What do we mean by border hopping?
There is a new pattern emerging at the borders of South Africa, and it’s important that people who frequently come to South Africa in our summer months take note of the following changes. The Department of Home Affairs is now following legislation more closely than before. Previously, someone holidaying in South Africa on a 90-day visa wanted to stay longer than the allocated time, they could exit the country, drive to Namibia for a few days, and return, hoping to have another 90-day visa granted. In the past, this worked quite well, and the visa was often regranted, especially for European passport holders.
What does the legislation say?
The legislation never specifically allowed this, but the DHA seemed to often grant the extra 90 days. However, we have received a large amount of client feedback saying that this does not work anymore, and that the border posts of Home Affairs are more closely following the legislation. This is completely within their right, in accordance with Regulation 11.5, which states if you come to South Africa on the 90-day visa, exit and re-enter, you should only be granted another 7 days. To get another 90 days, you must return to your home country.
Conclusion
Please take this into consideration for when you are planning your next holiday in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Written by Andreas Krensel
Edited by Simon Carletti
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