Visas

SOUTH AFRICAN TEMPORARY PASSPORTS WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED TO TRAVEL TO FRANCE.

Information and general recommendations

How to make an appointment with the Consulate?
Prior to handing in the visa application, an appointment needs to be made ( see our address details and opening hours). Please contact our Call Centre which manages our appointments on this number :

Mondays to Fridays between 9.00 and 4.00 and Saturdays between 9.00 and 12.00 (please note as the call center is experiencing high call volumes in the mornings, it is recommended to phone in the afternoons). PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE CONSULATE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AS THIS IS ONLY DONE BY THE CALL CENTRE.


  Even if all required documents have been presented it does not mean that the visa will be issued.
  All the original documents are to be presented, accompanied by photocopies.
  The visa application fee is non refundable.
  Please check the validity of your passport prior to applying for a visa. Your passport must be valid at least 3 months after the expiry date of the visa.
  Please note that the passport must contain at least 2 empty pages as one page is required for the visa sticker and the opposite pages for the entry and exit stamps.
  Please present 2 photos as prescribed.


The French Consulate in Cape Town issues the following visas:
  Short stay Schengen visas (less than 90 days)
  Long stay visas
  Visas for the French overseas Departments and Territories
  Visas issued on behalf of other countries

Schengen visas

The procedure described here only concerns short stay visas ( less than 3 months ). For long stay visas, please contact the French Consulate directly.

Visas issued are Schengen Visas and are valid for 25 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

The Schengen visa must be obtained from the Consulate of the country where you will be staying for the longest period. If this cannot be determined because of equal duration of stay in several countries, the Schengen visa must be obtained from the country of first entry;

Please click here to find out at which French Consulate in South Africa you must apply.

If you are not South African, contact the French Consulate directly.

Documents required

The list of documents mentioned below is only a guideline: other supporting documents may also be requested.

• The Schengen visa application form :

Visa Schengen

• 2 recent identity colour photographs, 35 x 45 mm.

• Passport, must be valid 3 months after the expiry date of the visa.

• Proof of your professional or social status: business card, pay slip, school certificate, student card, pensioner card.

• Return ticket to SA ( original + a photocopy ).

• Detailed itinerary of your stay in France and other Schengen States.

• Medical insurance ( original + a photocopy ) to cover all your medical expenses in Europe.
  
  
  For tourist or private purposes, please also supply the following:

• Proof of sufficient funds: recent bank or credit card statements and/or receipt of foreign exchange/traveller’s cheques purchase ( original + a photocopy ). NO BANK LETTERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

• Proof of accommodation (hotel booking, proof of payment of tour etc.) or an Host certificate, called "attestation d’accueil" if you are staying with family or friends. This form is available at local municipalities in France. It must be completed and signed by the friends or family in France, stamped by the mayor, forwarded to the applicant and submitted with the requirements listed above. This "attestation d’accueil" will also have to be stamped by the Border police upon entering in France.
  
  
  For business or professional purposes, please also supply the following:

• A letter from your employer in South Africa, stating the duration and reason of your stay in France.

• A letter of invitation from the company in France (if applicable). If the above-mentioned letter does not mention that the company will cover all your expenses in France (hotel reservation, expenses, medical insurance etc), we will need proof of your hotel reservation or an "attestation d’accueil" if you’re staying with family or friends (see above) , proof of funds, medical insurance, return ticket.
  
  

For crew members of yachts/boats please also supply the following:

• Proof of flight booking to a French port where the boat is berthed,

• Letter from the captain setting out terms of employment + a crew list,

• Work contract,

• Boat registration certificate,

• Itinerary of the boat,

• Proof that the boat is berthed in France (letter of Port Captain),

• Copy of the seaman’s book,

• Proof that the applicant will be covered by medical insurance during his/her stay in France,

• Proof of funds (latest credit or bank statement).
  
  
  

  Visas for the French Overseas Departments and Territories

For the French Overseas Departments ( Reunion, Guadeloupe, Guyane and Martinique ) or the French overseas Territories ( French Polynesia, New Caledonia ) and Mayotte, you must apply for a separate visa, even if you have a Schengen visa. In this case the requirements are the same as the above but we require:
• 2 forms and 2 photos.

Visas issued on behalf of other countries

The French Consulates in South Africa issue visas on behalf of the following countries: Togo, Central African Republic and Djibouti.
The addresses of diplomatic representations of African Consulates in South Africa which are not mentioned above, may be obtained from from the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria at Tel: 012 351 1000.
French citizens need to follow the same procedure as for the Schengen visa and need to complete a Schengen visa application form. For other nationalities, please contact the Consulate.

Miscellaneous

Amount of funds required
Please make provision a sufficient funds for the duration of your stay. Presently this amounts to 55€ per day. If you present an ‘attestation d’accueil’, the amount required is 30€ per day.

Minors
Minors travelling alone or with one of their parents must have a parental authorisation form which must be signed before a Commissioner of Oath or before a visa clerk by their parents or by the parent that is not accompanying them.

Issuing delays and Visa Application Fees

The visa fees are payable in the equivalent rand amount and must be paid in cash. The issuing delays may vary and do not include the time required to get an appointment (1-2 weeks). They are only applicable for South African passport holders. For other nationalities please enquire at the Consulate.

Spouses of French nationals and family members of UE or EEE nationals

  For spouses of French nationals, the visa application fee is free of charge on condition that they supply the following: Livret de famille, identity document of the French spouse, visa application form, 2 photos, return ticket back to SA and medical insurance (plus photocopies).

  For family members of EU or EEE Nationals, the visa application fee is free of charge on condition that they supply the following: the passport of the EU spouse, the marriage certificate, a visa application form, 2 photos, return ticket back to SA and medical insurance (plus photocopies). For children travelling alone the following is required: a birth certificate, a copy of their parent’s EU passport/s, a visa application form, 2 photos, a return flight ticket back to SA and medical insurance (plus photocopies).