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Visas

What papers are needed to come to South Africa?



The following categories of people don’t require a visa to travel to South Africa for tourist, business or transit purposes:

  • Holders of South African passports (or official travel documents issued in place of a passport);

  • Holders of passports from the following countries: Australia, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, including the British Islands Bailiwick of Guernsey and Jersey, Isle of Man and Virgin Islands, as well as British Overseas Territories, but not nationals of British Dependent Territories (Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Henderson, Cucie and Oeno Islands, the Sovereign Base of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, and the Turks and Caicos Islands), who do require a visa.

  • Holders of passports from the following countries can visit South Africa for a holiday or business trip (or for transits) of up to 30 days without a visa: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Cyprus (diplomatic and official passport holders can stay up to 90 days for holiday visits), Egypt (only diplomatic and official passport holders for holiday visits), Gabon, Guyana, Hong Kong (only holders of Hong Kong British National Overseas passports or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports), Hungary (diplomatic and official passport holders can stay up to 120 days for holiday visits), Jordan, Lesotho, Macau (only holders of Macau Special Administrative Region passports), Malaysia, the Maldives, Mauritius, Morocco (only diplomatic and official passport holders for holiday visits), Namibia, Peru, Poland (diplomatic and official passport holders can stay for holiday visits of up to 90 days), the Seychelles, the Slovak Republic, South Korea, Swaziland, Thailand, Tunisia, (only diplomatic and official passport holders for holiday visits), Turkey, Zambia and Zimbabwe (only government officials, including police officers on cross-border investigations).

  • Holders of passports from the following countries can visit South Africa for a holiday or business trip (or for transits) of up to 90 days without a visa: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Portugal, Romania (only diplomatic and official passport holders for holiday visits), San Marino, Singapore, Spain, St Vincent & the Grenadines, St Helena, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Uruguay, the US and Venezuela.

You require a visa if any of the following applies:

  • You aren’t a national of one of the above-mentioned countries;

  • You intend to stay in South Africa longer than the permitted exemption period;

  • You intend to work or study in South Africa;

  • You intend to take part in a sports event;

  • Your visit is related to the pursuit of your career;

  • You intend to take up permanent residence in South Africa.

The possession of a visa doesn’t guarantee you entry into South Africa. It entitles you only to proceed to a South African port of entry, where an immigration officer will check that you satisfy the basic requirements for entry into the country.

Whether or not you need a visa, you require the following in order to be granted entry into South Africa:

  • A passport valid long enough to cover the intended period of stay.

  • A ‘clear and sound mind and body’ (whatever that means!) and no criminal record.

  • Enough money to support yourself during your stay and to pay for return passage if you don’t have a return or onward ticket.

If you come from, journeyed through or disembarked at a country in the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America, you must also have proof of inoculation against the disease. The inoculation only becomes valid ten days after the inoculation and remains valid for ten years.


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