To qualify for permanent residence in South Africa you need a specific statutory ground under section 26 or 27 of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002, and you must apply on Form 18 in person with the prescribed documents. Length of stay alone does not qualify you.
The rules sit in sections 25 to 28 of the Act and regulations 23 and 24 of the Immigration Regulations, 2014 (as amended in 2018). The Act text DHA publishes is the consolidated version current to 9 August 2015, so check with Home Affairs for any later amendment.
Eligibility and Entry Requirements at a Glance
Section 26 covers direct residence:
- Work visa holders: five years on a work visa and a proven offer of permanent employment.
- Spouses: a spouse of a citizen or permanent resident for five years, in a good-faith relationship. The permit lapses if the relationship no longer exists within two years of issue, except on death.
- Children: a child under 21 of a citizen or permanent resident, or a child of a citizen. A child permit lapses if confirmation is not applied for within two years of turning 18.
Section 27 covers other grounds, for a foreigner of good and sound character:
- an offer of permanent employment (the position must be advertised, with no suitably qualified citizen or permanent resident available)
- extraordinary skills or qualifications
- establishing or having established a business with the prescribed financial contribution
- refugee status under the Refugees Act 1998
- retirement, with a prescribed minimum pension or annuity, or a prescribed minimum net worth
- a prescribed minimum net worth plus a prescribed amount paid to the Director-General
- being a relative of a citizen or permanent resident within the first step of kinship
gov.za adds that before you apply you must motivate why you should not be declared a prohibited or undesirable person.
Passport and Travel Document Requirements
Regulation 23 asks for a copy of your birth certificate and, for every applicant over 16, biometrics. It does not set a passport validity rule for permanent residence, so confirm what your passport must show with Home Affairs or the mission handling your file.
Applying from inside South Africa, each applicant must hold a valid temporary-sojourn visa at the time of application. Applying abroad, you apply to the South African mission in your country of usual residence, the mission in a country whose passport you hold, or a mission the Director-General designates. A yellow fever certificate is needed only if you travelled or transited from an endemic area; it is not required for direct transit or when you apply in South Africa.
Visa and Supporting Document Requirements
Regulation 23(2) lists what must accompany Form 18:
- the applicable fee
- your birth certificate, and a birth certificate for each dependent child
- biometrics for applicants over 16
- a police clearance certificate from every country where you lived for 12 months or longer after turning 18, not older than six months at submission
- medical and radiological reports (see below for the 2026 medical-report waiver)
- marital status or spousal relationship documents, and documents for dependent children
- a deed poll if your name, surname or sex has changed
Birth certificates, police clearances, dependant and marital documents and deed polls must be originals or copies apostilled by the issuing authority in the country of origin. Where needed, they must be translated into an official language of South Africa with a sworn translator’s certification.
Each ground has its own evidence:
- Section 26(a): proof of a work visa for a continuous five years.
- Section 27(a): an original newspaper or magazine advertisement of at least 60 mm by 60 mm stating the minimum qualifications, duties and closing date, not older than four months at application. The permit is issued on condition that you stay employed for five years in the field of the original offer.
- Section 27(b): proof you are in the critical skills category (a professional body certificate recognised by SAQA, plus a registration certificate where the law requires one), at least five years of post-qualification experience, employer testimonials, a CV and a letter of motivation.
- Section 27(c): an accountant’s certificate that the gazetted amount is available, a business plan or proof of the established business, an undertaking that at least 60% of staff will be citizens or permanent residents, and SARS registration.
Financial, Health and Entry Conditions
The permanent residence permit fee is R1 520 from 17 August 2026, under the DHA fee notice (Government Notice R.7834). Applications under section 26(b) (spouse), 26(c) (child) and 27(d) (refugee) are excluded from that fee line, and proof of permanent residence costs R100. These are Home Affairs fees only. VFS Global charges a separate service fee that you should confirm on the VFS portal.
A blanket waiver signed on 8 July 2026 and published in Gazette 55016 removes the requirement to submit a medical report for temporary residence visa and permanent residence permit applications, including pending ones. The directive mentions only the medical report. Whether the radiological report is also waived is not confirmed, and the Department of Home Affairs pages still list the medical report, so ask before you skip either.
The business, retirement and net-worth routes (section 27(c), (e) and (f)) depend on rand amounts the Minister sets by Gazette notice. The regulations do not state them, so confirm the current amounts with Home Affairs.
How to Prepare or Apply
- Identify your ground under section 26 or 27 and gather the evidence for it.
- Collect police clearances, medical reports and other time-limited documents last, as the six-month limit runs to the date you submit.
- Have foreign documents apostilled and, where needed, sworn-translated.
- Complete Form 18 (DHA-947) and submit it in person. Filing does not grant you any status, so keep your temporary visa valid while you wait.
- Pay the fee that applies to your ground.
Confirm the current national processing time with Home Affairs. As one example, the South African High Commission in Ottawa states 12 to 24 months for permanent resident permits, with applications sent to South Africa for processing.
If a permit is granted on the spouse ground, you must attend an interview at a Home Affairs office in the last six months of the second year after it is issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new permanent residence rules in South Africa?
This page does not report any new permanent residence rules in force. In April 2026 Cabinet approved a Revised White Paper that proposes a points-based system for certain visas and permanent residency (see the SAnews report), but legislation still has to be drafted and tabled. The points system gazetted in October 2024 covers general work and critical skills work visas, not permanent residence.
What are the South African permanent residence rules?
They are set by sections 25 to 28 of the Immigration Act and regulations 23 and 24 of the Immigration Regulations, 2014: a qualifying ground, Form 18 submitted in person and the prescribed documents.
What is permanent residence?
A permanent residence permit gives its holder the rights, privileges, duties and obligations of a citizen, except those the law or the Constitution ascribes to citizenship. The Constitution gives the right to vote to adult citizens, so a permit holder does not get it.
Can a relative of a citizen get permanent residence?
Yes, under section 27(g), if you are a relative of a citizen or permanent resident within the first step of kinship. Spouses (five years), children under 21 and children of citizens fall under section 26.
How do I get proof of permanent residence or a certificate?
You apply for proof of permanent residence status separately, on Form 46 (regulation 25). The fee is R100 per the DHA fee notice (Government Notice R.7834). Check the current steps for this application with Home Affairs or VFS.
Can permanent residence be lost?
Yes. The Director-General may withdraw a permit if the holder is convicted of listed offences, breaks the permit conditions or is absent from South Africa for more than three years. The period can be extended on good cause and prior application.
My application was refused. What now?
You must receive written reasons. You can apply to the Director-General for review within 10 working days of receiving the notification, and then to the Minister within 10 working days of the Director-General’s decision.
Confirm every requirement, fee and the application process with the Department of Home Affairs before you apply. See visa requirements and browse all travel and immigration requirements.