Introduction
If you’re travelling to South Africa to live or work, or even if your overseas family intends to visit or relocate, visas will need to be acquired for all.
Thankfully, all South African visas have options for dependents, so if you plan to move with your family, there are systems in place, and forms to fill out, that will help streamline that process.
Let’s talk about them.
Visa Options for Relatives and Dependents
There are quite a few visa options available for those looking to relocate to South Africa, with the most attractive one for those looking to bring others into the country being the South African Relative Permit.
Apart from that, the following other visas are available:
To qualify for a South African Relative Permit, one must be able to prove relations between a current visa holder, and the relative looking to travel. Either through birth certificates, marriage certificates, or similar documents.
The South African citizen, or permanent resident of South Africa, must also be able to provide financial assurance for the foreign national relative or dependent.
Requirements For Each Visa
Spousal Visa
Spousal visas are naturally only available to those legally married to a South African citizen or Permanent Resident.
Proof must come from a valid marriage certificate OR evidence of your relationship, such as a lease or other financial documents with both of your names on them. South Africa recognises life partnerships in its immigration law, so whenever you see Spousal referred to in South African immigration, remember that this means married OR life partnership.
The South African citizen, or permanent resident, must also provide proof of being financially stable during your stay in South Africa and the visa’s duration lasts for 2 years, with the ability to extend.
Working As a Dependent
Unfortunately, when travelling to South Africa on a relative visa, you will not be permitted to work, study, or conduct business, as you are technically only a tourist during this time. However, you can acquire special permission from the Department of Home Affairs to work, and even start your own business. This also extends the visa validity to 3 years.
Relative Visa
A relative visa is available for those who are first-degree relatives, i.e. parents, children, or siblings, of a South African citizen or Permanent Resident.
The visa is similar in that there needs to be substantial proof of your relationship with the citizen or resident, providing either birth certificates or legal adoption papers.
The financial requirements are much the same, as the citizen needs to provide proof of being able to financially sustain everyone during their stay. It is also issued for 2 years, and the application process for both visas is the same.
Long-Term Options
If you are looking for a long-term family visit to South Africa, you have several options available to you.
Retirement Visa
If family members are retired and can demonstrate an ability to financially sustain themselves, they may qualify for a Retirement Visa. This is a long-term option for those looking to live in South Africa but is also a possibility for those looking simply to be able to visit family with time.
You can read more about retiring in South Africa here.
Requirements for this visa include proof of pension or retirement income, acceptable medical insurance, and proof of accommodation.
The visa is issued for a maximum of 4 years and can be extended, but while in South Africa you can apply for permanent residency, although you are not allowed to undertake any work or business activities while in the country.
Conclusion
In general, the application process for spousal is not too cumbersome, but you must ensure that you are applying for the correct visa at the correct time and that each family member fulfils the eligibility requirements and criteria of the visa for which they’re applying.
Always check processing times at your respective embassies, as delays in processing spousal visas for example are much more common than delays for work visas. Also, when extending family visas in South Africa, prepare for long backlogs of up to a year.
Always consult the relevant parties, such as your local consulate or embassy, and ensure that you’ve picked the right visa for your purpose.
Written by Andreas Krensel, Managing Director
Edited by Simon Carletti, PR and Creative Supervisor
