Getting To South Africa
Want to visit South Africa? Here's information on the basic requirements for entering South Africa, as well as links to full information on visas and airlines
Visa Requirements
A visa ensures that you are properly screened before entering the country, and gives immigration officials the information they need to ensure you are admitted to South Africa for the correct purpose and length of time. A visa doesn't guarantee you entry to the country – it only allows you to proceed to a South African port of entry, where an immigration officer will check that you satisfy the basic requirements for entry into the country.
What are the requirements for entering South Africa?
- A valid acceptable passport or travel document good for a sufficient period to cover your intended stay.
- A valid visa, if required.
- Sufficient funds.
- A return or onward ticket.
- At least two blank pages in your passport.
- Yellow fever certificates are required if the journey starts or entails passing through the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America.
Do I need a visa?
Depending on your nationality, and the purpose and duration of your visit, you may not need a visa to visit South Africa. Click here to see who is exempt from South Africa visas.
Where can can I make inquiries about visas?
- Check the list of South African offices abroad for info on where to apply in your own country.
- Home Affairs contact centre: +27 11 461 9252 (overseas callers), 0800 60 11 90 (within SA)
How can I get a visa?
The Department of Home Affairs' website will give you the lowdown on visa costs, processing time, where to apply, what to submit, requirements for people in transit, as well as information relating to your duration and purpose of stay, medical visas and photographs.
Getting to South Africa
By Air
Traveling to South Africa from any part of the world is easily achieved, as most countries offer flights to OR Tambo International Airport outside Johannesburg, and, increasingly, to King Shaka International Airport in Durban, and Cape Town International Airport.
Visitors flying in to Johannesburg should make sure that if they are catching a connecting flight with another airline to any other destination within South Africa, that departure is from either OR Tambo International Airport or either Lanseria Airport (which is an hour to an hour-and-a-half's drive from OR Tambo depending on traffic). If you are booking through a travel agent or online, please double-check your bookings as you need to take into account driving between the various airports and available check-in times.
Through the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA), passenger-handling facilities are continually being upgraded, offering excellent facilities for the business traveller. There superb restaurants, bars, shopping areas, rest facilities and a number of VIP services at these airports.
For more info on our airports and live flight info, you can click here to go to the main ACSA website.
By Sea
South Africa is also home to 8 ports, 2 of which – Cape Town and Durban – receive international cruise ships. However, with air travel being so convenient, cruises to South Africa are limited and will have to be verified through travel agents.
By Land
Traveling to South Africa from neighbouring countries can also be done through overland safaris, on cross-border coach routes, and self-drive tours, through one of 53 border posts with Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Namibia, Mozambique, Lesotho and Botswana facilitate entry.
Most border posts observe normal working hours and some, like those with Mozambique and Botswana, are open from 06:00 to 00:00. The posts at Ficksburg Bridge and Maseru Bridge (Lesotho), Nakop and Vioolsdrift (Namibia) and Beit Bridge (Zimbabwe) are open 24 hours a day.
