Germany to South Africa visa requirements

No visa needed. German ordinary passport holders can visit South Africa visa-free for tourism, visits or short business for up to 90 days. German ordinary passport holders are exempt from South African visitor visa requirements for short tourism, family/social visits, transit and ordinary business visits. South African immigration normally grants a visitor's entry permit on arrival for the planned trip, up to a maximum of 90 days. A German passport must be valid for at least 30 days after the planned departure from South Africa and must have at least two blank visa pages for entry and exit stamps; the German Federal Foreign Office warns that sufficient blank pages are needed again if you leave South Africa for neighbouring countries and return. No advance South African visa, eVisa or mandatory ETA is required for this visa-exempt 90-day route as of 2026-06-20; South Africa's ETA rollout is for visa-required tourist markets first, so German travellers should treat ETA as not required unless DHA later changes the rules. Carry proof of return or onward travel, accommodation or host details, sufficient funds, and a yellow fever certificate only if arriving from or transiting a yellow-fever-risk country. Longer stays, work, paid activity, study beyond a short course, residence, or section 11(2) short-term work authorization require the correct South African visa or authorization before travel or a timely DHA/VFS extension process; overstaying can trigger an undesirable-person declaration and a 1- to 5-year re-entry ban.