The South African Visa for your Trip to South Africa
If you are considering of visiting South Africa as a tourist or to visit a family or on a business trip, then applying for a South African visa can become a necessary task.
Usually, you should be able to apply for the required South African visa online/ at the nearest South African consulate in the country where you live.
General Visa Requirements and Validity Period of South African Visa
It is advisable to check the South African visa requirements, before applying for your visa to South Africa.
A brief list of the most important requirements and conditions when getting the visa for South Africa:
- You do not expect to perform voluntary work that can otherwise be undertaken by a paid staff in South Africa.
- You do not plan to join a work relationship in South Africa.
- You do not plan to supply services to South African organisations (this is allowed with a South African work visa or business visa).
- You do not plan to provide or offer product or services to consumers in South Africa.
- You and your family members are not in debt to the South Africa Government.
- You do not pose a danger to the health or safety of residents of South Africa.
- You have the ability to show that you have adequate funds to pay for your trip and return from South Africa.
Do you need a South African visa?
It relies on your citizenship as well as the type of travel document you are using to travel to South Africa.Please visit here to find out if you need a South African visa.
Exactly who can apply for a South African visa?
Anybody hoping to go on holiday to South Africa can request a South African visa.
There are several types of visa for South Africa which you can use as a traveller to South Africa. If you are not exactly sure which kind of South African visa you require to apply, please get in touch with the nearby South African visa office to obtain additional information as objective of this web page is to offer you basic guide when requesting South African visa.
What kind of South African visa do I need?
This depends upon three points:
- The nationality according to your passport – If the citizenship according to the passport is from a country that is on visa free travel to South Africa or eligible to obtain a visa on arrival in South Africa, then you may not need to get a South African visa before departure from your home country. Please click here to find out if you need a South African visa.
- The duration of your stay in South Africa – If you want to stay in South Africa for a much shorter duration no more than ninety days, then you can obtain the South African visa. If you want to remain much longer, then get in touch with the nearby South African visa office to secure the suitable visa for your trip.
- The activities you hope to perform in South Africa – If your sole purpose of taking a trip is for holiday, then you can make an application for all types of South African visas stated on this page.
General Visa Application Requirements to Obtain South African Visitor Visa
- Visitor visa Form for South Africa – Completed South African visa Form.
- Original and signed passport – The passport has to be valid for at least six months before entering South Africa and three months after leaving South Africa. It should have a minimum of two spare visa web pages and can not be older than ten years.
- Passport type photo – Photo must be no older than 6 months and should be 35 x 40mm in width.
- Previous passport – Supply a previous passport if you had any.
- Previous visas – Copies of previous South African visas information if you had any.
- Flight tickets to South Africa – Reservation of return or round trip flight tickets. In some situations the South African visa office may request for prepaid air travel tickets to South Africa.
- Travel insurance policy – Evidence of travel insurance with a minimum cover set by the South African embassy provided with the Certificate of Insurance and the table of benefits. The travel insurance coverage should cover the expense of repatriation for medical reasons and the Certificate of Currency have to be issued by an insurer. If you are considering utilizing your credit card travel insurance for your travel to South Africa, please get in touch with South African embassy to learn more and travel insurance policy requirements for the South African visa.
- Original bank declarations – Original financial institution statements for the last 3 months showing sufficient funds to cover your trip in South Africa. If statements are printed online then it needs to be Confirmed (stamped) by the bank officials.
- Hotel Reservations in South Africa – Copy of confirmed hotel reservations including name of the applicant, name and address of the hotel, duration of stay. In a lot of conditions, only bookings which are partly or completely pre-paid can be accepted.
- Employment letter – This letter needs to be: original and signed letter from employer written on company letter head paper, validating your ongoing employment, the status of employment, monthly income and yearly leave. Likewise, please provide your 3 most recent pay slips. If you are self-employed: provide certified copies of business registration, income tax return.
- For students. Please provide the following:
- Proof of present student status: Certificate of Enrollment.
- Original and signed letter from university written on university letter head paper, confirming on-going enrolment, confirming the payment of tuition fees or any type of scholarships, and confirming semester break.
- Insurance coverage from Organisation/University– Give a letter from the University stating the purpose, period of travel and confirmation that you will be covered by the insurance coverage for the entire journey in addition to the Certificate of Currency and summary of benefits.
As a whole, visa applications for South African visa must be sent for a maximum of 6 months, and no later than 15 days, before the trip.