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 wish to visit more than one Schengen country, you should apply at the embassy of your main destination, taking the length and purpose of your stay into consideration.
Short Term Schengen visas are seen as visits shorter than 90 days and will typically be for tourism or business visits.
A Schengen visa is valid in the following countries:
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland (Schengen Area).
The German Embassy in South Africa has offices in Cape Town and Pretoria.
The embassy is currently (August 2021) using TLScontact to process the visa applications.
TLSContact have offices in Bloemfontein, Centurion, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha)
The following short term visas are available:
- Tourism – visiting family or friends in Germany
- Tourism – General Tourism
- Business
- Trade Fair
- Visa for family members of non-German EU Citizens – not to be confused with a reunification visa
Legal basis
- Regulation 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the council – Visa Code
- Residence Act
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