Visitor and Tourist Visa in South Africa

South Africa is a beautiful place to visit, but before you arrive, you must know which South African Visitors and Tourist Visa you need to enter the country.
Visitors have two options:

Short-term Visitor/Tourist Visa

Long-term Visitor/Tourist Visa

The Short-term South African Visitor and Tourist Visa are for holidaymakers, business professionals coming to South Africa for a few meetings or conferences, sporting events, and short stints as volunteers or researchers.

South Africa’s Long-Term Visitor/Tourist Visa caters to individuals with specific purposes for an extended stay beyond typical tourism. This visa option may be available to professionals in fields such as academia (sabbaticals and research), education (teaching at international schools), media and entertainment (film, journalism, performing arts), and tourism (tour leaders).

Below is the information you need to apply for a travel visa, including requirements for the types of visas, costs, and the correct process to follow to submit your application

There are different requirements for short-term and long-term visas.

All Required Application Forms can be found at our Immigration Resources

Short-Term Visitor 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 Form BI-84, 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, 90 Days, and 90 Days Per Annum.

Use our interactive map 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!

Long-Term Visitor Visa

In addition to the usual personal documentation that you need to apply for South African Visitor and Tourist Visas, you need to provide the following:

• Proof of the purpose of your visit to South Africa, including letters from your host and your employer in the country where you reside.
• Note: Each purpose has different requirements.
  Our IBN immigration specialists will help you complete the correct forms, pay the right costs, and submit applications within the proper timeframe
• Purposes include academic sabbaticals, research, international school teaching, film and related media employment, journalism, visiting professors, performing entertainers or artists, and tour leaders
• Finally, you need proof that you have the financial means to support yourself for the duration of your stay in South Africa

The costs depend on which South African Visitor and Tourist Visa you apply for. Short-term and long-term visas have independent costs, as do the individual types of long-term visas.

Our IBN Immigration Solutions consultants will provide you with all the information you need to calculate the total costs of a travel visa, so there are no surprises.

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.