What is a South African visitor's visa?
A short-term visitor's visa is for foreign nationals visiting South Africa primarily for tourism or other
short stays. If your passport is not visa-exempt, you must apply before arrival. If your country is
visa-exempt, you may enter with an entry stamp valid for 30 to 90 days without a prior visa application.
Short stays only
A standard visitor's visa is for short stays and generally cannot be converted into a longer-term visa while you
are in South Africa — except in limited cases (such as spouses or dependents of South African citizens or permanent residents).
Permitted business activities
A visitor's visa allows travel for holiday and limited business-related activities only, including meetings, interviews, contract signings, training sessions, and conferences.
If you need to perform short-term work in South Africa, you may need a Short-Term Work Visa (such as a
Visitor's Visa under Section 11(2) of the Immigration Act) rather than a standard tourist visitor visa.
Extensions and renewals
90-day extension
You may be able to renew or extend a visitor's visa for an additional 90 days while in South Africa, subject to your current visa conditions and eligibility.
Pending renewal
While a renewal application is pending, you may remain in South Africa legally — but you generally cannot travel outside the country after your visa expires until the new visa is issued.
Overstaying
Leaving after your visa has expired may result in being declared undesirable, with a re-entry ban of 1 to 5 years depending on the length of overstay. Bans may be appealed, typically taking 2 to 4 weeks to resolve.
Longer-term visitor visas (3+ months)
Under the Immigration Act, South Africa offers categories of longer-term visitor visas for stays
exceeding three months and up to a maximum of three years. These must be applied for from your home country or country
of temporary residence before travelling. Categories include:
- Academic sabbaticals
- Voluntary or charitable activities
- Research purposes
- Accompanying spouses and children of temporary residence visa holders
- Teachers at international schools
- Film and advertisement production (actors, crew, and related roles)
- Foreign journalists assigned by international news agencies
- Visiting professors, lecturers, or academic researchers
- Artists engaged in writing, painting, or sculpture
- Foreign entertainers travelling through South Africa for performances
- Tour hosts and leaders
- Foreigners required to testify as state witnesses in criminal court cases