Visas & entry requirements

South Africa welcomes most international visitors with very little paperwork — but exactly what you need depends on the passport you hold, and the rules can change without notice. Always confirm your own situation with the South African Department of Home Affairs or your nearest South African mission before you book.

Can you enter visa-free?

Passport holders from a long list of countries do not need a visa for a visit of up to 90 days. That list includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands and most of the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and — among the Gulf states — the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Travellers from Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman are not on the exemption list and should arrange a visa before travelling. A shorter 30-day visa-free allowance applies to some other nationalities, so check the current DIRCO list against your own passport.

You still pass through immigration on arrival — an officer stamps your passport with a visitor's visa for the length of stay granted, so keep your onward plans within it.

If you do need a visa

If your nationality isn't on the exemption list, you must arrange a visa before you travel, usually through the South African embassy or high commission responsible for your country.

South Africa's online Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) was formally launched on 12 August 2026 at O.R. Tambo. It opened to citizens of China, India, Indonesia and Mexico arriving through O.R. Tambo, Cape Town and Lanseria international airports, and the government has said it will extend to all countries from September 2026. It is becoming the standard route for visa-required nationalities; for visa-exempt travellers it remains optional, offering dedicated arrival lanes. Because the rollout is still moving, check the official ETA system for your current status rather than relying on any fixed list.

Your passport

• It must be valid for at least 30 days after the date you intend to leave South Africa.
• It needs at least two consecutive completely blank pages labelled "Visa" — one for a visa or permit and one for entry and departure stamps. Pages reserved for Endorsements, Amendments or Observations do not count, and airlines can refuse boarding without them.

What you may be asked for at the border

• Proof of onward or return travel — a ticket out of the country.
• Sufficient funds for your stay.
• A yellow-fever vaccination certificate if you are arriving from — or have passed through — a country with a risk of yellow-fever transmission.

Travelling with children

South Africa has specific rules for minors, and they depend on the passport the child holds. Children travelling on a visa-exempt passport — including UK, EU, US, Gulf and most other visitor nationalities — need only their own valid passport when accompanied by an adult: since the Department of Home Affairs advisory of 11 November 2019, an unabridged birth certificate is no longer required for them. Children who need a visa supply parental details as part of that application. South African minors must carry a birth certificate showing both parents, unless their passport already records those details. Where a child travels with only one parent, or with an adult who is not a parent, immigration officers may still ask for an affidavit of consent, so it is worth carrying one. Confirm current requirements with Home Affairs before you fly — they are enforced at the port of entry.

Entry rules are set by the South African government and are "subject to change without notice." Treat everything here as a starting point and verify the details for your nationality with the Department of Home Affairs before travelling.