South Africa to Greece visa requirements

South African ordinary passport holders need a Schengen short-stay (Type C) visa before traveling to Greece for tourism. There is no visa-free or visa-on-arrival option. ETIAS does not apply to South Africans because it is only for visa-exempt nationalities. Greece is part of the Schengen Area, and South Africa is on the EU list of countries whose nationals require a visa. A South African ordinary passport holder therefore must obtain a Greek Schengen Type C (short-stay) visa in advance before traveling for tourism. Applications for Greece in South Africa are handled through Global Visa Center World (GVCW), which operates application centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban; biometrics (10 fingerprints and a digital photo) are captured in person. The visa permits stays of up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period across the whole Schengen Area. The standard consular fee is EUR 90 (it increased from EUR 80 to EUR 90 effective 11 June 2026), plus a GVCW service fee. Standard processing takes up to 15 calendar days but can extend to 30-45 days, so applicants should apply at least 15 days before departure and no earlier than 6 months ahead. ETIAS (expected to launch in late 2026) is irrelevant to South Africans because it applies only to visa-exempt travelers; South Africans continue to use the traditional Schengen visa.