Do I Need a Visa for South Africa?

Do I need a visa to travel to South Africa?

In short, you might need a visa depending on your nationality. Foreign nationals from over 70 countries – including travellers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada – can travel to South Africa for up to 90 days without a visa for tourism purposes. You’ll need to make sure you have at least two blank pages in your passport (as well as several other requirements which we’ll touch on shortly) as your passport will be stamped on arrival by a border officer. See a full list of countries exempt from South African tourist visas.

If you’re not from a visa-exempt country – including folks from India, Indonesia and Egypt – you’ll need to apply for a visa online prior to travel. Documents to be submitted with the online form include proof of the purpose of your visit (e.g. confirmation of tour booking), two passport-sized photos, proof of sufficient funds for your trip and any necessary vaccination certificates.

It's important to remember that visa and entry requirements can change at any time, so you should always check for the latest information. Please visit the relevant consular website for South Africa for detailed and up-to-date visa information specific to your nationality.

Entry requirements for South Africa

To enter South Africa you must be able to provide:

a valid passport or travel document
at least two blank pages in your passport
sufficient funds for the duration of your stay
a return or onward travel ticket
Yellow fever certificates if you travelled from or via the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America

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