Travel and Tourist Visa in South Africa

South Africa is a beautiful place to visit, but before you arrive, you must confirm if your home country of nationality is on the South African Visa Exemption List for 30 – 90 Days.

The South African Visitor and Tourist Visa is exclusively for short term holidays and tourism purposes.

This does not allow any form of business, work, academic or research.

For Visas that allow these activities over Short Term Periods please see our Short Term Work Visa Information

Below is the information you need to apply for a Travel, Holiday and Tourism Visa, including requirements for the visa, cost, and the correct process to follow to submit your application.

All Required Application Forms can be found at our Immigration Resources

Tourist/Holiday Visa

To enter South Africa on a short-term visa, you need to meet the following requirements:

• You must have a passport or travel document valid for no less than 30 days after your visit. The passport must have two unused pages. You’ll also need two colour passport photographs
• You need to complete The DHA-84 (Form 11), which is the official application form
• At this point, you’ll have to pay the prescribed application fees
• If you come from a country with yellow fever, you must supply a certificate verifying that you’ve been vaccinated. People without proof of vaccination may be denied entry to South Africa. Before you even book your tickets, check to see if your country is on the list of places that need vaccination certificates
• South African travel visa requirements include documents stating the reason and duration of your visit and documentation proving return travel. Your return airline ticket will suffice
• If you’re travelling with minor children, your own or others, you need proof of guardianship or custody. If a minor child is travelling to South Africa on their own, confirmation of consent from the guardian is required
• Finally, you need to prove you have the financial means to pay for your living expenses during your stay in South Africa

Countries exempt from South African Visas

South Africa allows certain countries, Visa Free Tourism, meaning that they require no Visitor/Tourist Visa Application.
The visit duration ranges from between 30 days to 90 days.

Use our interactive visa exemption map-list and hover over any country to see if your country is on the list of Visa Exempt Countries, and the duration of stay that is permitted!

The costs depend on which South African Holiday and Tourist Visa you apply for. The Tourist and Holiday Visa for South Africa costs R 425, which equals around $24 USD.

Your immigration consultant will walk you through the application process to improve the chances that your application will be approved.

1. Application requirements vary from individual to individual. If you are from a visa-exempt country, you will not be required to present a visa at port-of-entry. Please check this updated list to find out if your country is visa exempt
2. Submitting visa applications needn’t be a challenge. Our immigration specialists have all the information you need to visit South Africa, whether it’s over the short- or long-term.
3. For a short-term visa, we’ll tell you exactly what documentation is required for our consultants to pre-complete the forms and compile the application to visit South Africa.
4. Submit your application at the embassy or VFS Centre in your country of origin or long-term residence. Then it’s just a matter of waiting. The immigration consultant in charge of your application can give you an estimated turnaround time.
5. Before you begin the application process for a long-term visa, ensure that your purpose falls within the prescribed categories in South Africa. One of our immigration consultants can assist in the process.
6. We can also help you to compile the documents required to support your visa application. It’s crucial to have the documents from your host in South Africa that prove the purpose of your visit.
7. Submit your application at the embassy or VFS Centre in your country of origin or long-term residence and wait for your visa to be approved. Your immigration consultant will provide you with an estimated timeframe.

Disclaimer

At IBN Immigration Solutions, we adhere to Google’s standards for transparency. As a private immigration firm, we follow the regulations outlined in the Immigration Act of South Africa. We are not affiliated with the South African government. Our clients pay for our expertise in handling applications for both temporary and permanent residency. While forms required during the process can be obtained for free at any Department of Home Affairs office, we also provide them as part of our service. Those who prefer to deal directly with the Department of Home Affairs can visit their website at www.dha.gov.za/immigration-services/