My pleasant and successful Schengen visa application in Cape Town
One of the daunting considerations for travel is the requirement for a visa, and if one is required, the process to successfully obtain it on the first application.
In this post, I cover the process I undertook and the pleasant experience I had in acquiring my visa, from submitting documents to having my biometrics taken and having my passport returned to me, all within 5 working days through France.
Online application and booking an appointment
I started and completed my online application, and thereafter booked my in-person appointment, all in one day. What helped me get this done was that I had already booked my flights and accommodation, and all the relevant documentation for my trip was available. Still, the key details needed within the visa application itself are entry and exit dates in the Schengen area and countries, accommodation name, address, and phone number, employer details, and proof of funds (mainly if being sponsored, which I was not).
The official website for completing your online visa application for France in South Africa is france-visas.gouv.fr. You are required to create an account to start your online visa application. You are not required to complete the form in one session, so you can complete some sections, save progress, and only when you have fully completed the application form can you submit (no visa application fee is required at this point).
After submitting my online application, I had to book my in-person appointment with Capago (office locations are in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth). Fortunately, before scheduling an appointment or creating a profile on the Capago site, you can check the availability for tourism visa submissions at a branch, which is very helpful in gauging whether you will get a booking in the timeframe you intended. To secure an appointment, a prepayment of R671.01 (approximately €31) is required within 48 hours of booking to reserve your slot; otherwise, the booking will be cancelled. I initially booked the next available workday (in 10 days) and made the prepayment, then returned to the appointment to recheck the available slots. However, the availability had opened up for the week that had previously shown as fully booked. I changed my appointment to the next available working day (Monday - 6 weeks before my planned travel date), where I submitted all my physically printed supporting documents and biometrics as a minimum (Capago has add-on services if required, e.g., photos for your visa, delivery of your passport when it is returned, etc.).
Document submission and biometrics
The following outlines all the documents submitted to support my application
Flights
All relevant confirmed travel in my name, travel mode (flights & flight number) and route, which was as follows:
Multi-city ticket as proof of return ticket (A to B, C to A)
A one-way ticket from (B to C).
Accommodation
I booked through Booking.com, all of which were free cancellation bookings that did not require pre-payment.
One booking for location B
One booking for location C, with my time in France being the longest duration of stay between the 2 Schengen area countries I am visiting.
Travel Insurance
My flights were booked through my bank, making me eligible for free travel insurance. Additionally, I am on a medical aid that covers international medical insurance. Obtaining the travel health insurance certificate confirmation can be done through the online portal, where you can select your travel destination to receive a letter of confirmation of coverage with the minimum required coverage of €30,000. This was sufficient as proof of travel health insurance.
You can always opt to top up your travel insurance or purchase travel insurance elsewhere, e.g., Greece recommends the Insurte site to find Schengen area-compliant travel insurance.
Proof of employment
I provided a letter of employment on a company letterhead which included the following information: full name, date of birth, passport number, employment start date, title, salary, employment type (permanent, part-time, contract etc), entity employed by but most importantly, approved leave dates that cover the whole duration of intended travel.
The latest payslip to solidify evidence of employment by the stated employer, and that would correspond to the salary received in the transaction account bank statement.
Latest pension fund through employer as additional motivation to return to South Africa post-travel, as I am investing in retirement funds (other documents such as assets/mortgage, family ties, etc, could also support your links to return).
Proof of funds
Transaction account with a minimum amount to cover the whole duration of my holiday (I did my calculations based on €100 per day), which had to be in my transaction account over the last 3 months. This is essential; the funds need to be in your transaction account, not just your savings account. I provided the latest three months’ bank statements - an electronic bank stamp was sufficient, which is automatically generated when you download your statement from your banking app.
Savings account bank statements for the latest 3 months as additional proof of funds.
Proof of residence and personal links to South Africa
Copy of signed lease agreement.
Letter from previous property agent and statement of rent payment - due to the new lease agreement being recent from Feb-2025 and under a different property agency (but same apartment), I included these to highlight I have been living at the same address for 2+ years.
Detailed retirement fund statement with consolidated funds from previous employers.
Copy and original permanent residence certificate (note - the original PR certificate is submitted with your supporting documents and returned to you when you collect your passport).
Copy of SA ID, which is referenced on the majority of my documents.
Purpose of travel
Motivation letter - this is where I highlighted my purpose of travel in 1 page, and some of the key details provided in the supporting documentation. I used Google to find a template for a Schengen visa motivation letter and adjusted it to my liking (ChatGPT, Gemini, or any other AI tool can help you with this). This is how I broke down the sections
Overview of travel - highlight that I am applying for a multiple-entry tourist Schengen visa, planned departure and return dates to South Africa, including the first country of entry and last country of exit in the Schengen area. I highlighted my starting country of travel, location B, as the motivation for travel was an event, which is the primary motivator for the trip. The details included the individuals, event location, date, and some general activities we will be doing day by day in the location.
Accommodation and return flight details at location B - Here I provided the details of accommodation at location B - arrival and departure date, accommodation name and address. For my multi-city flight, I listed each flight on the route individually, including departure and arrival cities, dates, airline name, and flight number.
Overview of travel at location C - this was a combination of accommodation and flight details similar to location B, but for France, as well as some of the day-to-day activities during my stay.
Funds and employment - summary of my source of funds, employer, title, salary and start date. This is where you can add supplemental information regarding your links to South Africa.
Declaration to adhere to the rules of the visa and return before it expires, and a summary of documents included with my application.
Letter of invite - as I am attending a function, I included a signed letter of invite from the individual highlighting I had been invited (my full name + passport number), the date and venue of the event and invitee’s information if they need to be contacted.
Confirmation letter from venue - to support the event and venue details included in the letter of invite, I had a copy of the venue booking confirmation on the venue letterhead, indicating the date, venue address, who the event is for and the type of event.
Other
Printed online application form that was submitted on the france-visas.gouv.fr site.
Copy of 6-month UK visa that is still valid (if you have previous Schengen visas from the last 2-3 years, submit copies of those, even if they have expired).
Copy of passport biometrics page.
Copy of your visa appointment confirmation.
2x visa photos 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm (35mm x 45mm). I already had my photos, but Capago can also take your photos at an additional cost of €5 (ZAR equivalent is paid).
After your documents are successfully reviewed and you have made your visa payment of R1925.82 (€90 equivalent), your biometrics (fingerprints) will also be taken at the site to complete the submission process. Your application is sent to the French Consulate - Johannesburg for processing, either on the same day (depending on the time of your submission) or the next working day.
Online tracking and email correspondence
You can track your application on the Capago website. You will receive two key email notifications: Passport in Transit - your passport returning to Capago Johannesburg from the French Consulate Johannesburg, and, importantly, Passport is ready for collection - when your passport has arrived at Capago Cape Town and is ready for collection (usually on the next working day).
Passport Collection
Collection is anytime from Monday to Friday, 11 am - 5 pm. Please ensure you have the following for collection: a printed copy of your ID and a copy of the invoice (sent via email after the submission appointment).
A sealed envelope with my passport was given to me. If the visa application were rejected, the sealed envelope would include a letter stating this and explaining the reason for the rejection. Your original PR is also returned to you at this time.
I received a 6-month multiple-entry Schengen visa, and this is the first time I have applied for one. Recent travel history (3 countries in 2025, including for work purposes, and UK travel 2 weeks prior on a still valid 6-month visa), as well as comprehensive documentation, contributed to this successful outcome.
Capago’s service from start to end was exemplary! From friendly staff, including security, to a comfortable and peaceful atmosphere, with a spacious setup. I would highly recommend their services over the default visa service operators (where possible).
