South Africa

Visa South Africa

Afrique · Afrique australe

In South Africa, visas fall to the Department of Home Affairs. The pages consulted on 2026-09-17 list ten visa categories, state that applications are filed at a regional office of the department or with the nearest South African embassy, mission or consulate, and that all immigration applications go through the service provider VFS Global. The department publishes processing times by category.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority: Department of Home Affairs — home affairs department of the Republic of South Africa
Submission channel: Regional office of the department or nearest South African embassy, mission or consulate; the department states that immigration applications are handled by the service provider VFS Global
Electronic visa: Yes: the department refers to an online electronic visa application service and publishes a processing time specific to that channel
Portal language: English

Do you need a visa?

Your nationality

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

"Business Visa" — business visa: For foreign nationals who invest in a South African business; the page states a prescribed financial capital contribution. Official page (new tab)
"General Work Visa" — general work visa: Valid for the duration of the employment contract or up to five years. The page states documents provided by the employer and proof of qualifications. Official page (new tab)
"Critical Skills Work Visa" — critical skills work visa: Issued for up to five years for the occupations appearing on the critical skills list. The page states a job offer and qualifications evaluated by SAQA. Official page (new tab)
"Study Visa" — study visa: For students enrolled at an educational institution. The page states that the holder may work part time, within a limit of twenty hours per week. Official page (new tab)
"Relative's Visa" — relative's visa: For the immediate family of a citizen or a permanent resident. The page states a maximum duration of two years and a financial guarantee. Official page (new tab)
"Medical Treatment Visa" — medical treatment visa: For medical care. The page states a maximum duration of six months and states that the holder may not work. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The page devoted to visa types states that applications must be filed at a regional office of the Department of Home Affairs or with the nearest South African embassy, mission or consulate abroad. It also states that all immigration-related applications are handled by the service provider VFS Global, on its platform dedicated to the department.

The department's site also refers to an online electronic visa application service and to an online services portal for passports and identity cards. It states offices in the nine provinces, VFS Global offices and service centers abroad, as well as a call center on 0800 60 11 90.

The site lists ten visa categories, six of which are taken up above: to these are added the intra-company transfer visa, the corporate visa, the exchange visa and the retired person visa.

Steps in the procedure

Determine the visa category corresponding to the purpose of the stay from those the department lists.
Assemble the documents specific to that category, as the page describes them.
File the application at a regional office of the Department of Home Affairs or with the nearest South African embassy, mission or consulate.
Go through the service provider VFS Global, which the department designates for all immigration applications.
Where applicable, use the department's online electronic visa application service.
Wait for the decision, within the processing times published by the department.

The portal consulted does not number the steps; these reproduce only what the pages state.

Documents mentioned by the authority

For a business visa: proof of the prescribed financial capital contribution.
For a general work visa: documents provided by the employer and proof of qualifications.
For a critical skills work visa: job offer and qualifications evaluated by SAQA.
For a study visa: proof of enrollment with an educational institution.
For a relative's visa: proof of the direct family relationship with a citizen or a permanent resident, and a financial guarantee.

The exact list appears on the page specific to each category, which was not consulted; only the official page is authoritative.

Stated fees and processing times

The fees are not stated as amounts on the pages consulted: the department states that fees exist, that they are liable to change and that they vary according to the country and the currency, and it refers to a prices page that was not consulted.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, the processing times published are in particular: critical skills work visa 4 weeks; general work visa 4 weeks; business visa 8 weeks; visitor visa 60 days; study visa 60 days; medical treatment visa 60 days; relative's visa 120 days; visa at the point of entry 5 days, and 10 days for the electronic visa channel.

After the decision

What follows the decision is not detailed on the pages consulted. The Department of Home Affairs decides.

The site names related steps: appeal in the event of overstaying the authorized period, appeal against a ban, as well as a section devoted to compliance with the conditions of visas and permits and to their withdrawal. Their conditions are not stated on the pages consulted.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for South Africa to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required to travel to South Africa?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. Always check with the authority.

Where is the application filed?

According to the page consulted: at a regional office of the Department of Home Affairs or with the nearest South African embassy, mission or consulate. The department states that immigration applications are handled by the service provider VFS Global.

Is there an electronic visa?

Yes. The department refers to an online electronic visa application service and publishes a processing time specific to that channel, of 10 days for a visa at the point of entry.

Which visa categories exist?

The page consulted lists ten of them: business, general work, critical skills, intra-company transfer, corporate, study, exchange, retired person, relative's and medical treatment visas.

What processing times does the authority announce?

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17: 4 weeks for a critical skills or general work visa, 8 weeks for a business visa, 60 days for a visitor, study or medical treatment visa, and 120 days for a relative's visa.

What are the fees?

Not stated as an amount on the portal consulted. The department states only that the fees are liable to change and that they vary according to the country and the currency, and refers to a separate prices page.

Official sources

Department of Home Affairs — République d'Afrique du Sud (new tab) Authority

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

Department of Home Affairs - HOME (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Types of Visas (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Types of Visas (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Turnaround times for VISAS and Permits (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Department of Home Affairs - ePermits (corps de page non lisible) (new tab) read on 17 September 2026

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

The department's prices page was not consulted: no amount is taken up here.
The electronic visa application service could not be read: only its header was obtained, and the categories accessible through that channel remain to be stated.
The pages specific to each visa category were not consulted: the list of documents remains partial.
The published processing times are tied to sections of the immigration act; the correspondence between those sections and the categories named was not verified.
The exact role of the service provider VFS Global in the filing and return of documents is not detailed on the pages consulted.

Prepare my case

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