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South Africans in Germany

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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 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 countries that are part of the 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:

Visa Validity info

  1. These are the valid dates for the Visa. You may not enter the Schengen Area before the From date, and you must leave the Schengen Area not later than the Until date
  2. Total days you may stay between the from and to dates
  3. Multiple or single entry. With a single entry, re-entry into the Schengen area with this particular visa is not allowed.
  4. Type of Visa. C is short term and D is long term

90/180 day rule

The 90/180-day rule states that any foreign national who enters the Schengen zone (any country within the area) can stay for up to 90 days within any 180 days. 
On the Schengen Visa Info website, there is  a very good explanation of this rule as well as a calculator that you can use

Additional Information on your visa

In the image above, it indicates that this is a visitor visa, and engaging in any economic activity is prohibited.

Legal basis

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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 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,

What can I bring into Germany

It is very tempting to bring some South African goodies with you when you travel to Germany, and while most items are allowed, there are Restrictions.