Visa Requirements for South Africa
South African Visa Guide - Frequently asked questions about visa Requirements
for South Africa
1 . Who
requires a tourist visa for South Africa?
A tourist visa for South Africa is required by all except the following for business and
tourist purposes:
-
nationals of EU countries, Australia, Canada, Japan
and US for visits of up to 90 days;
-
nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, New Zealand,
Norway and Switzerland for visits of up to 90 days;
-
nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador,
Israel, Jamaica, Malta, Paraguay, St Helena, Swaziland, Uruguay and
Venezuela for visits of up to 90 days;
-
nationals of Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados,
Belize, Benin, Botswana, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Comoros Islands, Costa
Rica, Cyprus, Gabon, Guyana, Hong Kong (SAR), Hungary, Jordan, Korea
(Rep. of), Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico,
Namibia, Peru, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Thailand,
Turkey (except holders of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
passports, who do require visas) and Zambia for visits of up to 30
days;
-
transit passengers continuing their journey by the
same or first connecting aircraft provided holding onward or return
documentation and not leaving the airport.
Note:
Holders of Visitors visas are not allowed to take up
employment in South Africa. Unaccompanied children must hold written
consent from their parents when travelling alone. Passports
valid for at least 6 months beyond date of departure from South Africa
required by all.
2. What are the required
documents for a tourist visa for South Africa?
-
Passport
valid for 6 months beyond date of departure.
-
2 passport-size photos with signature on reverse
side.
-
1 completed application form (failure to complete
the application fully and in detail may result in visa being delayed
or refused).
-
Proof of sufficient funds to cover visit.
-
Onward/return ticket and, if in transit, proof of
sufficient documentation for admission to the country of destination.
-
No criminal record
-
Visitors should be of sound mind and body.
For study permits:
Official letter of acceptance
from South African academic institution.
For work permits:
Official letter of employment from
South African company stating salary and position.
For business visas:
Letter from employer.
Note:
In the case of failure to comply with any of these
regulations, visitors may be required to leave a cash deposit with the
Immigration Officer.
3. How much time is required to issue
a tourist visa?
Applications
should be made well in
advance. Although the minimum processing time is 3 days,
nationals applying for a visa are advised to apply up to 10
weeks before their departure date.
4. What are the costs
of visa for South Africa?
Visitors,
Business, Re-entry and Transit:
Study Permits:
(depending on level of education).
Work Permits:
Work Seekers Permits:
Nationals of India, Zimbabwe and GAP students are
exempt from visa fees.
5. Where can I get further information
about South African Visas?
6. How do I applying for a South African
work visa?
Present
immigration policy in South Africa is tight due to the
emphasis placed on giving jobs to the general population of
South Africa. This is seen with the focus on Affirmative
action laws being passed where all businesses need to
report on what their 'quotas' are and where they will be in the
future.
However,
if you have a skill that is in short supply or have wads of cash ready
to invest in South Africa - you will be able to get a work visa.
The
current requirements are:
-
You
must be of good character and a desirable inhabitant
-
You
must not be likely to be harmful to the welfare of South Africa
-
You
cannot have an occupation in which there is already a sufficient
number of people available to meet the current requirements of
that occupation
7. Categories for work visas
-
Workers.
Applicants must be within the age group 18 to 51, with an
acceptable offer of employment, commensurate with their
qualifications and experience.
-
Spouse
and/or dependent child. Applicants must be
legally married to/the child of a South African citizen or
permanent resident, able to submit proof that the
breadwinner has an offer of employment in SA or sufficient
financial resources to be financially independent.
-
Retired
person. Applicants must be of appropriate age,
with transferable capital, pensions and/or private income
payable in South Africa.
-
Financially
independent person. Applicants must have a
minimum of R1,500,000 capital/investment in South Africa,
are expected to maintain themselves on the income by that
investment and refrain from engaging in employment or
establishing an own business for three years, without
obtaining prior consent from the Department of Home
Affairs.
-
Own
Business/Business Partnership. Applicants must
have a viable business prospectus/partnership agreement
and feasibility study, together with sufficient
transferable assets for investment in the business and to
maintain an acceptable standard of living.
-
Sponsored
persons. Applicants can be sponsored by a South
African citizen or permanent resident, namely:
(a) children/grandchildren,
(b) a fiancé(e) to whom marriage within 90 days of
arrival in the Republic is intended.
8.
Where
do I find South Africa Visa Forms?
The
South Africa government is not fully web-enabled at present.
Most of the applications therefore have to be done manually at the
relevant consulates.
However,
here is a list of common visa forms that you can download.
(You
will need Adobe Acrobat to read these documents as they are in PDF
format. Click
here to get your free copy of Acrobat.)
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