QuickTravelTools Visa requirements for South Africa
Most visitors need a visa in advance for South Africa. 94 of 199 passports enter visa-free.
Popular passports: US · British · Canadian · Australian · Irish · New Zealand · Indian · Filipino · Singaporean · Malaysian · Emirati · South African
Rules by passport
Visa-free (94)
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Ecuador
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Guyana
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Monaco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- the Bahamas
- the Maldives
- the Netherlands
- the Seychelles
- the United Arab Emirates
- the United Kingdom
- the United States
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Checked against Department of Home Affairs of South Africa on October 10, 2026.
eTA / electronic travel authorisation (4)
- China
- India
- Indonesia
- Mexico
Checked against Department of Home Affairs of South Africa on October 10, 2026.
Visa required (101)
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Bhutan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brunei
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Chad
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ivory Coast
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestine
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Samoa
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- the Central African Republic
- the Comoros
- the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- the Dominican Republic
- the Gambia
- the Marshall Islands
- the Philippines
- the Republic of the Congo
- the Solomon Islands
- the Vatican City
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vietnam
- Yemen
Checked against Department of Home Affairs of South Africa on October 10, 2026.
Visa fees for South Africa
| Visa type | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| eTA | 500 ZAR, electronic processing fee per ETA application; non-fee-exempt travelers also pay the R425 visa fee (total R925) | Department of Home Affairs, South Africa (Government Gazette No. 55209, 17 Aug 2026) |
| Visa | 425 ZAR, visitor's visa / port of entry visa (ss. 10A/11) | Department of Home Affairs, South Africa (Government Gazette No. 55209, 17 Aug 2026) |
Processing times
| Visa type | Processing time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| eTA | If the application is approved, the traveller will receive their ETA within 24 hours | Department of Home Affairs, South Africa |
Visa processing time: No official source publishes this information. No official processing time published for mission/port-of-entry visa applications Checked: Department of Home Affairs, South Africa.
Apply through official channels
Start the official SA ETA portal
DHA - visa-exempt countries listNon-exempt travelers apply via missions or the ETA platform as rolled out to their country
Travel insurance for South Africa
Not required. No official source we have checked requires travel insurance to visit South Africa, and none publishes a minimum coverage amount for visitors.
Some visa services claim insurance is mandatory for South Africa and charge you for a policy. We found no official rule behind those claims, so we will not present it as one. Insurance may still be a sensible choice for your trip, but for South Africa it is your choice, not an entry rule. We watch for new mandates daily, and this page will say so if one appears.
Countries that do require it: the full travel insurance requirements list.
Sources and verification
199 of 199 passport rules verified against Department of Home Affairs of South Africa, 0 with no official source publishing the rule.
- Department of Home Affairs of South Africa (checked October 10, 2026)
Common questions
Do I need a visa for South Africa?
It depends on your passport. 94 of 199 passports enter South Africa visa-free; 105 need a visa or authorisation arranged in advance. Find your passport in the groups above.
What does a visa for South Africa cost?
It depends on the visa type and your passport. For example, the eta costs 500 ZAR, electronic processing fee per ETA application; non-fee-exempt travelers also pay the R425 visa fee (total R925). See the full fee table above.
How long does South Africa visa processing take?
Standard processing for the eta: If the application is approved, the traveller will receive their ETA within 24 hours.
Do I need travel insurance for South Africa?
No verified requirement. No official source we have checked requires travel insurance to visit South Africa, and none publishes a minimum coverage amount for visitors. Some visa services claim it is mandatory and charge for a policy; we found no official rule behind those claims.