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Destination · data reviewed 2026-10

South Africa Visa Requirements by Passport (2026)

94 of 207 passports can enter South Africa without arranging a visa in advance: 94 visa-free. 31 can apply for an e-visa online. 82 need a visa before travel.

  • Visa-free 94
  • E-visa 31
  • Visa 82
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No visa in advance

94 of 207

Visa-free, ETA or on arrival

Visa-free

94

E-visa online

31

Visa required

82

How to enter South Africa

What to apply for, what it costs and where to apply.

UK, US, EU and many other passports are visa-free for up to 90 days. Since 12 August 2026 visa-required nationals (initially China, India, Indonesia and Mexico) can use the online ETA instead of a visitor visa, and since 1 July 2026 every traveller must file an online SARS traveller declaration.

Travel authorizationElectronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

Nationals of eligible visa-required countries; voluntary for visa-exempt travellers

Stay
Up to 90 days per visit
Processing
Outcome within 24 hours
Arrival cardOnline traveller declaration

All travellers entering or leaving by air, land, sea or rail

Fee
Free
Valid for
Per trip
Processing
Online, SATMS app or port kiosk before travel
Official site: sars.gov.za

Passport validity

At least 30 days after departure, 2 blank pages

Official entry rules

dha.gov.za

Recent and upcoming changes

  1. ETA launched

    President Ramaphosa launched the ETA, letting travellers from eligible visa-required countries visit without a traditional visitor visa after a 2025 pilot for China, India, Indonesia and Mexico. Source

  2. Mandatory online traveller declaration

    All travellers must submit a SARS online traveller declaration before entering or leaving South Africa. Source

Checked against 3 sources on Oct 31, 2026. Rules for South Africa can change quickly: confirm on the official site before you book.

Passports that can visit South Africa visa-free

94 passports. No visa or online approval needed. Show your passport at immigration.

Andorra90 daysAngola30 daysAnguilla90 daysAntigua and Barbuda30 daysArgentina90 daysAustralia90 daysAustria90 daysBahamas30 daysBarbados30 daysBelgium90 daysBelize30 daysBenin30 daysBermuda90 daysBolivia30 daysBotswana90 daysBrazil90 daysBritish National (Overseas)90 daysBritish Virgin Islands90 daysCanada90 daysCape Verde30 daysCayman Islands90 daysChile90 daysCosta Rica30 daysCyprus30 daysCzechia90 daysDenmark90 daysEcuador90 daysEswatini30 daysFinland90 daysFrance90 daysGabon30 daysGermany90 daysGhana90 daysGreece90 daysGuyana30 daysHong Kong30 daysHungary30 daysIceland90 daysIreland90 daysIsrael90 daysItaly90 daysJamaica90 daysJapan90 daysJordan30 daysKenya90 daysLesotho30 daysLiechtenstein90 daysLuxembourg90 daysMacau30 daysMadagascar90 daysMalawi30 daysMalaysia90 daysMaldives30 daysMalta90 daysMauritius30 daysMonaco90 daysMontserrat90 daysMozambique30 daysNamibia90 daysNetherlands90 daysNew Zealand90 daysNorway90 daysPalestine90 daysPanama90 daysParaguay90 daysPeru30 daysPoland30 daysPortugal90 daysQatar90 daysRussia90 daysSaint Helena90 daysSaint Vincent and the Grenadines90 daysSan Marino90 daysSao Tome and Principe90 daysSaudi Arabia90 daysSeychelles90 daysSingapore90 daysSouth Korea30 daysSpain90 daysSweden90 daysSwitzerland90 daysTanzania90 daysThailand30 daysTrinidad and Tobago90 daysTunisia90 daysTurkey30 daysTurks and Caicos Islands90 daysUnited Arab Emirates90 daysUnited Kingdom90 daysUnited States90 daysUruguay90 daysVenezuela90 daysZambia90 daysZimbabwe90 days

Passports that need an e-visa for South Africa

31 passports. Apply online and get approved before you travel.

AlbaniaAlgeriaBelarusBulgariaCameroonChinaComorosCroatiaCubaDR CongoEgyptEthiopiaGuineaIndiaIndonesiaIranIvory CoastLiberiaLithuaniaMaliMexicoMoroccoNigerNigeriaPakistanPhilippinesRepublic of the CongoRomaniaSenegalSlovakiaUganda

Passports that need a visa for South Africa

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

AfghanistanArmeniaAzerbaijanBahrainBangladeshBhutanBosnia and HerzegovinaBruneiBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCentral African RepublicChadColombiaDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaFijiGambiaGeorgiaGrenadaGuatemalaGuinea-BissauHaitiHondurasIraqIsraeli Travel Document (Teudat Ma'avar)KazakhstanKiribatiKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLibyaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMicronesiaMoldovaMongoliaMontenegroMyanmarNauruNepalNicaraguaNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaOmanPalauPapua New GuineaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSamoaSerbiaSierra LeoneSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth SudanSri LankaSudanSurinameSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTimor-LesteTogoTongaTurkmenistanTuvaluUkraineUzbekistanVanuatuVatican CityVietnamYemen

South Africa visa: common questions

Do US passport holders need a visa for South Africa?

No. US passport holders can visit South Africa visa-free for up to 90 days.

Do UK passport holders need a visa for South Africa?

No. UK passport holders can visit South Africa visa-free for up to 90 days.

Do Canada passport holders need a visa for South Africa?

No. Canada passport holders can visit South Africa visa-free for up to 90 days.

Do Australia passport holders need a visa for South Africa?

No. Australia passport holders can visit South Africa visa-free for up to 90 days.

Do India passport holders need a visa for South Africa?

Yes. India passport holders need an e-visa for South Africa, applied for online before travel.

How long can you stay in South Africa without a visa?

Most visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days. The limit depends on your passport, so check yours above.

Does South Africa have an ETA or e-visa?

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA): Nationals of eligible visa-required countries; voluntary for visa-exempt travellers. Apply only on the official government site.

How many passports need a visa for South Africa?

82 passports need a visa arranged before travel, and 31 can apply for an e-visa online. Look up your passport above for the exact rule.

Visa requirements for every destination

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 South Africa's official site before you book and again before you fly.