Visa requirements are set by the country you are entering, not the one you are leaving. Whether you need a visa depends on the passport you hold, why you are travelling and how long you will stay. For South Africans going abroad, that means checking each destination’s own rules. For visitors coming here, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) sets the rules on who needs a visa for South Africa.
South Africa does not issue visas at its ports of entry. If your nationality is not on DHA’s exempt list, you must have a visa, or an Electronic Travel Authorisation where it is open to your nationality, before you travel.
Eligibility and Entry Requirements at a Glance
Four questions decide whether you need a visa and which one:
- Your passport’s nationality. DHA publishes a list of visa-exempt countries. Most exempt nationalities may stay up to 90 days, and some up to 30 days. DHA says the list can change without notice.
- The purpose of the trip. A visitor’s visa covers tourism and business visits. Study, work, retirement, medical treatment and joining relatives each need their own visa type.
- How long you will stay. South Africa’s visitor’s visa covers visits of 90 days or less. A longer stay, or any work, needs a different visa.
- Your route. Time spent in yellow fever risk countries, including some transits, brings a vaccination requirement when you land in South Africa.
South Africans travelling abroad face the same questions, answered by the destination. We cover them in detail on our visa requirements for South African citizens page.
Passport and Travel Document Requirements
To enter South Africa, your passport must be valid for at least 30 days after your visit ends. It must also have at least one unused page for entry and departure stamps. These are DHA’s rules for visitors. Other countries set their own validity and blank-page rules, which are often stricter, so check your destination before you book.
Children need their own passports. Under DHA’s rules for travel through South African ports of entry:
- A South African child travelling with only one parent needs a valid passport, a birth certificate or equivalent document, and a parental consent affidavit from the parent who is not travelling.
- An unaccompanied South African child also needs a letter from the person receiving them, with that person’s contact details and copies of their identity document or passport.
- Foreign children who are visa-exempt are not strictly required to carry these documents. DHA strongly advises them to, because officials may ask for them. Foreign children who need a visa submit these documents with the visa application instead.
Visa and Supporting Document Requirements
If you need a South Africa visa as a visitor, DHA lists the following documents:
- A completed visa application form (BI-84)
- Two colour passport photographs
- A statement or documents confirming the purpose and length of your visit
- A return or onward air ticket
- Proof that you can support yourself during your stay (see the next section)
- A yellow fever vaccination certificate, if it applies to you
- A police clearance certificate from each country where you lived for more than 12 months in the last five years, where your visa category requires it. It must not be older than six months when you submit it.
- For children, unabridged birth certificates and proof of guardianship or custody, where applicable
Visitors coming for medical treatment also need a letter from a medical practitioner or institution stating the nature of the condition. Study, work, business, retired person’s and relative’s visas each add their own documents. See our guide to work visa requirements in South Africa as one example.
Financial, Health and Entry Conditions
DHA accepts several kinds of proof that you can pay your way. These include bank statements, salary advances, an undertaking from your host in South Africa, a bursary, medical cover, and cash, credit cards or travellers’ cheques. DHA does not publish one fixed minimum amount for a visitor’s visa.
Yellow fever rules apply to South Africans and foreigners alike. You need a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate if you are older than one year and either:
- are travelling from a country with yellow fever risk, or
- spent more than 12 hours in transit at an airport in such a country.
The vaccine must be given at least 10 days before you leave for South Africa. A certificate is now valid for life. If you arrive without a valid certificate, you can be refused entry or placed under quarantine surveillance for up to six days, or until your certificate becomes valid.
A visa or exemption lets you travel to a port of entry. It does not guarantee entry. The immigration officer at the border makes the final decision.
How to Prepare or Apply
- Check DHA’s exempt-countries list for your passport. If you are exempt, note how many days you are allowed.
- If your nationality can use it, apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) on DHA’s official ETA portal. Officially launched on 12 August 2026, the ETA replaces the traditional visitor’s visa for eligible visa-required nationalities travelling for tourism or visits. DHA is adding countries in phases, so check whether yours is included. You cannot work in South Africa on an ETA.
- Otherwise, apply at the South African embassy, mission or consulate that serves your country. Take the documents listed above.
- Plan your yellow fever vaccination at least 10 days before departure if your route requires it.
- For South Africans travelling out, check each destination’s official immigration website, including any country you transit through.
Travelling to Europe? Our Schengen visa requirements guide covers the rules for the Schengen area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who needs a visa for South Africa?
You need a visa if your passport is not on DHA’s visa-exempt list, or if your stay is longer than your exemption allows. You also need one if the trip is for study, work or another purpose that a visit does not cover. Exempt visitors may stay up to 90 or 30 days, depending on nationality.
Can I get a South Africa entry visa on arrival?
No. DHA states that visas are not issued at South African ports of entry. You must get your visa, or an ETA if your nationality can use one, before you travel.
How long can I stay on a South African visitor’s visa?
A visitor’s visa is for tourism or business visits of 90 days or less. If you want to stay longer or change your purpose, you need a different visa type.
Do South Africans need a visa to travel abroad?
It depends on the destination. Some countries let South African passport holders in visa-free, and others require a visa before travel. Check the destination’s official immigration website, then see our guide for South African citizens.
Where can I find official DHA visa information in South Africa?
The Department of Home Affairs publishes the visa types, the documents each needs, and the exempt-countries list on dha.gov.za. Outside South Africa, contact the South African mission that serves your country.
Do children need a birth certificate to travel?
South African children travelling with one parent, or travelling alone, must carry the documents listed above, including a consent affidavit. Foreign children who are visa-exempt are strongly advised to carry them too.
Visa lists, exemptions and ETA eligibility change, sometimes without notice. Confirm the current rules with the Department of Home Affairs, or with the destination country’s embassy, before you book and again before you travel. See the full visa requirements hub and browse all travel and immigration requirements.