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Passport · data reviewed 2026-10

Visa-Free Countries for South Africa Passport Holders (2026)

South Africa passport holders can visit 111 of 246 destinations without arranging a visa in advance: 74 visa-free, 10 with an electronic travel authorization and 27 with a visa on arrival. 39 more offer an e-visa you apply for online. 91 require a visa before travel. That puts the South Africa passport at #52 of 208 in our ranking.

  • Visa-free 74
  • ETA 10
  • On arrival 27
  • E-visa 39
  • Visa 91
  • Special 5
Check a destinationPrice an award flight

Visa-free access

111

Visa-free, ETA or on arrival

Passport rank

#52 of 208

E-visa online

39

Visa required

91

Visa-free for South Africa passport holders

74 destinations. No visa or online approval needed. Show your passport at immigration.

AngolaAntigua and Barbuda180 daysArgentina90 daysBahamas90 daysBarbados180 daysBelize30 daysBenin90 daysBotswana90 daysBrazil90 daysBritish Virgin Islands30 daysCayman Islands180 daysChile90 daysCook Islands31 daysCosta Rica180 daysDominica180 daysDominican Republic30 daysEcuador90 daysEl Salvador180 daysEswatini30 daysFalkland Islands30 daysFiji120 daysGabon30 daysGambia90 daysGeorgia360 daysGhana90 daysGrenada90 daysGuatemala90 daysGuyana30 daysHaiti90 daysHonduras90 daysHong Kong30 daysJamaica180 daysJeju Island30 daysKenya90 daysKiribati90 daysKosovo90 daysLesotho90 daysMacau30 daysMalawi90 daysMauritius180 daysMicronesia30 daysMontserrat180 daysMozambique90 daysNamibia90 daysNicaragua90 daysNiue30 daysNorthern Cyprus90 daysOman14 daysPalestinePanama90 daysParaguay90 daysPeru90 daysPhilippines30 daysPitcairn Islands14 daysRéunion90 daysRussia90 daysRwanda30 daysSaint Helena90 daysSaint Lucia42 daysSaint Vincent and the Grenadines90 daysSamoa60 daysSan Marino30 daysSingapore30 daysSvalbardFree movementTanzania90 daysTransnistria45 daysTrinidad and Tobago90 daysTunisia90 daysTurks and Caicos Islands90 daysUruguay90 daysVatican City90 daysVenezuela90 daysZambia90 daysZimbabwe90 days

Online travel authorization (ETA) needed for South Africa passport holders

10 destinations. No visa, but you need an online approval before you board.

Cambodia30 daysCape Verde30 daysIsrael90 daysMalaysia90 daysPakistan30 daysSaint Kitts and Nevis90 daysSeychelles90 daysSouth Korea30 daysSri Lanka30 daysThailand30 days

Visa on arrival for South Africa passport holders

27 destinations. Get the visa at the airport or border, usually for a fee.

Armenia120 daysBahrain90 daysBolivia30 daysBurundi90 daysComoros45 daysEgypt30 daysEthiopia90 daysGuinea-Bissau90 daysIndonesia30 daysJordan90 daysKyrgyzstan30 daysLaos30 daysMadagascar90 daysMaldives30 daysMarshall Islands90 daysNepal90 daysPalau30 daysQatar90 daysSaudi Arabia90 daysSenegal30 daysSierra Leone30 daysSomaliland30 daysSyriaTajikistan45 daysTimor-Leste30 daysTuvalu30 daysVanuatu120 days

E-visa for South Africa passport holders

39 destinations. Apply online and get approved before you travel.

Albania90 daysAnguilla90 daysAscension Island90 daysAustraliaAzerbaijan30 daysBhutan90 daysBurkina Faso30 daysCameroon180 daysChadColombia180 daysCuba90 daysDjibouti31 daysDR Congo7 daysEquatorial Guinea90 daysGuinea90 daysIndia180 daysIran30 daysIraq30 daysIvory Coast90 daysLiberiaLibya30 daysMauritania2 yearsMoldova90 daysMongolia30 daysMyanmar28 daysNew ZealandNigeria90 daysPapua New Guinea30 daysSao Tome and PrincipeSerbia90 daysSomaliaSouth SudanSuriname90 daysTogo90 daysTurkey30 daysUganda90 daysUkraine30 daysUnited Arab EmiratesVietnam90 days

Visa required for South Africa passport holders

91 destinations. Apply for a visa at an embassy, consulate or official visa center before you go.

AfghanistanAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraArubaAustriaBangladeshBelgiumBermudaBonaireBosnia and HerzegovinaBruneiBulgariaCanadaCentral African RepublicChinaCroatiaCuraçaoCyprusCzechiaDenmarkEritreaEstoniaFaroe IslandsFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGermanyGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGuadeloupeGuamHungaryIcelandIrelandItalyJapanKazakhstanKurdistan Region of IraqKuwaitLatviaLebanonLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMaliMaltaMartiniqueMayotteMexicoMonacoMontenegroMoroccoNauruNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNigerNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayPolandPortugalRepublic of the CongoRomaniaSabaSaint BarthélemySaint MartinSaint Pierre and MiquelonSint EustatiusSint MaartenSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSouth OssetiaSpainSudanSwedenSwitzerlandTaiwanTokelauTongaTurkmenistanUnited KingdomUnited StatesUS Virgin IslandsUzbekistanWallis and FutunaYemen

Special permits and unconfirmed entry

5 destinations. A special permit is needed, or entry on this passport isn't confirmed. Contact the destination's embassy.

AbkhaziaBelarusBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryJan MayenWestern Sahara

Home: South Africa. South Africa passport holders don't need anything beyond their passport or ID to enter South Africa.

South Africa passport: common questions

How many countries can South Africa passport holders visit without a visa?

111 destinations: 74 visa-free, 10 with an online travel authorization (ETA) and 27 with a visa on arrival. Another 39 let you apply for an e-visa online.

Do South Africa passport holders need a visa for the United States?

Yes. South Africa passport holders need a visa for the United States, arranged before travel through an embassy, consulate or official visa center.

Do South Africa passport holders need a visa for the United Kingdom?

Yes. South Africa passport holders need a visa for the United Kingdom, arranged before travel through an embassy, consulate or official visa center.

Do South Africa passport holders need a visa for France?

Yes. South Africa passport holders need a visa for France, arranged before travel through an embassy, consulate or official visa center.

Do South Africa passport holders need a visa for Italy?

Yes. South Africa passport holders need a visa for Italy, arranged before travel through an embassy, consulate or official visa center.

Do South Africa passport holders need a visa for Spain?

Yes. South Africa passport holders need a visa for Spain, arranged before travel through an embassy, consulate or official visa center.

Which countries need an ETA for South Africa passport holders?

Cambodia, Cape Verde, Israel, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand. An ETA is an online approval, not a visa, but airlines check it before you board.

Which countries require a visa for South Africa passport holders?

91 destinations, including Afghanistan, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Aruba, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bermuda and Bonaire. Apply at the destination's embassy, consulate or official visa portal well before you travel.

Compare with nearby passports

Ranked by destinations you can enter visa-free, with an ETA or on arrival.

Russia#49 · 123 destinationsTurkey#50 · 121 destinationsQatar#51 · 117 destinationsBelize#53 · 109 destinationsKuwait#54 · 108 destinationsTimor-Leste#55 · 106 destinations
See the full passport ranking

Tourist visits only. Requirements come from a dataset compiled in October 2025, with changes since then checked against official government sources on 2026-10-31. Rules change, so confirm with the destination's official site before you book and again before you fly.