Visas aren’t issued at South African ports of entry and airline officials are obliged to insist on seeing visas before allowing passengers to board aircraft.
If you arrive in South Africa without a visa, the law requires immigration officers to refuse you entry and to put you on a return flight.
You must therefore apply for a visa at your nearest South African Consulate, Embassy or High Commission (see below). If you cannot go in person, you can post the application, but it must be accompanied by your passport in order to endorse it. If South Africa isn’t represented in your home country or a neighbouring country, you may send your application directly to the Department of Home Affairs, Sub-directorate: Visas, Private Bag X114, Pretoria 0001, South Africa (Tel. 012-314 8911, www.home-affairs.gov.za ).
You should apply for a visa a minimum of four weeks before your date of departure for South Africa. It takes a minimum of ten days on average to process a visa application but can take much longer. South African visas currently cost R425 (or US$63 or €54), but this is subject to change and you should check the South African Department of Home Affairs website for the current price (www.home-affairs.gov.za/visa_detail.asp ).
A visa application form must be completed and signed by each applicant over the age of 18 and by each applicant under the age of 18 who has a valid passport. The form must also be accompanied by the following:
Your original passport, valid for long enough to cover your stay and with at least one free page;
Two passport photographs;
The fee (see above);
Full details of your intended travel arrangements, including air tickets, accommodation details and documentation indicating your financial resources for the stay.
People under the age of 18 travelling independently of their family must accompany their visa application with certified consent from both parents or guardians, signed before a public notary.
People over 60 must provide proof of medical insurance when applying for visas and this may also be required in other cases.
For further information about visas, contact your nearest South Africa office abroad (Consulate, Embassy or High Commission). There’s a a full list on the South African Department of Foreign Affairs website (www.dfa.gov.za/foreign/sa_abroad ). You can also make enquiries directly to the authorities in South Africa, at the Department of Home Affairs, Sub-directorate: Visas, Private Bag X114, Pretoria 0001, South Africa (Tel. 012-314 8911).
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