South Africa Visa Requirements

List of all the documents that are required when applying for a South Africa visa, and guidelines of the documents

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If you need to apply for a South Africa visa, you must provide a few documents. The document list depends on the visa type you choose; however, there is usually a standard set of required documents.

What Documents Are Required When Applying for a South Africa Visa?

The documents you must provide when applying for a South Africa visa include:

Completed Visa Application Form

You can find the application form BI-84 online here. You must download the form and print it out. Afterward, fill out (in black ink only) the form entirely without leaving any answers unanswered. The information must be accurate and match the one from your passport. Do not forget to sign it.

The application form changes depending on the type of visa you apply for.

Application form Purpose
Form 8 (DHA-1738) Application for a temporary residence visa
Form 10 (DHA-1739) Application for renewal of an existing visa
Form 11 (DHA-84) Application for port of entry or transit visa
Form 13 (DHA-1743) Application for a corporate visa
Form 14 (DHA-1718) Corporate visa
Form 17 (DHA-1732) Application for an asylum transit visa
Form 18 (DHA-947) Application for a permanent residence permit

Valid Passport

If you are visiting South Africa, your passport must be valid for at least 30 days beyond your intended date of exit from South Africa. Moreover, it must have at least two blank pages when presented to endorse a port of entry visa, visa, permanent residence permit, or entry or departure stamp.

Two Photographs

You must include two photographs in color with a dimension of 3.5cm x 4.5cm. They should be without borders, have a white background only, and have a close-up of your head and the top of your shoulders so that your face takes up 70-80% of the photograph.

Moreover, the photos must be recent and no older than one month and scanned, or color photocopies would not be accepted.

Proof of the Payment Fee

When you apply for a South Africa visa, you must pay an application fee. Once you do it, save the receipt and submit it with the other required documents.

A Yellow-Fever Vaccination Certificate

South Africa requires all travelers from yellow fever-risk countries to show proof of yellow fever vaccination through a valid yellow fever certificate.

The certificates, valid for ten years, must be approved by the World Health Organization and should be administered at the yellow fever-approved vaccination center at least ten days before departure to South Africa, as the vaccine only offers protection ten days after administration.

Flight Itinerary

You need to submit a flight ticket if you are traveling by air, and the ticket must include the date you intend to travel and the return date.

Proof of Relationship to Dependents

If you are applying for a South Africa visa and have other family members accompanying you, you need to provide the following additional documents:

  • Proof of guardianship or custody or
  • Consent from the guardian in the case of an unaccompanied minor.

Proof of Sufficient Means

You can prove that you can support yourself financially during your stay in South Africa in the form of the following:

  • Bank statements.
  • Salary advances.
  • Proof of sponsorship by the host in South Africa.
  • Bursary.
  • Medical cover or
  • Cash available (including credit cards and travelers’ cheques).

South Africa Visa Requirements for Minors

South Africa visa requirements for minors include the following documents depending on the situation of the minor:

  • If a minor is accompanied by both parents:
      • Valid passport.
      • Valid visa (if required).
      • Unabridged Birth Certificate- UBC or equivalent document.
  • If a minor is accompanied by a person who is not their biological parent:
      • Valid passport
      • Valid visa (if required)
      • Unabridged Birth Certificate- UBC or equivalent document
      • Parental Consent Affidavit- PCA or a letter of special circumstances
  • If a minor is accompanied by adoptive parent(s):
      • Valid passport
      • Valid visa (if required)
      • Unabridged Birth Certificate-UBC of the minor reflecting particulars of the adoptive parent(s), or
      • A court order confirming the adoption of the minor by the adoptive parent(s) accompanying the minor until a UBC containing their names has been issued.
  • If a minor is unaccompanied:
      • Valid passport
      • Valid visa (if required)
      • Unabridged Birth Certificate- UBC or equivalent document
      • Parental Consent Affidavit- PCA or letter of special circumstances
      • Letter from the person receiving the minor in South Africa containing his contact information and address.
      • A copy of the identity document or valid passport and visa of the person who will receive the minor in South Africa, and
      • Contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the minor (this may be included in the PCA).

Please note that where a Parental Consent Affidavit- PCA is presented, also include a copy of the minor’s parents’ or legal guardian’s identity documents or passport; and parental or legal guardian contact information, as well as the person who will take care of the minor while in South Africa.

South Africa Visa Requirements for Specific Visa Types

Depending on the type of visa, you will be required to submit additional documents.

Where Do I Submit the Required Documents?

You should submit the required documents at the nearest South African embassy or consulate. In countries without South African diplomatic representation, you can submit the documents at any of the following:

  • At a visa application center.
  • South African embassy in a neighboring country.
  • The embassy of another country that is in charge of accepting South Africa visa applications.

What Do I Need When I Enter South Africa?

When you enter South Africa, at the border, you need to present:

  • A valid passport.
  • Your visa.
  • A yellow fever vaccination certificate.
  • Certificate of covid-19 vaccination.
  • A negative PCR test.
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