Italian Consulate General in Johannesburg

Italy requires South African citizens to hold a visa issued in advance. Applications may be taken here or by a visa centre working for Italy.

In 2025, Italy’s consulate general in Johannesburg received 20,725 applications for short-stay Schengen visas and issued 20,047. 678 applications were refused, a refusal rate of 3.3%. In 2024 the rate was much the same, 4.1%. Applications rose by 3% compared with 2024 (20,166).

Over 2023–2025 the rate ranged from 3.3% (2025) to 4.1% (2024).

Italy issues Schengen visas at 3 locations in South Africa; this office handled 62% of their 33,532 applications in 2025. Refusal rates elsewhere: Cape Town 2.3% and Pretoria 5.7%. Each office serves the applicants who live in its own consular district, so the rates also reflect who applies where, not only how strictly files are assessed.

Across all Schengen consulates in South Africa, 5.3% of applications were refused in 2025; Italy’s rate worldwide was 10.8%. Italy received the largest number of applications of the 21 Schengen states represented here.

Almost every visa issued here allows multiple entries. The statistics count applications, not people, and include every nationality that applies here, not only citizens of South Africa.

For matters it cannot handle, the Italian embassy in Pretoria is responsible. Besides the Italian consulate general in Johannesburg, Italy has 6 other missions in South Africa. Consulates: Cape Town. Honorary consulates: Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban. South Africa in turn has 9 missions in Italy, its embassy being in Rome.

About the Italian consulate general in Johannesburg

It appears in official lists as Consulate General of Italy in Johannesburg. The head of mission on record is Spadavecchia Mauro Livio. Consulates handle passports, civil registration and, for many countries, visa applications for their district.

Address and contact

Address: 37 1st Avenue (Corner 2nd Street) - Houghton Estate, 2198, Johannesburg. The record for the Italian consulate general in Johannesburg includes a phone number, an e-mail address and an official website. Its exact position is not recorded, so the map marks the town; use the street address.

Italian citizens travelling to South Africa

Italian citizens do not need a visa for South Africa: stays of up to 90 days are visa-free.

When the Italian consulate general in Johannesburg is closed

Expect the Italian consulate general in Johannesburg to be shut on Day of Reconciliation on Wednesday 16 December 2026 and Christmas Day on Friday 25 December 2026, and often on Immaculate Conception (Immacolata Concezione) on Tuesday 8 December 2026, a holiday in Italy.

Before visiting the Italian consulate general in Johannesburg

Current procedures for the Italian consulate general in Johannesburg, including any appointment system, are on its official website, linked on this page.