South Africa visa application is one of the easiest visas one can acquire without seeking for the help of an expert. This is a guide that will help you on how to apply for South African visas, extensions, renewals, work permits yourself but the focus is going to be on tourist visa requirements in this article. With the acquisition of the visa through this process, the applicant can travel with their spouse and children and dependents listed in their application.
South Africa Visa Requirements: Application Guide For All Travelers
South Africa is a country in the southern-most part of the African continent. The country is blessed with lots of tourist attractions ranging from wildlife, culture, magnificent coast lines and other interesting monuments, attracting thousands of people visiting South Africa for pleasure, work, business and other travel related activities.
Passengers or tourists travelling to South Africa requires a visa before permitted entry whereas other also have a visa waiver agreement between their home country, granting them a free entry. Countries permitted to travel to South Africa without a visa or visa free waiver agreement includes:
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Benin
Botswana
Brazil
Chile
Costa Rica
Dominica Republic
Dominica
Ecuador
El Salvador
Eswatini
Fiji
Gabon
Georgia
Grenada
Guatemala
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Jamaica
Kenya
Kosovo
South Korea
Lesotho
Macau
Malawi
Malaysia
Mauritius
Micronesia
Mozambique
Namibia
Nicaragua
Palestine
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Qatar
Russia
Saint Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia,
St. Vincent and Grenadines
Singapore
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Zambia
Zimbabwe can all enjoy visa free benefits to travel to South Africa for pleasure, business, medical and all tour related purposes.
Recommended read… Checklist before entering a visa free country
However citizens from countries such as;
Ghana
Ethiopia
Madagascar
Kenya
Canada
USA
Germany
Poland
Belgium
New Zealand
Gambia
UK
Greece
Bahrain
China
Comoros
Bangladesh
Switzerland
Portugal
Netherlands
Myanmar
Kuwait
Jordan
United Arab Emirates
Cameroon
Eritrea
Bosnia and Herzegonia
Bulgaria
Sri Lanka
Brazil
Egypt
Liberia
Mexico
Morocco
Montenegro
Turkey
Switzerland
Macedonia
Ukraine
Uganda
Luxembourg
Uganda are required to provide either an e-visa or visa on arrival before entry into South Africa.
Requirements or Checklists for South African visa application
These are the general documents required in the application of South African visas;
- A passport
A valid passport not less than 30 days to expire for the intended travel plan is required. The passport must also have an unused page for entry and departure stamping at the airports or port of entry.
Ghanaians can learn the passport application process here
- A completed BI-84 form ( DHA form)
The BI-84 is a South African visa application form that can be downloaded from the Home Affairs website. This form is associated with all tourist visa applications to South Africa which the applicant will fill out their personal details and all accompanying travelers and the purpose of travel to the South Africa.
The forms (BI-84) can also be downloaded from the online website of VFS Global a visa facilitation center that aid applicants in visa applications and submissions to the affiliated embassies. VFS Global is scattered across the major cities globally such as Accra, Harare, Lahore, Nairobi, New Delhi, Dubai, Doha, Lagos, London, Kinsasha, just to mention a few.
- Payment of the visa fees
Applicants are required to pay for the prescribe visa cost or fees for the application with an attached receipt. Applications through VFS Global are permitted to do all payments at the in bank of the office premises.
- A yellow fever vaccination certificate
A photocopy of the applicant’s yellow fever vaccination certificate is to be attached to the application. Amidst the covid pandemic, there are countries that are now making vaccination certificate for covid-19 a mandatory requirement for travelers so applicants are advice to find the requirements from their home countries before submitting their applications.
- Two passport pictures taking within the current and three months printed in colored are to be affixed to the application form.
- Flight Itinary
This is a dummy ticket which includes information such as onward and returning schedules of the travelers and the airline as planned. Applicant can get their dummy tickets or flight itinerary through Skyscanner and later do the payment.
- Financial Statement
This is a proof that the applicant would be able to pay for his expenses while they stay in South Africa. The applicant is to provide if applicable employment payslips for the past 3 months, sponsorship letter, undertaking from the host in South Africa, to the bank statement.
How much money should you have in your bank statement? Read more.
- Proof of Accommodation
The application should be accompanied by accommodation information where the applicant would be staying while in South Africa. This can be hotel bookings, host accommodation information and so on.
Get affordable accommodations to your foreign homes through booking.
- Purpose of travel
An official letter stating and giving reason why the applicant is traveling to South Africa must be provided to the application. This letter is mostly issued by the host in South Africa to be presented to the visa application center. In the letter the purpose and the duration for which the applicant would be staying should all be stated.
E-Visa requirements for entry to South Africa
The new system simplifies the South African visa application process. Most e-Visa applications will be approved in a few days and sent to the foreign national via email. Conveniently, eligible travellers can now get a visa online, from their smartphone, laptop, or other electronic device.
This e-visa process was recently launched to permit 14 countries and over to trustfully travel to the South Africa without applying for visa through the embassies.
With this newly launched electronic visa application system, an applicant from a qualified or eligible country will fast and conveniently apply their tourist visa from their smart devices and get their approved visa sent to their email.
Submission of Application
Applications can either be made at the consular section of the South African embassy in the applicant’s home country or through the VFS Global visa application center. After submitting all the documents or the checklist, a receipt with a tracking number is given to the applicant where you can use to track the status of the application.
Generally status of applications takes between 2 weeks and a month for applicants to get their visa decisions. The tourist visa allows the traveler to stay for maximum of 90 days. Should the applicant intend to stay longer, an extension will have to be made with the home affairs before expiring in South Africa. There are single and multiple entry visas so applicants can select the type of visa for their applications.
Applicant should bear in mind that South Africa tourist visas are issued on the purpose of all tourism. Conditions attached to the issued visa can be found on the visa in the passport and contrary can lead to punitive action.
Activities allowed with the South African visa include:
- visits to family or friends and also for tourism purposes
- business purposes
- spouse to join a spouse who is in South Africa on a work or study permit
- children to join parents who are in South Africa on work or study permits
- fiancée/ fiancé to join his or her partner with the intension of marrying within 90 days
- study purposes (max stay 3-months)
- charitable or voluntary activities
- research
- conferences
- to work in the production of an movie or show (i.e. in the entertainment industry)
- for medical purposes (max stay 3-months)
- sport events
Also read about How to obtain 5 years tourist visa to the United States of America
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