The German Embassy in Gaborone is in charge of visa applications from applicants who reside in Botswana and whose main destination in the Schengen Area (according to purpose and length of the intended stay) is Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Sweden or Switzerland.

A Schengen Visa allows the holder to travel freely in the Schengen Area up to 90 days per six months. Please note that despite having a valid passport and visa, you may be refused entry at the border if you are not in a position to provide proof of the purpose and conditions of your intended stay, financial means, health insurance etc. or otherwise do not fulfil the entry requirements.

The fee for a Schengen Visa is 60,00 Euros, subject to exchange rate. The fee is payable in cash only.

The passport has to be valid for at least 3 months after the expiry date of the Schengen visa and has to have a minimum of two empty pages.

According to the Visa Codex, the processing time for visa applications is up to 15 days. It is, therefore, the applicant’s responsibility to ensure a timely application and to make sure that the required documents are complete upon submission. Important: Do not submit your application more than 3 months before your intended date of departure! Each application must include all the required documents. Incomplete applications cannot be processed and you may have to return another time.

A visa application, together with all necessary documents, must be handed in in person. Please understand that documents sent by e-mail/fax/post will not be considered. The required documents can only be accepted in English or German language version. It is always at the Embassy’s discretion to ask for further documents even though they are not explicitly mentioned in the requirement sheet.

Before submitting your application: Please make sure to retain a set of copies of all relevant documents and make sure that original documents (e.g. share certificate, letter of obligation) are handed back to you.. Once the application has been submitted, subsequent requests for copies from your file cannot be considered.

In order to avoid time-consuming requests for additional information or documentation, please read the requirement sheet carefully. If you have any queries or feel that your case may not be covered, please contact the Embassy by e-mail well in advance of your travel dates for clarification.

Groups of more than 5 applicants need to make an appointment.

If a group of applicants travels together (same flight dates, accommodation etc.), make sure that each applicant submits the full set of documents (e.g. one invitation letter for the whole group cannot be accepted).

If, for example, a family travels together and one family member covers the expense of the trip, a respective letter as well as proof of financial means (bank statements, salary slips etc.) need to be added to each family member’s application file.