The ultimate guide to South African visa prep.
Don’t be a hazard — flying or otherwise.
“And so the adventure begins.”
You know that feeling you get right before you set off to travel and explore a new place? Those pre-flight jitters of excitement? From planning your next vacation (or baecation) to the night before when you’re making absolutely sure that you haven’t forgotten any important items in your already-filled-to-the-brim travel bag, organising your next trip is exciting!
However, before you can fully reach the final stages of leaving for your destination, and in this case, South Africa, make sure you have everything, we mean everything sorted before even setting a foot onto the plane.
If you’re an international visitor planning your way to ETHCapeTown, we’ve come up with some useful information to help you get all of your visa admin out of the way.
What are the requirements for entering South Africa?
Before diving into the real nitty-gritty of it all, the first step is finding out if you qualify for a South African visa.
Do tourists need a visa for South Africa?
Yes!
A tourist visa, also known as a travel visa, allows you to visit South Africa for a set amount of time. Just to be perfectly clear here, under no circumstances are you allowed to work or participate in any business activities while you are in the country on a tourist visa.
It’s worth noting that different visa requirements apply to different locations. To make things easier, we’ve answered a series of questions below to guide you through your visa application process and to make sure that travelling to SA is plain sailing (more specifically, flying, but you know what we mean).
What type of visa do I need?
This list will give you a better understanding of the type of visa you should apply for.
Generally, the most applicable visa is the “South Africa Visitor Visa” for short-term stays.
This visa allows international travellers to visit South Africa for up to 90 days or less for when visiting family, friends, or for general tourism purposes.
Do I really need to apply for a South African visitor visa?
Erm, technically yes, but sometimes no.
South Africa has exempted certain individuals from a few listed countries of holding a visitor visa when the intended stay in South Africa is 90 days or less. People from these countries receive a visa upon arrival. You can check out the list here.
Checklist: What documents do I need when applying for a visa?
Before you are allowed to enter South Africa, you need to have the following:
- A valid passport document which covers the period that you intend to stay in the country.
- A valid visa, if required.
- Enough money to cover your daily expenses.
- A return plane ticket.
- A yellow fever certificate if you are travelling through the yellow fever belt of Africa.
- Your passport must have at least one unused page for entry/departure stamps.
- A completed BI-84 Form (application for a visa).
- Proof of payment of the above-prescribed fee.
- Statement or documentation confirming the purpose and duration of your visit.
- Two colour passport photographs.
- If you have children travelling with you or joining you in South Africa, you will need to provide the following documents:
- Proof of guardianship or custody.
- Consent from the guardian in the case of unaccompanied minors.
- An unabridged birth certificate in addition to the passport of a minor travelling to South Africa, showing the particulars of both parents when exiting and entering South African ports of entry.
- Travellers will be asked to produce this documentation at the check-in for each flight.
Remember, the requirements for entry into South Africa differ from country to country, and can change at any time. So, be sure to always do your research before!
How long until I get my visa?
It generally takes around 5–10 days to process your South African Tourist Visa, however, we strongly recommend that submit your application well in advance to avoid any sort of delay or disappointment. Processing times can sometimes vary depending on the South African Embassy and how busy they are at the time of your visa submission.
I’m going to love it. Can I extend my South African visitor visa once I’m there?
Yes, it is possible to extend a visitor visa once you’re in South Africa. You should do it as soon as possible after your arrival though. The Department of Home Affairs requires that individuals, requesting visa extensions, need to apply up to 60 days prior to the expiry of the existing visa.
That’s fine by me, but who is the decision maker?
The 2 major role players are:
- VFS, a consulate, or an embassy.
- The Department of Home Affairs.
The Department of Home Affairs does all the South African visa processing and decides if a visa is granted or denied.
The final do’s and don’ts.
Visa sorted? Then don’t forget that there are certain goods that you can’t bring into South Africa and other goods on which you need to pay duties.
Find out more here:
What’s next?
Once you’ve gone through the above guidelines you’re one step closer to coming to South Africa.
Cape Town is definitely bucket-list central. So, with a bit of good planning, you’re in for the adventure of a lifetime. Some final words of wisdom? Make sure you’ve provided all the correct documentation needed for a South African visa and you won’t have the Department of Home Affairs breathing down your neck.
Now, it’s almost time for you to experience the best of Cape Town.
We’re excited to welcome everyone to the Mother City! For further info, please visit our website.
Continue the conversation on Twitter.
