According to the German Embassy in South Africa, “South African passport holders do require a visa to enter Germany.
Depending on the purpose and duration of your stay in Germany you can either apply for a Schengen visa for short term stays or a National visa for long term stays (> 90 days).”
We created webpages to help you navigate the relevant visa and residence issues. On some of the pages we only share links to relevant websites. The reason for this is that the rules and regulations regarding visas and residence permits changes on a regular basis. Most of these websites are available in English.
Below is a list of the pages that we created
General Visa and Residence Information
How to obtain German Citizenship
One can obtain German citizenship through descent from a German mother or father. You can also become a German citizen through naturalisation. For South Africans it is important to note that in most cases you will have to renounce your South African citizenship
German family reunification visa
“German citizens or citizens from non-EU countries who have a Aufenthaltserlaubnis (residence permit) or a Niederlassungserlaubnis (settlement permit) are allowed to bring their relatives to Germany. This is known as ‘reunification of families’. To enter Germany, the relatives require a visa; to continue to stay, they require a residence permit. Reunification of families is limited to the spouse (or registered partner) and joint minor children or for minors living in Germany, their parents. Other family members, such as uncle, aunts and grandparents for example, may only follow in very restricted exceptional cases.”
Come to Germany to learn German
Inviting a family member to visit
Here you will find information about the legalised letter of obligation (Verpflichtungserklärung). This is only needed if your visitor cannot prove their own financial means. Please be aware that you are signing to be responsible for this person’s financial expenses in Germany for the next five years not just for the period of their visit. By request you can make it for one year. This includes repatriation costs in the case of an overstay.
Travel to the UK
This is a hot topic, and has been discussed in detail on our Facebook page. It is hard to give advice as there are different rules for certain individuals. As a rule, you are traveling on your SA passport and therefore need a visa
South Africans in Germany 