South Africa Visa Requirements 2026Entry Rules & Visa-Free Access by Passport
- Visa-free nationalities
- 94
- Visa on arrival
- 0
- eTA / e-Visa
- 4
- Total streamlined
- 98
- Visa required in advance
- 100
South Africa's visa policy is moderately open relative to other destinations worldwide. If your nationality is not listed as visa-free, visa on arrival, or eTA/e-Visa eligible, you will need to apply for a South Africa tourist visa in advance at an embassy or consulate.
Visa-free
Countries Whose Citizens Can Visit South Africa Visa-Free (94)
Passport holders from these countries can enter South Africa without a visa - no embassy appointment, no advance fee.
- Andorra≤ 90 days
- Angola≤ 90 days
- Antigua and Barbuda≤ 30 days
- Argentina≤ 90 days
- Australia≤ 90 days
- Austria≤ 90 days
- Bahamas≤ 30 days
- Barbados≤ 30 days
- Belgium≤ 90 days
- Belize≤ 30 days
- Benin≤ 30 days
- Bolivia≤ 30 days
- Botswana≤ 90 days
- Brazil≤ 90 days
- Bulgaria≤ 90 days
- Cabo Verde≤ 30 days
- Canada≤ 90 days
- Chile≤ 90 days
- Costa Rica≤ 30 days
- Croatia≤ 90 days
- Cyprus≤ 90 days
- Czechia≤ 90 days
- Denmark≤ 90 days
- Ecuador≤ 90 days
- Estonia≤ 90 days
- Eswatini≤ 30 days
- Finland≤ 90 days
- France≤ 90 days
- Gabon≤ 30 days
- Germany≤ 90 days
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- Ghana≤ 90 days
- Greece≤ 90 days
- Guyana≤ 30 days
- Hong Kong≤ 30 days
- Hungary≤ 90 days
- Iceland≤ 90 days
- Ireland≤ 90 days
- Israel≤ 90 days
- Italy≤ 90 days
- Jamaica≤ 90 days
- Japan≤ 90 days
- Jordan≤ 30 days
- Kenya≤ 90 days
- Latvia≤ 90 days
- Lesotho≤ 30 days
- Liechtenstein≤ 90 days
- Lithuania≤ 90 days
- Luxembourg≤ 90 days
- Macau≤ 30 days
- Madagascar≤ 90 days
- Malawi≤ 30 days
- Malaysia≤ 90 days
- Maldives≤ 30 days
- Malta≤ 90 days
- Mauritius≤ 30 days
- Monaco≤ 90 days
- Mozambique≤ 90 days
- Namibia≤ 90 days
- Netherlands≤ 90 days
- New Zealand≤ 90 days
- Norway≤ 90 days
- Palestine≤ 90 days
- Panama≤ 90 days
- Paraguay≤ 120 days
- Peru≤ 30 days
- Poland≤ 90 days
- Portugal≤ 90 days
- Qatar≤ 90 days
- Romania≤ 90 days
- Russia≤ 90 days
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines≤ 90 days
- San Marino≤ 90 days
- São Tomé and Príncipe≤ 90 days
- Saudi Arabia≤ 90 days
- Seychelles≤ 90 days
- Singapore≤ 90 days
- Slovakia≤ 90 days
- Slovenia≤ 90 days
- South Korea≤ 30 days
- Spain≤ 90 days
- Sweden≤ 90 days
- Switzerland≤ 90 days
- Tanzania≤ 90 days
- Thailand≤ 90 days
- Trinidad and Tobago≤ 90 days
- Tunisia≤ 90 days
- Turkey≤ 30 days
- United Arab Emirates≤ 90 days
- United Kingdom≤ 90 days
- United States≤ 90 days
- Uruguay≤ 90 days
- Venezuela≤ 90 days
- Zambia≤ 90 days
- Zimbabwe≤ 90 days
eTA / e-Visa
eTA & e-Visa Eligible Countries for South Africa (4)
These nationalities can apply for an electronic travel authorisation or e-Visa online before travel - no embassy visit required.
Fees
South Africa Visa Fees (updated 2 Jul 2026)
Port of Entry / Visitor's Visa (short-term visitor visa, sticker/embassy-issued)
USD 36
Visa to Attend Business Meetings (90 days or less)
USD 36
Business Visa (more than 90 days)
USD 127
Transit Visa
USD 36
Compare official tourist-visa fees across every destination →
Applications are handled via VFS Global - a service fee applies on top of the visa fee and varies by country and centre.
Transit
South Africa Transit Visa
South Africa publishes a transit visa product for travellers passing through to another destination. Whether you need one depends on your nationality and whether you stay airside - see how transit visas work.
Transit Visa
Issued to foreign nationals passing through South Africa en route to a third country, particularly those intending to obtain long-term residence in a neighboring country.
Required for certain nationalities transiting through South Africa even without leaving the international transit area. Pakistan and Bangladesh ordinary passport holders require a transit visa effective 1 August 2022. Governed by Section 11(1) of the Immigration Act 2002.
Apply here ↗FAQ
South Africa Visa Requirements FAQ
Do I need a visa to visit South Africa?
It depends on your nationality - the lists above show every nationality that can enter South Africa visa-free or with an eTA or e-Visa. If your country is not listed, you will likely need to apply for a South Africa tourist visa in advance at an embassy or consulate.
Which countries can visit South Africa without a visa?
94 countries can visit South Africa without a visa in 2026, including: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia. Use Earth Visa to check whether your specific passport grants visa-free access to South Africa.
How do I apply for a South Africa tourist visa?
If your nationality is not eligible for visa-free entry to South Africa, you typically need to apply at a South Africa embassy or consulate in your home country. Requirements generally include:
- Valid passport
- Completed application form
- Passport-sized photos
- Proof of accommodation
- Proof of onward travel
- Travel insurance
- Proof of sufficient funds
Processing times and fees vary by nationality and visa category - see the visa types and fees on this page for the exact figures.
How long can I stay in South Africa without a visa?
The maximum visa-free stay duration in South Africa varies by nationality. Common allowances are 30, 60, or 90 days. See the visa-free country list above for specific stay durations per nationality.
By nationality
South Africa Visa Guides by Nationality
Step-by-step South Africa visa requirements, fees and document checklists for travellers from these countries. Nationalities in the access lists above link straight to their own guides.
- South Africa visa for Afghan citizens
- South Africa visa for Albanian citizens
- South Africa visa for Algerian citizens
- South Africa visa for Armenian citizens
- South Africa visa for Azerbaijani citizens
- South Africa visa for Bahraini citizens
- South Africa visa for Bangladeshi citizens
- South Africa visa for Belarusian citizens
- South Africa visa for Bhutanese citizens
- South Africa visa for Bosnian citizens
- South Africa visa for Bruneian citizens
- South Africa visa for Burkinabe citizens
- South Africa visa for Burundian citizens
- South Africa visa for Cambodian citizens
- South Africa visa for Cameroonian citizens
- South Africa visa for Central African citizens
- South Africa visa for Chadian citizens
- South Africa visa for Colombian citizens
- South Africa visa for Comoran citizens
- South Africa visa for Ivorian citizens
- South Africa visa for Cuban citizens
- South Africa visa for Congolese citizens
- South Africa visa for Djiboutian citizens
- South Africa visa for Dominica citizens
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- South Africa visa for Dominican citizens
- South Africa visa for Egyptian citizens
- South Africa visa for Salvadoran citizens
- South Africa visa for Equatorial Guinean citizens
- South Africa visa for Eritrean citizens
- South Africa visa for Ethiopian citizens
- South Africa visa for Fijian citizens
- South Africa visa for Gambian citizens
- South Africa visa for Georgian citizens
- South Africa visa for Grenadian citizens
- South Africa visa for Guatemalan citizens
- South Africa visa for Guinean citizens
- South Africa visa for Bissau-Guinean citizens
- South Africa visa for Haitian citizens
- South Africa visa for Holy See (Vatican City) citizens
- South Africa visa for Honduran citizens
- South Africa visa for Iranian citizens
- South Africa visa for Iraqi citizens
- South Africa visa for Kazakh citizens
- South Africa visa for I-Kiribati citizens
- South Africa visa for Kosovar citizens
- South Africa visa for Kuwaiti citizens
- South Africa visa for Kyrgyz citizens
- South Africa visa for Lao citizens
- South Africa visa for Lebanese citizens
- South Africa visa for Liberian citizens
- South Africa visa for Libyan citizens
- South Africa visa for Malian citizens
- South Africa visa for Marshallese citizens
- South Africa visa for Mauritanian citizens
- South Africa visa for Micronesian citizens
- South Africa visa for Moldovan citizens
- South Africa visa for Mongolian citizens
- South Africa visa for Montenegrin citizens
- South Africa visa for Moroccan citizens
- South Africa visa for Burmese citizens
- South Africa visa for Nauruan citizens
- South Africa visa for Nepali citizens
- South Africa visa for Nicaraguan citizens
- South Africa visa for Nigerien citizens
- South Africa visa for Nigerian citizens
- South Africa visa for North Korean citizens
- South Africa visa for Macedonian citizens
- South Africa visa for Omani citizens
- South Africa visa for Pakistani citizens
- South Africa visa for Palauan citizens
- South Africa visa for Papua New Guinean citizens
- South Africa visa for Filipino citizens
- South Africa visa for Congolese citizens
- South Africa visa for Rwandan citizens
- South Africa visa for Kittitian citizens
- South Africa visa for Saint Lucian citizens
- South Africa visa for Samoan citizens
- South Africa visa for Senegalese citizens
- South Africa visa for Serbian citizens
- South Africa visa for Sierra Leonean citizens
- South Africa visa for Solomon Islander citizens
- South Africa visa for Somali citizens
- South Africa visa for South Sudanese citizens
- South Africa visa for Sri Lankan citizens
- South Africa visa for Sudanese citizens
- South Africa visa for Surinamese citizens
- South Africa visa for Syrian citizens
- South Africa visa for Taiwanese citizens
- South Africa visa for Tajik citizens
- South Africa visa for Timorese citizens
- South Africa visa for Togolese citizens
- South Africa visa for Tongan citizens
- South Africa visa for Turkmen citizens
- South Africa visa for Tuvaluan citizens
- South Africa visa for Ugandan citizens
- South Africa visa for Ukrainian citizens
- South Africa visa for Uzbek citizens
- South Africa visa for Vanuatuan citizens
- South Africa visa for Vietnamese citizens
- South Africa visa for Yemeni citizens
Check your specific visa requirements for South Africa
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