The Embassy of France in South Africa and French Consulates in Johannesburg and Cape Town have denied claims that France had stopped issuing Schengen visas to replace them with national visas. This was announced yesterday by Elisabeth Barbier, the French Ambassador in South Africa.
“This information is false and totally unfounded,” she said. “Holders of valid Schengen visas can still enter France. The country’s borders are definitely open.”
In a statement, Atout France said the French Consulates in South Africa and their external service provider, Capago, were still processing Schengen visa applications, in particular those of South African citizens, within a timeframe of 48 hours as instructed by the French authorities.
“Our visa policy concerning South Africa will remain exactly the same,” the statement read.
“The main inconveniences that visitors travelling to France may face are the reinforced controls at the borders implemented for security reasons,” Atout France said.
The Ambassador also confirmed that the COP 21 conference on climate change will take place at the end of this month as planned.
