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United Arab Emirates Visa for South African Citizens

e-Visa90 days max stay

South African passport holders need an e-Visa for United Arab Emirates — applied for online before travel.

Tourist visa available via ICP Smart Services. Continuous stay not exceeding 90 days; the Authority may extend for an equivalent period provided total stay does not exceed 180 days within a single year. Single-entry monthly (AED 100 issuance fee), multiple-entry monthly (AED 200 issuance fee), plus AED 100 application fee and AED 100 smart service fee. Overstay fine: AED 50/day. Requires valid passport, personal photo, tour program statement, and valid UAE health insurance.

icp.gov.ae

How South African citizens apply for a United Arab Emirates visa

  • → Apply for the e-Visa online before travel and carry the approval.
  • See the exact document checklist for South African applicants, by visa type.
  • → Confirm the latest rules on the destination's official government page before you book.

Documents required for South African applicants

The exact documents South African citizens must submit for United Arab Emirates, by visa type, from the official visa application centre.

touristTourist: 30 Days

- Visa Application form duly filled* - Confirmed Return/Onward Emirates ticket, highlighting the applicant's name, entry and exit from the UAE in yellow. - A coloured recent passport-size photograph with a white background, must be front-facing and measure 2 × 2 inches, clear, sharp, with adequate brightness and contrast, without any colour filter, showing a close-up of the head and partial shoulders with the face centred and a neutral expression, fully visible from forehead to chin with eyes open, without hair or frames covering the face, against a plain white shadow-free background. Polaroid photos or those printed on ordinary printers are not accepted. - Coloured photocopy of the Passport Front/External Cover page and Bio page (Valid for minimum period of 6 months at the time of travel). Passports containing special characters such as brackets in the name will not be accepted and must be amended prior to visa submission. - Confirmed hotel voucher with confirmation number, applicant's name, check-in, check-out dates highlighted in yellow for the entire stay. (Check-in, Check-out dates on the hotel confirmation must match the dates on flight tickets ). Note that only up to two hotel bookings are allowed for the entire stay period. - If visiting Family or Friends: Provide a valid tenancy contract /Ejari or title deed of the host, if the sponsor has an apartment with two or more bedrooms, UAE resident card.( Highlight the tenant's name in yellow). - Coloured photocopy of a valid visa or residence proof if the Nationality is different from the Country of Residence.

otherMulti Entry Long Term Visa : 60 Days

- Visa Application form duly filled* - Confirmed Return/Onward Emirates ticket, highlighting the applicant's name, entry and exit from the UAE in yellow. - A coloured recent passport-size photograph with a white background, must be front-facing and measure 2 × 2 inches, clear, sharp, with adequate brightness and contrast, without any colour filter, showing a close-up of the head and partial shoulders with the face centred and a neutral expression, fully visible from forehead to chin with eyes open, without hair or frames covering the face, against a plain white shadow-free background. Polaroid photos or those printed on ordinary printers are not accepted. - Coloured photocopy of the Passport Front/External Cover page and Bio page (Valid for minimum period of 6 months at the time of travel). Passports containing special characters such as brackets in the name will not be accepted and must be amended prior to visa submission. - Confirmed hotel voucher with confirmation number, applicant's name, check-in, check-out dates highlighted in yellow for the entire stay. (Check-in, Check-out dates on the hotel confirmation must match the dates on flight tickets ). Note that only up to two hotel bookings are allowed for the entire stay period. - If visiting Family or Friends: Provide a valid tenancy contract /Ejari or title deed of the host, if the sponsor has an apartment with two or more bedrooms, UAE resident card.( Highlight the tenant's name in yellow). - Coloured photocopy of a valid visa or residence proof if the Nationality is different from the Country of Residence.

touristTourist: 60 Days

- Visa Application form duly filled* - Confirmed Return/Onward Emirates ticket, highlighting the applicant's name, entry and exit from the UAE in yellow. - A coloured recent passport-size photograph with a white background, must be front-facing and measure 2 × 2 inches, clear, sharp, with adequate brightness and contrast, without any colour filter, showing a close-up of the head and partial shoulders with the face centred and a neutral expression, fully visible from forehead to chin with eyes open, without hair or frames covering the face, against a plain white shadow-free background. Polaroid photos or those printed on ordinary printers are not accepted. - Coloured photocopy of the Passport Front/External Cover page and Bio page (Valid for minimum period of 6 months at the time of travel). Passports containing special characters such as brackets in the name will not be accepted and must be amended prior to visa submission. - Confirmed hotel voucher with confirmation number, applicant's name, check-in, check-out dates highlighted in yellow for the entire stay. (Check-in, Check-out dates on the hotel confirmation must match the dates on flight tickets ). Note that only up to two hotel bookings are allowed for the entire stay period. For 60-day single entry visa, Hotel booking should be 31days or more. - If visiting Family or Friends: Provide a valid tenancy contract /Ejari or title deed of the host, if the sponsor has an apartment with two or more bedrooms, UAE resident card.(Highlight the tenant's name in yellow). - Coloured photocopy of a valid visa or residence proof if the Nationality is different from the Country of Residence.

transitTransit: 96 Hours

- Visa Application form duly filled* - Confirmed onward/return ticket copy of Emirates airline highlighting the applicant's name, entry and exit from the UAE in yellow. - A coloured recent passport-size photograph with a white background, must be front-facing and measure 2 × 2 inches, clear, sharp, with adequate brightness and contrast, without any colour filter, showing a close-up of the head and partial shoulders with the face centred and a neutral expression, fully visible from forehead to chin with eyes open, without hair or frames covering the face, against a plain white shadow-free background. Polaroid photos or those printed on ordinary printers are not accepted. - Coloured photocopy of the Passport Front/External Cover page and Bio page (Valid for minimum period of 6 months at the time of travel). Passports containing special characters such as brackets in the name will not be accepted and must be amended prior to visa submission. - Applicants must provide a valid visa for the destination country they are traveling to from the UAE. - A valid confirmed Hotel booking. Applicant’s name and check-in/out dates highlighted in yellow (Check-in, Check-out dates on the hotel confirmation must match the dates on flight tickets). - Coloured photocopy of a valid visa or residence proof if the Nationality is different from the Country of Residence.

otherMulti Entry Short Term Visa : 30 Days

- Visa Application form duly filled* - Confirmed Return/Onward Emirates ticket, highlighting the applicant's name, entry and exit from the UAE in yellow. - A coloured recent passport-size photograph with a white background, must be front-facing and measure 2 × 2 inches, clear, sharp, with adequate brightness and contrast, without any colour filter, showing a close-up of the head and partial shoulders with the face centred and a neutral expression, fully visible from forehead to chin with eyes open, without hair or frames covering the face, against a plain white shadow-free background. Polaroid photos or those printed on ordinary printers are not accepted. - Coloured photocopy of the Passport Front/External Cover page and Bio page (Valid for minimum period of 6 months at the time of travel). Passports containing special characters such as brackets in the name will not be accepted and must be amended prior to visa submission. - Confirmed hotel voucher with confirmation number, applicant's name, check-in, check-out dates highlighted in yellow for the entire stay. (Check-in, Check-out dates on the hotel confirmation must match the dates on flight tickets). Note that only up to two hotel bookings are allowed for the entire stay period. - If visiting Family or Friends: Provide a valid tenancy contract /Ejari or title deed of the host, if the sponsor has an apartment with two or more bedrooms, UAE resident card.(Highlight the tenant's name in yellow). - Coloured photocopy of a valid visa or residence proof if the Nationality is different from the Country of Residence.

transitTransit: 48 Hours

- Visa Application form duly filled* - Confirmed Onward Emirates ticket, highlighting the applicant's name, entry and exit from the UAE in yellow. - A coloured recent passport-size photograph with a white background, must be front-facing and measure 2 × 2 inches, clear, sharp, with adequate brightness and contrast, without any colour filter, showing a close-up of the head and partial shoulders with the face centred and a neutral expression, fully visible from forehead to chin with eyes open, without hair or frames covering the face, against a plain white shadow-free background. Polaroid photos or those printed on ordinary printers are not accepted. - Coloured photocopy of the Passport Front/External Cover page and Bio page (Valid for minimum period of 6 months at the time of travel). Passports containing special characters such as brackets in the name will not be accepted and must be amended prior to visa submission. - Applicants must provide a valid visa for the destination country they are traveling to from the UAE. - A valid confirmed Hotel booking. Applicant’s name and check-in/out dates highlighted in yellow (Check-in, Check-out dates on the hotel confirmation must match the dates on flight tickets). - Coloured photocopy of a valid visa or residence proof if the Nationality is different from the Country of Residence.

via VFS Global ↗

United Arab Emirates visa for South Africa citizens — FAQ

Do South African citizens need a visa for United Arab Emirates?

South African passport holders need an e-Visa for United Arab Emirates — applied for online before travel.

What documents do South African citizens need for United Arab Emirates?

A valid passport plus the United Arab Emirates document checklist for your visa type — Earth Visa lists the full required documents per visa category from the official visa application centre.

Related visa requirements