for a spousal visa
Type of Visa your spouse have for Germany	German passport holder
Did you need to have your marriage certificate apostilled	No
Proof of language skills	Language requirement was waived
Are you allowed to work once you are in Germany	Yes
Tips you would like to share	All certificates (marriage and birth) had to be unabridged but not apostilled. As I have a German child (dual SA, DE citizenship), the A1 language requirement was waived however I still did the Goethe A1 test and used it in my application. For proof of medical insurance, I obtained 3 months travel insurance and then went on a krankenkasse the first week in Germany. Book your appointment at the Auslanderbehörde as soon as possible once arriving in Germany and try to take someone fluent in German with you. You may have to do a mandatory integration course, it is hard to do as it is 3-4 hours daily for about a year, but it helps you integrate and gets you to B1.

Family Reunification Visa

“German citizens or citizens from non-EU countries who have an Aufenthaltserlaubnis (residence permit) or a Niederlassungserlaubnis (settlement permit) are allowed to bring their relatives to

List of Long Stay Visas

Long Term visas are seen as visits longer than 90 days and will typically be for work or study visits. If your application is approved,

Getting married

Getting married in Germany can be a bureaucratic nightmare, especially if you are not German.We receive a lot of questions regarding marriage on our FB

Help others to understand the Spousal visa or Family Reunification Visa (FRV) process by sharing your experiences.
We will add it to our website on this page

Family Reunification Visa

21/01/2022 No Comments

“German citizens or citizens from non-EU countries who have an Aufenthaltserlaubnis (residence permit) or a Niederlassungserlaubnis (settlement permit) are allowed to bring their relatives to

List of Long Stay Visas

15/08/2021 No Comments

Long Term visas are seen as visits longer than 90 days and will typically be for work or study visits. If your application is approved,

Getting married

05/04/2021 No Comments

Getting married in Germany can be a bureaucratic nightmare, especially if you are not German.We receive a lot of questions regarding marriage on our FB

How soon can you apply

Duly completed application forms may be submitted six months prior to your intended travel date. Do not wait too long to apply, our suggestion is at the latest two weeks before the planned travel.

Proof of Willingness to return to South Africa

This section is extremely important. You can also elaborate on the invitation letter.
The following are listed as proof of Employment by the embassy

If employed: current letter of employment with an original signature)
If self-employed: company registration document
If student: current proof of school/university registration confirming that the student is exempt from attending lectures during the requested travel period, with an original signature. This is also relevant for school-going children. They will need to have a letter stating that they are exempt from attending class, or that it is a school holiday period.
If medical doctor: valid license to practice from HPSCA and copy of the HPCSA card
if other employment situation: current proof of occupation

Unemployed/Retired:

If unemployed or retired:
Copy of ID of Spouse and Marriage Certificate or Birth Certificate of minor children

If unemployed or retired and single without minor children:

proof of financial assets
proof of Property Ownership and/or proof of residency and/or Pension certificate

Note: Proof of Residence can be a utility bill/rental agreement/signed letter from the property owner with a copy of their ID

Proof of financial status and sufficient funds

The requirement is 45 euros per person per day (2022)
This can be proved by the visitor submitting their own bank statements for the last three months or the host can sign a formal letter of obligation for the person they are inviting (Verpflichtungserklärung)

Verpflichtungserklärung – Sponsoring someone’s visit

One of the requirements for both short-term and long-term (National) Schengen Visas is Proof of financial status and sufficient funds. When you want to sponsor someone’s visit, for example, your parents or other family members, and they cannot prove their own financial means, you need to complete a legalised letter of obligation or “Verpflichtungserklärung”. This form

Documents proving purpose of travel

The following must be included by the applicant as proof of the Purpose of Travel
Invitation letter from the inviting party, with dates, names, addresses and signature
Copy of passport of the inviting party
Copy of the residence permit of the inviting party, if you do not have a residence permit yet, add a copy of your Meldebestätigung
Letter confirming that the applicant was granted leave from their company (if employed)
If the Invitation does not include accommodation: Proof of accommodation including the complete address for your entire stay in the Schengen area
Flight reservation (round trip), rail tickets and others if applicable.

The invitation letter should include the following:

The travel dates
The name, address, and ID number (Aufenhaltstitel) and if applicable your South African passport information of the inviting party
Names of your guests, and their passport numbers
Inviting party’s signature

The following is a suggestion to add to the invitation letter:

A short paragraph explaining the relationship (old friend, grandparents etc), a short itinerary and some proof that your guest will return to South Africa again and on time
If they have a rental agreement, this can also be attached to support their intention of returning.

If the invitation does not include accommodation at your home:
Proof of accommodation including the complete address for their entire stay in the Schengen area must be added.

Here is an Example Invitation letter as a suggestion. You can also find examples here:

Germany-Visa – Invitation Letter
Schengenvisasinfo – Invitation letter

Flight tickets

As part of the Documents proving the purpose of travel, a flight reservation(round trip) is required.

According to TLSContact, you can submit a flight itinerary, and once the visa is granted buy the real tickets. This is a bit of a grey area, as the Embassy also want proof that the person will return to South Africa, and real flight tickets are added proof thereof. Also, see Schengenvisainfo

Flight itinerary – a detailed schedule of flights including departure and arrival times, airlines, flight numbers etc.
Flight reservation – This is not an actual flight ticket, but a reservation on the airline’s system.
Flight tickets – Actual flight tickets issued in your name

Overseas medical travel insurance for Schengen States

Insurance by TIC, a South African company, is accepted by the Embassy and is well known in the travel industry.
Travelsure from Old Mutual is also accepted by the German Embassy in South Africa

Try the following companies for insurance for older people:

TIC – leisure Senior
Klemmer – They also do student cover
Allianz – Für Besucher aus dem Ausland und bis zu 93 Tagen Reisedauer – ohne Höchstalter
Axa – Schengen Travel Insurance
Dr Walter / Provisit
ADAC Die Reisekranken- und Haftpflichtversicherung für Ihre Gäste aus dem Ausland

Children

Children will also need a passport and a visa to visit Germany. South African school-going children will need a letter from their school stating that they are exempt from attending classes or that the trip will take place during the school holidays.

Additional documents needed for children under the age of 18 for Visa application:

Full unabridged birth certificate (containing father’s and mother’s name) in original and copy
Guardian’s/parents’ declaration of consent signed by both guardians/parents in original and copy from Home Affairs
Copy of the first page of the passport of parents/legal guardian(s)

The rules for travelling with children travelling through South African Ports of Entry, accompanied and unaccompanied can be found on the Department of home affairs website.
– Here is a link to the Suggested Parental consent letter from the Department of Home Affairs. It does not need to be notarised.

Visas

Visitors can be issued with a single, double or multiple entry visa. Tip – always select multiple entries on the application form.
The reason for their visit and any restrictions will be added to their visa. When you have family that visits you often they can apply for a long-term visa valid for one, three or five years depending on the applicant’s visa and travel history. The 90/180-day rule will still apply
More info can be found on the SchengenVisaInfo website.

Single-entry visa

A single-entry visa allows its holder to enter the Schengen Area only once, within the given period of time, as mentioned in the visa sticker affixed to their passport. Once the visa holder exits the Schengen territory, he or she can no longer go back, even if they have not spent there the number of days as permitted by the embassy that issued them the visa.

Some people confuse the single-entry visa, thinking that it is about the number of countries the visa holder is permitted to visit and that it allows them to enter one single country. In fact, the territory you are permitted to visit is given close to the “Valid for” tag on your visa sticker, whereas the time you are permitted to stay is given close to the “Number of entries” tag.

Multiple-entry visa

A multiple-entry visa allows its holder to go in and out of the Schengen Area as many times as he or she wants, as soon as they do not violate the 90/180 rule.

Based on how frequently you travel to the Schengen zone, you may apply and obtain one of the following multiple-entry visa types:

1-year multiple-entry visa
3-year multiple-entry visa
5-year multiple-entry visa

Source: SchengenVisaInfo

There are three types of Schengen visas. Type “A” is for airport transit, “C” is for a short stay (> 90 days) and “D” is a long stay (<90 days) visa. Visitors will get a Type “C” Visa

How to check the visa restrictions:

Gültig für/Valid for – Is it valid only for Germany or for the Schengen states
The reason for your visit and any restrictions
Number of entries – MULT (Multiple) double, or Single entry

Illegal downloads

Be aware of possible fines for illegal downloads by visitors

Downloading Music, Movies etc

Copyrights in Germany are governed by GEMA, a government-mandated collecting society and performance rights organization. GEMA: The Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte, or

Insurance for Guests from abraod

Your guests will have to take out travel insurance for their visa application. Something you can do to op that is take out Insurance for foreign guests here in Germany. It can cover damage to rental property liability insurance and medical treatment. It of course depends on the policy you choose. It offers you and your guests additional peace of mind.

Some providers offering Insurance for Guests:

HanseMerkur – Versicherungen für ausländische Gäste
ADAC – Incoming-Versicherungen

Flying with Children

Flying with Children Travelling with small kids can be an amazing experience but also quite a task especially when it involves long flights. One of the key

General Travel tips – Booking Flights

This page is dedicated to helping you make the best choices when it comes to planning your travels. We have information about Airlines that fly

Visa application tips

We are not immigration agents, and your first point of contact should always be the German embassy or consulate in South Africa.Most of the information

Travel to Germany – Tips

If you’re planning a trip to Germany, we’ve got some travel tips that we think you’ll find incredibly helpful. If you’ve got your own tips

List of Short stay Visas

According to the German Embassy in South Africa, “South African passport holders require a visa to enter Germany. It is important to note that if you

Travel ideas within Germany

Germany is a beautiful country with diverse landscapes and many regional specialties.To add your suggestions please submit it via this form Below are some travel

One of the requirements for both short-term and long-term (National) Schengen Visas is Proof of financial status and sufficient funds.

When you want to sponsor someone’s visit, for example, your parents or other family members, and they cannot prove their own financial means, you need to complete a legalised letter of obligation or “Verpflichtungserklärung”.

This form can only be obtained from the Ausländerbehörde or Bürgerbüro you are registered at.
They will have an interview with you to get all the relevant information, then fill in the form online, and print it out for you.
The current cost (April 2023) is €29. A quick search for “wieviel kostet eine Verpflichtungserklärung” will give you the latest price

You can send an email copy to the person you are sponsoring, for them to add to their Visa application.
The embassy (according to many members) will accept an email copy.
You can only submit a declaration of commitment if you have a sufficient income of your own and do not claim any financial support from the state. As a rule, you will have to provide appropriate proof (e.g. proof of accommodation, income and insurance). If your income alone is not sufficient, a Declaration of Commitment can also be submitted jointly by two or more persons.

Requirements

The requirements might differ for each Federal State (Bundesländer) so always ensure you have the latest requirements. An internet search for “Verpflichtungserklärung + the name of the town you live in” should give you the relevant information. Some bigger cities also have the information available in English, search for “Letter of obligation, or Formal Obligation, declaration of commitment, or letter of commitment” and of course the name of the town you live in. More info can be found on the Germany-visa website.

As an example here are the requirements for a short-term visit to Hamburg.

As a host, you need to appear in person and supply the following documentation:

Filled out “Angaben zur Verpflichtungserklärung” Form. This can be filled out at the Behörde and they will print it out for you
Your valid passport. Or, a national ID card
Copy of the passport of the persons you are sponsoring, personal details like first and last name, date and place of birth, and their address abroad
Proof that you are a legal resident in Germany. For example your German residence permit.
Proof that you have sufficient income or savings. This can be one of the following
- Salary statements for the past 3 months, or
- Contract of your employment, or
- A formal letter from your employer, issued in the past 2 weeks. It must confirm you are still employed by them.
Proof of your accommodation This can be any of the following.
- Confirmation of registration.
- Rental contract. It has to be supported by a letter of confirmation from the landlord of the rented place.

* All documents must be presented both in original and in copy.

More information on the web

Germany-visa.org
Handbook Germany
Gesetze-im-internet section 68 Liability for living expense

Important

The Verplichtungserklärung is a formal obligation whereby you commit towards the total cost of the guest’s visit, including accommodation and medical expenses if they do not have medical cover. It also includes any repatriation fees and legal fees.

It is by default valid for 6 months for a Schengen visa and 5 years for a National D Visa, but you can request to make it shorter for just the period of their visit.

Here is the link to the documents required to get a tourist visa for Germany:
Checklist for a Short-Term Visa

The requirements for the National Visa will depend on the type of visa you apply for.

Also, be aware of possible fines for illegal downloads by visitors

Downloading Music, Movies etc

Copyrights in Germany are governed by GEMA, a government-mandated collecting society and performance rights organization. GEMA: The Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte, or in English, the society for musical performing and mechanical reproduction rights. Germany has stringent copyright laws.Do not violate copyright laws by illegally downloading a film, music, or other web content. Inform yourself about what is allowed and what the penalties are for not adhering to the rules.You can also be held responsible for any downloads in your household, also from visitors using your internet connection. Article from Deutsche Welle about illegal downloads and what to do

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Proof of Willingness to return to South Africa

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Illegal downloads

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Requirements

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