
South African Passport Holders: Travel with Schengen Visa & Beyond
South African Passport Holders: Travel with Schengen Visa/Residence permit & Beyond Answering your most asked questions about travel to the UK, Egypt, Turkey, Mexico, and beyond. Discover where your South African passport, combined with a Schengen visa or residence permit, opens doors and what you need to know.Not an exhaustive list, but a practical guide for the journeys you’re most curious about. The general rule is that the entry requirements for a country are determined by your passport. Attention South African passport holders with a Schengen visa, temporary or permanent residence in Germany, do not have the same travel privileges as an EU citizen. When you have a multi-entry Schengen Visa, a German Aufenthaltstitel (Temporary Residence permit) without any restrictions, or Schengen permanent residence, you may travel freely within the Schengen area. You can find a list of Schengen Area countries here Note that some EU countries are not part of the Schengen agreement. Here special entry requirements apply, for example, a visa. Travel between South Africa and Germany To travel between Germany and South Africa, with re-entry to Germany, you will need a valid passport, as well as one of the following: a valid multiple-entry Schengen Visa a valid German Aufenthaltstitel (Temporary Residence permit). Make sure there are no restrictions, for example, single entry. If any of these restrictions apply to you, you might not be able to re-enter Germany. If you are unsure, contact the Ausländerbehörde. a valid German permanent residence a valid EU residence permit – make sure there are no restrictions, for example only valid for a specific Schengen country. United Kingdom You need a visa to travel to the UKNorthern Ireland is part of the UK and not part of the EU or the Schengen Area. The Republic of Ireland The Republic of Ireland is part of the EU but not part of the Schengen Area.South African passport holders need a visa to travel to Ireland. The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has announced that, with effect from Wednesday 10 July 2024, nationals of Botswana and South Africa will be required to obtain a visa before travelling to Ireland.More information can be found here.The Irish Government also created a pdf with FAQ for South Africans Egypt German citizens need a visa for Egypt, although some resorts are exempt though and one can apply for E-Visas. South African citizens can also apply for an E-Visa or get a visa on arrival, free of charge. You need a passport that is valid for your intended stay and a return ticket. Tunisia Finding information from official sources is difficult, it seems they are working on an E-Consulate website. According to travellers, South Africans do not need a visa for Tunisia for visits shorter than 90 days. You need a passport that is valid for your intended stay and a return ticket. Turkey According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey’s website “Ordinary passport holders are required to have a visa to enter Turkey. They can obtain three-month period multiple entry visas from Turkish representations abroad or one-month period single entry visas via the website www.evisa.gov.tr. Official passport holders are exempted from visa for their travels up to 30 days.” – a comment from one of our FB members “You apply online and get the visa within a few hours. There is no fee. Just print it out and bring it with you.” United States of America No special rules for Schengen residence permit holders. You need a visa to travel to the United States of America. There is an embassy in Berlin, a consulate in Frankfurt and in Munich. Travel with a Schengen Visa/Residence permit Outside the Schengen area, your South African passport determines the entry requirements for the country you want to visit.There are some exceptions where you can use your Schengen residence and in some cases a Schengen visa to travel to specific countries. We try to cover them in the list below, but please refer to the Schengen Visa Info website, they have a list of countries you can travel to with a Schengen visa, but as always confirm that it is still valid with the relevant authorities. Albania You don’t need a visa in the following case: Foreign citizens who have a valid, multiple-entry Schengen visa, which has been previously used in one of the Schengen states, or foreign citizens who have a valid permit of stay in one of the Schengen statesThe maximum allowed period of stay of this category of foreigners is 90 DAYS in any 180 DAY period– Find updated information here Antigua and Barbuda Visa on arrival is granted to persons who hold a valid Schengen Visa or Resident Card Cyprus Holders of valid double or multiple-entry Schengen visas or Bulgarian, Croatian and Romanian national visas, as well as residence permits issued by the Schengen Member States or by Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, are not required to hold a short-stay visa to enter the Republic of Cyprus for a time period that does not exceed 90 days in any 180 day period. This provision doesn’t apply to citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan who have to follow the regular visa issuance procedure.– Find updated information from the official website Gibraltar (British territory) Gibraltar is not part of the UK, but unlike all other British Overseas Territories, it was a part of the European Union. It participated in the Brexit referendum and it ceased, by default, to be a part of the EU upon the UK’s withdrawal. On 31 December 2020, Spain and the United Kingdom reached an agreement in principle under which Gibraltar would join the European Union’s Schengen Area. This cleared the way for the European Union and the UK to start formal negotiations on the matter. Elements of the proposed agreement are: Gibraltar (air)ports become entry points of the Schengen area, under the responsibility of Spain Visa for visiting Gibraltar will be Schengen visas and the visa waiver ETIAS. According to the Schengen Info Website, if you have a Schengen Residence permit or multiple entry Schengen visa, you do not need a visa for Gibraltar. According to the Gibraltar Borders Agency: You will need
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