Schengen Visa Application Service for South Africans
A consultant prepares the application, assembles the documents and books your appointment. You get a written quote first, free and with no obligation.
A short-stay Schengen visa lets South Africans travel across the whole Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. You apply to one country, and which one is not a free choice.
Applications are handled in South Africa by outsourced centres rather than the consulates themselves: VFS Global, TLScontact, Capago and BLS, depending on the destination. Each has its own checklist, its own booking portal and its own quirks.
What the application involves
Working out which consulate to apply to
You apply to the country you will spend the most nights in. If nights are evenly split, you apply to the country you enter first. Getting this wrong means the application can be rejected before it is properly assessed, and it is one of the more common mistakes.
The application form and appointment
Most consulates use an online form producing a reference code, which is printed and signed. We complete it with you, then book the appointment at the relevant centre. Slots in peak season are the usual bottleneck.
Proof of funds, insurance and itinerary
Schengen applications need travel medical insurance with a minimum level of cover, a round-trip itinerary and bank statements covering recent months. These have to agree with each other. An itinerary that does not match the dates on the form is a routine cause of refusal.
Demonstrating you will return
Consulates are assessing whether you intend to come back. An employment and leave letter, evidence of property or family, and a coherent trip plan do more work here than any single document.
Why Schengen Area applications get refused
- Applying to the wrong consulate for your itinerary
- Travel insurance below the required level of cover
- Bank statements that do not cover the stated trip
- Flight or accommodation bookings that contradict the application form
- No clear evidence of employment, study or family ties in South Africa
Every one of these is fixable before you submit, but only if someone catches it.
When to start
You can apply up to six months before travel and no later than 15 days before departure. In practice, book the appointment as early as you can: availability, not the decision, is what usually costs people their dates.
What we do
- An initial consultation covering your destination, your purpose of travel and your personal circumstances
- A document checklist tailored to your case, not a generic list off the internet
- Collation and review of every document before it goes anywhere
- Completion of the application forms, checked with you
- Your biometrics or appointment slot booked at the relevant visa centre
- Preparation for your appointment, and for the interview where one is required
- Support from a consultant who handles these applications daily, until a decision comes back
What we don't do
- Embassy, consulate and visa-centre fees. These are paid by you, directly to them, and are separate from our service fee.
- Travel insurance, flights and accommodation.
- Attending your appointment. You submit your own application in person and give your own biometrics. No agent may do this for you.
- A guaranteed outcome. The decision belongs to the consulate. What we change is how well prepared your application is when it reaches them.
What it costs
GetVisa is a paid professional service. Fees depend on the destination, the visa type and how many people are travelling, so we quote per application rather than publishing a single price. You get a written quote before any work starts. The quote itself is free and carries no obligation.
Questions about applying for Schengen Area
The one where you will spend the most nights. If the nights are equal, apply to the country you enter first. We check this against your itinerary before anything is booked, because applying to the wrong consulate wastes both the fee and the appointment.
Yes. A short-stay Schengen visa is valid across the whole Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, regardless of which consulate issued it.
We can find and book the earliest slot available, and we know which centres release capacity when. What nobody can do is create appointments that do not exist, so if your dates are not realistic we will tell you that rather than take the work.
It depends on the destination and the number of travellers, so we quote per application. The quote is free and carries no obligation. Consulate and visa-centre fees are separate and paid by you directly.
Just looking for the requirements? Our Schengen visa guide is free to read and covers documents, fees and processing in detail.
Get a quote for your Schengen Area application
Tell us about your trip and we will tell you what is involved, what it costs and whether your timing is realistic.