Introduction
For any visa application, there are a whole host of “default” documents required throughout the application process. The more specific visas will ask for more specific items, and sometimes they may seem a bit unnecessary.
This article will detail all the documents you will need and will hope to alleviate some concerns regarding the more hard-to-acquire ones.
Documentation
Among the list of countries that do not require a visa to visit South Africa for tourism purposes, the United States is one of them. If immigrating, working, retiring, or intending simply to stay in the country for more than 90 days, you will require one of several different types of visas.
While each will require something a little bit different, there are basic documents across the board that will be necessary.
General Documents
Here is a list of the standard documentation necessary to acquire a visa for South Africa.
- Completed Application Form BI-84: This form is standard for all types of South African visas and must be filled out accurately.
- Valid Passport or Travel Document: Your passport must be valid for at least 30 days beyond your intended stay, with at least two blank pages for endorsements.
- Two Coloured Passport-sized Photos: Recent photographs meeting South African visa photo requirements.
- Proof of Payment of Visa Fee: Fees vary by type of visa and must be paid in advance.
- Hotel Booking and Flight Reservations: Proof of where you will stay and how you will leave South Africa.
- Proof of Sufficient Means: Documentation demonstrating financial ability to support yourself during your stay, which can include bank statements, salary, undertakings from a host in South Africa, bursaries, or medical cover.
In South Africa, proof of sufficient means can come in the form of:
- Bank statements
- Salary advances
- Undertakings by the host in South Africa
- Bursaries
- Medical cover
Specialised Documents
The more specialised documents will naturally be attached to the more specific visa types. For example, if you are travelling from the United States through any yellow fever zones in Africa or South America, you must provide a certificate that you are vaccinated against yellow fever.
Here is a list of each specialised document referring to each of the visa types.
Work Visa
If you intend to travel to South Africa with the intent to work, you will require a work visa.
The documents are largely similar, but if you are bringing dependents with you, they will need to fill out the relevant forms as well.
Each visa will also require the following additional documents:
General Work Visa
- A certificate from the Department of Labour following Local Labour Market testing to determine no South African is available to conduct the work.
- An employment contract, signed by both you and your employers
- Your employer’s proof of registration with the Registrar of Companies
More information can be found here.
Critical Skills Work Visa
- Proof of evaluation of qualifications from SAQA.
- Registration with your relevant professional body.
- A valid job offer.
SAQA stands for the South African Qualifications Authority. Applicants for the Critical Skills Work Visa must demonstrate that they have applied for a SAQA certificate confirming the equivalence of their foreign qualifications to South African standards. This process involves submitting relevant documents to SAQA for evaluation, which typically includes academic transcripts, certificates, and detailed descriptions of the qualifications obtained.
The SAQA certificate is crucial as it verifies that the qualifications held by the applicant are recognized and meet the required standards in South Africa. This step is essential for ensuring that the applicant’s skills align with the critical skills identified by the South African government.
Professional bodies play a crucial role in verifying the qualifications and credentials of applicants seeking to work in regulated professions. For critical skills visa applicants, these bodies confirm that the applicant’s qualifications meet the required standards for practicing their profession in South Africa. By requiring endorsement or registration with a professional body, South Africa ensures that visa holders possess the necessary skills and adhere to ethical guidelines specific to their profession. This verification process helps maintain high standards of professionalism and protects the interests of employers and clients in the country.
More information can be found here.
ICT Work Visa
Like all visa applications in South Africa, applicants for the Intra-Company Transfer Work Visa must complete the standard forms required by the Department of Home Affairs. This typically includes the BI-84 application form, which gathers basic personal information and details about the purpose of the visit. You will also require:
Proof of Employment Going Back At Least Six Months
Letter from the Sending Entity
Letter from the Receiving Entity
Transfer of Skills Plan with a Nominated Local Understudy
Undertakings by the Employer in South Africa
More information can be found here.
Business Visa
Your application must include:
- A certificate issued by a Chartered Accountant registered with the South African Institution of Chartered Accountants showing that you will invest any of the following:
- An amount in cash, as issued by the Minister of Trade and Industry, or
- An amount in cash and a capital contribution as determined by the Minister of Trade and Industry. The minimum contribution must equal ZAR 5 million, or roughly USD 273,000.
- A written statement issued 12 months after your visa is issued that at least 60% of your total workforce will be South African nationals or citizens.
- A written statement that you will be registered with all appropriate authorities such as:
- The South African Revenue Services (SARS)
- Unemployed Insurance Funds
- Compensation Fund for Occupational Injuries
- Companies and Intellectual Properties Commission (if applicable)
- Other relevant bodies as specified by the SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority)
- A comprehensive business plan
The business plan must address all the relevant laws pertaining to a South African business visa and outline the intricacies of the stages of success and all necessary finances.
It must also include the specifics of what your company will be contributing to South Africa’s economy.
If you intend to invest in an already existing business, then you must submit a letter of recommendation from the Department of Trade and Industry regarding the Financial statements from the previous year and the contribution the business makes to the national interests of South Africa.
More information can be found here.
Study Visa
A studying visa’s specific documents are as follows:
- Letter of acceptance to the recognised educational institution
- A cash deposit equivalent to that of the value of your return ticket
- Medical report
- Certificate of vaccination (if required)
- Proof of arranged accommodation
- You must provide details about where exactly you will be staying during your studies, and for how long
- Police clearance
- Only for those over the age of 18, and must showcase all the countries in which you’ve lived for 12 months or longer in the last 5 years
- Must be issued from the Police authorities of the country concerned
If the applicant is a minor, then the parents/guardians must issue the following documentation:
- Birth certificate
- Letter from the applicant’s legal guardians
- Proof of consent from the parent(s)
More information can be found here.
Retirement Visa
The documentation for a Retirement Visa is the same as all general documents, and the only difference comes in the qualification factors.
You must be able to prove that you receive a monthly passive income of ZAR 37,000 (over USD 2,000) from a pension fund or an irrevocable retirement annuity, or that you have a net worth of ZAR 12 million (approx. USD 698,000).
More information can be found here.
Conclusion
You must do ample research when filling out an application form for a visa to South Africa. The last thing you want to do is reach a point in the application process only to be turned away because you don’t have the proper documentation.
Make sure your documents are all up-to-date, and accurate, and be well-equipped for anything the immigration authorities, from both sides, may throw at you.
Written by Andreas Krensel, Managing Director
Edited by Simon Carletti, PR and Creative Supervisor
