The following was shared with us by a fellow South African

Whew… our visa has been approved. I am so happy and excited to finally share our experience here as I finally feel like I can breathe again. This is a pretty in-depth, comprehensive guide but this is all entirely true and accurate and non-embellished or based on hearsay. Note that my wife was able to stay here in SA during this process and didn’t have to be in Germany with a registered address etc.

My wife (30, German & South African Dual Citizen) and I (32, South African Passport Holder) decided to emigrate to Germany last year in November after spending several weeks there travelling and visiting her family. I work in the restaurant industry at an executive franchise level and my wife is a sales & development representative for a Crossfit Gym Booking software company based in Cape Town, but busy expanding into the DACH (Deutschland, Austria & Switzerland) Market. The best option for us was going to be to apply for a Family Reunification Visa.

After returning from Germany last December, we began the process of collecting documents and analysing time frames in order to emigrate between the end of July 2023 and December 2023. We tried our best to collate waiting times so we didn’t have to wait for big chunks for just one document. Oh how wrong we were!

I did my research on this group and on the https://www.southafricansingermany.de/ website, as well as on the German Consulate website https://southafrica.diplo.de/sa-en, as well as receiving advice from friends in this group and ‘South Africans in Berlin’. Surprisingly, the German consulate in Cape Town was incredibly helpful. They are willing to help via email and usually reply pretty fast with even small queries – I had a visa overstay of 4 days while in Germany last year (a complete mistake) and they were helpful in helping me find out information about it. If you have the same issue… you will only know if its going to be an issue when you apply for your visa. Fortunately, I received communication after a YEAR from the Berlin police that all charges had been dropped – my nerves!)

First on the agenda was the A1 German Language course through the Goethe Institute in Gardens, Cape Town. I learnt a few lessons here.

1. Book first, then start preparing. Don’t wait until you’re proficient and/or ready for the exam to book. Book a date in the future and then work towards it. Secondly, the intensive course where you go in every day may be quick but it’s incredibly inconvenient if you’re working. I bought an online A1 Preparation course through https://www.germanteacherluzi.com/ and I found this to be incredibly helpful. The workbook is thorough and while it may be a mission to get through, it gives you a really good foundation.

2. The Goethe Institute recommends you prepare using their practice tests on their website (https://www.goethe.de/ins/de/en/prf/prf/gzsd1/ueb.html). Do not ignore this instruction – the exam itself is basically a rearrangement of their practice papers. Put simply, if you are able to complete their practice tests fairly well, you will do fine. The test is broken up into 4 parts – hearing, reading, writing and speaking. The 3 written parts (hearing, reading and writing) are conducted in an examination room, while the speaking part is done in groups in a classroom with the examiners where they hold several easy conversations. Decent pronunciation helps as it makes it sound like you’re more proficient than perhaps you are (saying Ich properly instead of ‘Ish’ helped)

Then came the rest of the documents. One thing that was important and could’ve eased a lot of stress – the only documents we needed were the ones listed in the application. I saw all sorts of stories about police clearance certificates, and tax clearance certificates, and panicked that these would take time. In the end, we only needed the documents listed in their form: https://southafrica.diplo.de/…/visad-req-fam-reuni…

A note here – have 2 manila folders with your documents in them – they should be exactly alike and have all documents in order, i.e. 2x application ‘packs’. When you arrive for the appointment you think they’re going to be slow and methodical. Nope. They open the folder and just start blazing through the documents. If you’re not concentrating it’ll be over before you know it, so it helps to have everything organised ahead of time instead of scrambling for a passport copy.

Application Form – easy enough – helps to have your German spouse next to you when you do it with all passport numbers and details available.
Passport – your passport – check it’s valid – sometimes we forget
Photo – include a couple in each pack – we had 2 per pack
Marriage certificate – this is important. This marriage certificate needs to be unabridged AND apostilled. I would recommend (STRONGLY) using Sintiche from SP Document Trade (info@sp-documents.co.za/https://www.sp-documents.co.za/) for this process. Her turnover times were phenomenally fast, and we would’ve been in Germany months ago if we had gone this route first (we used someone else to get our unabridged marriage certificate which took 8 weeks, then another 9 weeks for the Apostille only to find out DIRCO had lost our documents, which is when I discovered SP document trade and she achieved the entire process in just over a week).
Copy of Spouse’s
Proof of Health Insurance – technically they only need this when the visa is APPROVED. The process is usually, you hand in your documents and your visa is sent off to the relevant Ausländerbehörde in Germany. If your visa is approved, they contact you and ask for your flight details and proof of health insurance while in Germany, you send those things, and they issue your visa ready for collection at the consulate. In our case, I was over-organised and got the proof of health insurance when we applied on the 31st of October 2023. The lady handling the application seemed happy I had it and when they approved the visa they only asked for flight information, meaning the health insurance was considered during the application. This is as simple as going to the Discovery website and navigating to the travel insurance page https://www.discovery.co.za/…/travelling-internationally and requesting a certificate. Do this a few days before your appointment so the dates are suitable, and print it out ready for your appointment.
Proof of German Knowledge A1 level – see above.
Copies of the checklist

That was IT. The rest of the document was only applicable if my partner was neither a German nor an EU citizen, and she is, so not necessary.

There was, however, a sneaky trick to the tale… regardless of saying all we needed was what the application form said (which is true, in essence) I read somewhere on this page that if you have a reference letter from a person in Germany to say that you’ll be staying with them and that they’ll be supporting you (even if you are only staying with them for a short time when you arrive), your application will (and this is very important) be sent to the Ausländerbehörde nearest their address.

We had my wife’s Godmother in Langelsheim, Goslar write a reference letter (including her ID number, her address and intention of support and accommodation) and include 2 copies of her ID. The woman handling our application was happy when she saw this and took the letter gladly as part of the application.

This is important – if you do NOT have a reference letter, your application will be sent to the main Ausländerbehörde in Berlin and your processing time can be anywhere from a couple of weeks to 3 months (I have seen people on here that got approved the day before 3 months was up, and, even worse if you look at the southafricansingermany.de website, some people waited longer due to complications). I firmly believe that because our application was sent to Goslar Landkreis (the local Ausländerbehörde), the application was extremely speedy. In my mind, the guy who handled our application in Germany (ironically named Tom) was sitting at his desk when our paperwork came in and exclaimed “An application! A chance to use my new stamp!” and quickly processed it, compared to the mountains of applications going into Berlin. If you do not have a chance to get a reference letter, your application will perhaps take longer (although I have seen cases take only a few weeks, but the best is to budget for the full 3 months, as horrible as it may seem).

I also read on here that following up after 2 weeks from the Ausländerbehörde that your application went to is a good idea, so I waited with bated breath, and when we did correspond they sent us an email insisting we desist from following up again (so German). Regardless, somehow our mail got through the filter and they replied a couple of days later (Monday, November 20th) saying that they had sent communication regarding the status of our application to the German Consulate in Cape Town. We then sent them an email on Tuesday the 21st, and by Wednesday the 22nd they had replied saying the visa had been approved and we should send flight booking confirmation (if you didn’t have health insurance proof at your appointment I presume they would ask for this too). They didn’t say we had to leave within a certain time frame but we booked for about 3 weeks after the approval date (22nd November – 10th December).

After all that – tickets are booked, bags are being packed, Facebook Marketplace is being used, the car is being sold and smiles are on faces as we’re waiting for next Sunday (December 10th) to come when we’ll board a plane to start our new life! A wise recommendation, if you do manage to get a reference letter, stay with that person for a week or two in order to get an Anmeldung, a bank account, a tax ID, a SCHUFA and a bit of a breather before heading into the apartment/house hunt.

Au Pair in Germany

Au Pair is by definition a young foreign person, typically a woman, who helps with childcare and childcare-related housework in exchange for food, a room and some pocket money.
Young men can also apply for Au Pair positions
The aim of being an Au Pair is to improve their language skills and get to know the culture of the host family.
An Au Pair you can be asked to do light housework, but the main duties are childcare.
You cannot be from the same country as your host family, For South Africans, this means you cannot work for a South African Family in Germany unless there is an adult German national in the family.
You cannot Au Pair for someone if there is a family relationship between you and the host family
For third-country nationals, employment may only take place in host families in which German is the mother tongue

What you need to know

Age

Third country nationals between the age of 18 and 26 can apply for Au Pair positions in Germany.
If you are an EU citizen you can apply up to the age of 30.

Experience

The applicant does not need a formal childcare qualification, but a genuine interest in children and caring for them is important.

Education

An Abitur equivalent qualification is preferred but not required.

Salary

An Au Pair does not earn a salary, but gets pocket money. The 2023 pocket money rate is €280 per month.
Board and lodging must be provided for by the host family.

Accomodation

Board and lodging must be provided for free to the au pair. They take part in the communal meals and eat the same food as the family. If a specific diet is desired, this must be stated in the application
This must be an individual room in the family’s home and have a window, heating and a minimum size of 9 sq meters.
The room must have a lock.

Work Contract

Before the start of the au pair relationship, a written contract detailing the mutual rights and obligations must be finalised.
If harmonious coexistence is not possible, the au pair agency should be informed as soon as possible. They will try to get as objective a picture as possible and to find a solution that is acceptable to both sides. If there is a serious reason, the au pair relationship can be terminated without notice.
Au pair contracts are usually for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 12 months.
If the applicant worked as an Au Pair previously in Germany or changed their visa type from Au pair to another type (for example Ausbildung) they cannot apply for further Au Pair positions in Germany. Renewed employment as an Au Pair is not possible, even if the max period of 12 months has not been reached.
Working hours is max 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week. Overtime must be compensated in time.
Taking care of private matters for example keeping your room clean, does not count as housework time.
The Au Pair is entitled to at least 1.5 full days off per week. At least one Sunday per month must be free.
At least 4 evenings per week must be free.
They must have free time for language courses, religious activities, cultural events and excursions.
If the work contract is for a full year, four weeks pad vacation must be granted else they are entitled to two working days for each full month worked
If the family goes on vacation and take the Au Pair with, it counts as work time if the Au Pair must perform certain task and have obligations like looking after the children. It counts as a holiday if attendance is not compulsory and only insignificant tasks have to be taken on.

Duties

The daily tasks of an Au Pair depend on the characteristics and lifestyle of the host family.

The main responsibility is to assist with childcare but light housework can also be part of the duties. These can include supervising younger children, accompanying them to kindergarten or school, and taking them for walks or to certain events.
Duties can also include light housework for example, preparing breakfast or other simple meals, keeping the house clean and tidy, and washing and ironing.
Duties do not include caring for the sick or elderly.
It is important to be clear about what is expected by the host family.
Get everything in writing.

Legal

The “European Agreement on Au Pair Employment” passed by the Council of Europe in 1969 contains framework regulations on living and working conditions, language classes, social security and the rights and obligations of the host family and the au pair.
This convention has not been affirmed by the Federal Republic of Germany, and is therefore not considered legally binding. However, the significant criteria of the convention are considered applicable within the Federal Republic of Germany.
Gesetze im Internet Section 12 Au pair employment

Language

The minimum language requirement is German on level A1 of the Common European language Framework. This means the au pair can understand and use familiar, everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at meeting specific needs. They can introduce themselves and others and ask other people questions about themselves
The host family must allow time for the Au Pair to attend an in-person language course and must pay 840 per year or €70 per month towards the language course costs. The obligation only exists insofar as the respective expenses are actually incurred. However, the au pair must bear the costs for other events themselves. The host family must also pay the necessary travel expenses to attend the nearest German language course that is suitable for the au pair.
The rest of the cost must be covered by the Au Pair.

Learning German

There are several approaches to learn German, all of which can help you achieve your language learning goals. You can opt for convenient online sites that offer a range of language courses

Marital status

The applicant may be married.

Health Insurance

According to the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, the host family is responsible for arranging health, accident and liability insurance coverage and for bearing the costs.

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.

Benefits

There are many benefits to working as an Au Pair.

The opportunity to explore Germany.
Experience a the German culture.
A great way to improve your German language skills.

Emergencies

The first point of contact in emergencies is the placement agency. When this is not possible, Au Pairs can contact the counselling service or the hotline of the Aupair Society e.V.
These numbers are intended for emergency calls only.

Emergency hotline – telephone counseling: + 49 – 800 111 0 111 or + 49 – 800 111 0 222 2
Emergency hotline Aupair Society e.V.: + 49 – 800 110 287 247

Visa application Tips

Au pairs from South Africa need a residence permit (visa/residence permit). The residence permit must be applied for in the form of a visa (National Type D) before entering Germany at the German embassy or diplomatic mission
Approval to take up employment is granted with the residence permit if the Federal Employment Agency has approved the employment. Therefore, the visa entitles you directly to the employment specified in the visa. However, you should not start working before you have received your visa or residence permit. Before the visa expires, which is usually issued for three months, you must apply for a residence permit at the immigration office responsible for your place of residence. The local foreigners authority is also the first point of contact for questions about residence and employment.
You must be able to pay for your own travel cost to Germany
You need a motivational letter in German and it is important to show your ties to South Africa and your plans to return back home
You must supply CV in German
Apply for a police clearance certificate well ahead of time, but remember the certificate is only valid for 6 months
Visa Checklist from the German Embassy in South Africa
You can look for a host family yourself, but It is advisable to work through an agency.

Where to search for Au Pair positions

Information on the web

The Arbeitsagentur
Leaflet from the Arbeitsagentur
The German Embassy in South Africa
The BAMF website
Gütegemeinschaft Au Pair

Volunteering

People from 3rd world countries can apply to do volunteer service in Germany. There are four types of Voluntary services in Germany, that you can apply

Moving to Germany

Moving to a new country can be both exciting and overwhelming at the same time. The thought of starting a new chapter in your life

The German Vocational Training System

An Ausbildung is a form of vocational training or apprenticeship where a student attends school and works simultaneously. The student gains both theoretical and practical

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,

Moving to a new country is a wonderful opportunity to start a new life. The biggest hardship in my opinion is leaving your loved ones behind, especially your elderly parents.
Many people are asking if it is possible as a third-country national, with permanent residence in Germany to bring their parents along to live with them.
Germany unfortunately does not a retirement visa.
New changes to the Immigration laws (from 01 March 2024) made it easier for parents of skilled workers to join them in Germany. Previously, and in some cases still valid, your parents could come to Germany on a Family reunification visa (FRV) only if they can prove hardship.

Family reunification visa

For Third-country nationals, dependent family members like spouses, children to foreign parents, and parents of a German minor can apply for a family reunification visa (FRV).
According to BAMF:
Parents or other family members (Third Country nationals)
If you are the parent or parent-in-law of a skilled worker working in Germany, you may be able to come to Germany under certain circumstances. Other family members may only come to Germany in all other cases to prevent exceptional hardship. If you are a parent or parent-in-law of skilled workers and highly-qualified persons, you have the opportunity to come to Germany if your child’s or child-in-law’s residence title was first issued on or after 1 March 2024. For this to be possible, your subsistence must be ensured, including sufficient health and long-term care insurance cover, from your own financial resources.

The requirements for a family reunification visa be found on the German embassy in South Africa website.

Previously you had to prove that your parent(s) are destitute (hardship) and that there is nobody else in South Africa, who can care for your parent(s). When there is nobody else, you can apply for them to join you in Germany. You will have to provide evidence that you can only care for them here in Germany. Hardship also means they do not have the financial means to look after themselves.

Keep the following in mind:
Keep in mind you will have to commit to financing their medical, accommodation and day-to-day expenses. They might be allowed to live with you, but then you need to have enough space in your home. Medical for someone who has never contributed to the system, and who is advanced in their age, is very expensive.
It is a difficult and expensive process, and we wish you all the best in this journey. Speak to your local Ausländerbörde and see how they can assist you. The applicable law is Section 36 of the “Act on the Residence, Economic Activity and Integration of Foreigners in the Federal Territory”

The English version has not been updated yet to reflect the new laws. Here is a link to the German website.

Roughly translated
“The parents of a foreigner who, on or after March 1, 2024, for the first time received an EU Blue Card, an ICT card or a Mobile ICT card or a residence permit in accordance with Sections 18a, 18b, 18c paragraph 3, Section 18d , 18f, 19c paragraph 1 for employment as a senior employee, as a manager, as a company specialist, as a scientist, as a visiting scientist, as an engineer or technician in the research team of a visiting scientist or as a teacher, according to § 19c paragraph 2 or 4 sentence 1 or § 21 a residence permit for family reunification can be issued; This also applies to the spouse’s parents if they reside permanently in Germany. The residence permit according to sentence 1 can only be issued if the requirements according to Section 5 Paragraph 1 Number 1 are met.”

Financially independent

Germany does not have a retirement visa, so even if your parents are financially independent they can not go the retirement route.
Depending on their age and situation they can apply for any of the normal long stay visas.

I want to work or live in Germany

Important facts South African citizens need a visa to travel to Germany and a residence permit to stay longer than 90 days A visa allows you to enter the country, you apply for your visa at the German Embassy in South Africa. You must apply for the correct long-stay visa,

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, you will receive a visa to enter Germany. Once you are in Germany you will need to apply for your residence permit at the local

Other options

It is possible to apply for a Family & Friends visit visa. The inviting person can ask in the invitation letter that the visa be valid for longer periods e.g. one or two years. This allows the person to stay in Germany for 90 days in a 180-day cycle. It is not optimal but at least an option.
This will most likely not be granted if it is the first time the person visits you in Germany, also not if the person has a new Passport with no previous visas in the passport.

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

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

Information on the web

For more information see the following websites:

BAMF – Subsequent immigration to join foreign family members
Section 36 of the Act on the Residence
SE-Legal Reunification due to Need of Care

Additional information

The following was shared with us by a member of our FB page. This is to be seen as a shared opinion and not as legal or immigration advice. You are responsible for your own legal clarifications. No liability accepted.

“Below is a summary of what my in-laws were told by an immigration lawyer here in DE. This will obviously differ from person to person as each case is assessed individually. These were the options given to them. The costs for each option are different, depending on paperwork etc (it’s not cheap 😯).

If anyone is interested I would suggest they book a meeting with the attorneys (they do Zoom meetings) and get the correct information relevant to them. There is a fee for the initial consultation but it’s well worth it.

Option 1 – Family reunification.

Hardest to achieve, with a probability of around 20 to 30 percent.
It is a discretionary decision and it is not a legal right.
Have to prove medical hardship that requires assistance from the family in Germany

Option 2 – Retirement as a pensioner in Germany.

It is a discretionary decision, with a probability of around 30 percent
Ties to Germany, speak German, visited Germany, property in Germany, German culture, take part in German feasts, children in Germany, German heritage, photos of visits, etc.
Mostly meant for richer people Monthly income of about €3 000 plus other assets like shares, property, investments, etc worth at least €200 000.
Private health insurance is required at around €600 to €1 600 per month per person, valid for one or two years and then it can be changed to permanent after three to five years

Option 3 – Culture exchange.

It is a discretionary decision.
Intense language course, about 18 hours per week at a cost of about €450 per month. You have to enrol privately.
Only basic health care insurance is required, not full health care, thus cheaper at around €300 per month
The least amount of formal requirements, valid for one year during which time you work on a permanent solution. Establish ties to Germany. Then apply later for a pensioner permit before the culture permit expires.
One can apply for this and then later for family reunification

Option 4 – Work permit, including Blue card for professionals.

Professional job related, chances are very slim without a job offer and due to age being past German retirement age.
Opening a business in Germany is an option. Freelancing would be an option.
Has to work in your field of expertise.
Salary must be higher than €58 400 per year and period of employment at least one year.
Have to have a firm job offer before you can apply.

Option 5 – Freelance work Long process time of about 18 months.

Probably one of the worst options to apply for.

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

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

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

People from 3rd world countries can apply to do volunteer service in Germany.
There are four types of Voluntary services in Germany, that you can apply for, they are:

1. Federal Voluntary Service (BFD),
2. Voluntary Social Year (FSJ),
3. Voluntary Ecological Year (FÖJ),
4. European Voluntary Service (EVS)

Before you can apply for a visa, you will need a Contract/Arrangement for your voluntary service in Germany. Also, take note of the following as specified on the Germany Embassy website.

Federal Voluntary Service (BFD): Your contract must be signed by you and the Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions (BAFzA), as well as the placement department, headquarters and, where applicable, by the institution implementing the voluntary service.
Voluntary Social Year (FSJ)/Voluntary Ecological Year (FOJ): Your contract must be signed by you and the respective institution, as well as, where applicable, the placement department.
European Voluntary Service (EVS): Your contract must be signed by the National Agency for Erasmus+ Youth in Action and the coordinating organisation. The Volunteer Arrangement in which the tasks and planned participant achievements are described must be signed by the coordinating organisation and the volunteer.

Where to find a voluntary service

Here is a list of websites where you can search for a voluntary service

Additional information

Deutschland.de – Volunteering in Germany
Volunteering in Germany: a guide
German Embassy in Pretoria – Volunteering Visa
Federal Ministry for Family Affairs – Civic engagement
Bundesfreiwilligendienst
Jugendfreiwilligendienste

Things to keep in mind

The volunteer period can be between 6 and 24 months, but most are no longer than 18 months.
For the FSJ and FÖJ, you must be between the age of 16 and 27
Accommodation, meals and an allowance are normally included in an FSJ and FÖJ.
You can still volunteer if you are over the age of 27 Years. You need to then apply for a BFD. This is more complicated to obtain from outside Germany than the FSJ and FÖJ. Typical placings can be at Schools, Churches and Kindergartens. Special rules about hours may apply.
Some institutions may require German language proficiency and/or some skill level
Make sure you know what is included in your contract, and make sure you have it in writing

Why do volunteering?

Volunteering offers you a chance to make a social or ecological difference. Here are some additional perks

You can meet new people in a new environment.
You will learn more about the language and culture
You will gain experience in different competencies
You will gain references
You will enhance your social skills
Learn more about social welfare or ecological responsibilities
You can learn more about a career if you are interested in social careers like teaching or nursing