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South Africa Visa and Passport Requirements
| Passport required | Return ticket required | Visa required | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian | Yes | Yes | No |
| British | Yes | Yes | No |
| Canadian | Yes | Yes | No |
| EU | Yes | Yes | No/1 |
| USA | Yes | Yes | No |
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To enter South Africa, a passport valid for at least 30 days after the intended date of departure from South Africa is required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.
Passports must have at least two blank pages for entry stamps.
Yellow fever certificates are required if the journey starts from or passes through a country with yellow fever.
Visas are not required by nationals of Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, British Oversees Territories, Canada, Chile, China, Comoros, Cuba, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guernsey, Guinea, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, UK, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe for stays of up to 90 days.
Nationals of Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Eswatini, Gabon, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Jordan, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Peru, Poland, South Korea, Thailand and Turkey may stay visa-free for up to 30 days.
Nationals not referred to in the chart above or mentioned in the above paragraphs are advised to contact the embassy/high commission for visa requirements.
(1) Note: Nationals of Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia are also advised to contact the embassy/high commission for visa requirements.
The Department of Home Affairs website (http://www.dha.gov.za/) has comprehensive details on visa requirements, visa exemptions and the relevant forms for downloading. If you are one of the travellers subject to visa requirements, you should apply for your visa before you intend to travel. No visas are issued at South African points of entry. If you arrive without the necessary paperwork or incorrect paperwork, immigration officials are obliged to refuse you entry.
Visa fees depend on the nationality of the traveller and the intended length of stay in South Africa. Check with your nearest consulate (or consular section at high commission/embassy) for the cost of a visitor visa.
Visitor's visa: up to 90 days.
Please note that the validity period will be set out under the heading “conditions” on the visa label. Ensure you apply for the correct visa as entry to South Africa may be refused if the purpose of the visit is not correctly stated.
Nationals requiring a visa to visit South Africa must obtain a transit visa if travelling through South Africa to visit a neighbouring country.
A transit visa will be issued for a maximum on 24 hours for air transits and 48 hours for land transits.
Apply to your nearest consulate (or consular section at high commission/embassy). In the UK, VFS Global (www.vfsglobal.com/southafrica/uk) handles visa applications on behalf of the high commission; an additional service charge applies.
Temporary residence permit is required for a period of stay exceeding 90 days but no longer than three years.
If you intend to work in South Africa, including any voluntary or paid employment or studies, you must apply for a Work, Study or Exchange Visa before you arrive.
See www.dha.gov.za for more information.
The length of time taken to process visa applications will depend on the nationality of the applicant and the country where you're applying. Contact the Department of Home Affairs (www.dha.gov.za) for more information.
Nationals requiring a visa must show bank certified statements of the last three months to prove that they have the sufficient funds to pay for daily expenses.
If you need to extend your visa, you should contact the nearest branch of the Department of Home Affairs. If you plan to visit for longer than 90 days, you normally need to apply for a temporary residence permit.
An import permit is required for all pets, applied for through the Department of Agriculture (https://www.dalrrd.gov.za). A 14-day (minimum) quarantine period applies to dogs from the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Bulgaria, Canada, Comoros, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Eswatini, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Reunion, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA and Zimbabwe. Cats are exempt from quarantine if you have the original copies of a completed Import Permit and Veterinary Health Certificate. Animals must be vaccinated against rabies except those coming from the UK, Australia and New Zealand. It’s worth checking first whether you will be allowed to take pets back into your home country again after they have been in South Africa.
Embassies and tourist offices
Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in the USA
South African Consulate in the UK (Visa services)
South African High Commission in the UK
The British High Commission in South Africa
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