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• SA Visa /
• Visitors Visa

Visitors Visa

The maximum duration for this Visa is 3 months. If a longer stay is required the applicant must apply in advance abroad or he can extend the visitor’s Visa locally, confirming the purpose of stay.

A valid return air / bus ticket, proof of sufficient financial means, the application fee andmust be accompany an application for extension. Pease note that a visitor’s Visa can only be extended once for a maximum of 3 months.

Please be aware that all extensions and changes need to be applied for 30 days before expiry of the current Visa. Missing the cut-off date without demonstration of good cause (e.g. illness, accident) will mean that you have to leave South Africa.

Countries exempt from South African visas:

The exemptions pertain to ordinary, diplomatic and official passport holders. Official visits (on invitation of the South African Government) and accreditation for holders of diplomatic and official passport holders are not dealt with here.

Visas are not required by citizens of the following countries for the periods and subject to the conditions indicated:

Holders of South African passports, travel documents and documents for travel purposes.

Holders of passports of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland including the British Islands Bailiwick of Guernsey and Jersey, Isle of Mann and Virgin Islands as well as the Republic of Ireland are totally exempt from South African visa control and thus do not require visas for any purpose regulated by visas.

Please Note:

Angola: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Antigua and Barbuda: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Argentina: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
Australia: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
Austria: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits

Barbados: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Belgium: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
Belize: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Benin: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Bolivia: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Botswana: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Brazil: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits

Canada: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
Cape Verde: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Chile: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
Costa Rica: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Cyprus: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits. Diplomatic and official passport holders visiting the RSA for holiday purposes are exempt for 90 days.
Czech Republic: Holders of diplomatic and official passports for holiday visits not exceeding 90 days and transits

Denmark: Bona fide holiday and business visits only (period unspecified) and transits

Ecuador: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
Egypt: Holders of diplomatic and official passports for holiday visits not exceeding 30 days and transits

Finland: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
France: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits

Gabon: Bona fide holiday & business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Germany: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
Greece: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
Guyana: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits

Hong Kong: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits This exemption is only with regard to holders of Hong Kong British National - Overseas (BNO) passports, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passports and Hong Kong Certificates of Identity.
Hungary: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits Diplomatic and official passport holders visiting the RSA for holiday purposes are exempt for 120 days.

Iceland: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
Israel: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
Italy: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits

Jamaica: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
Japan: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
Jordan: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits

Lesotho: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Liechtenstein: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
Luxemburg: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits

Macau: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits This exemption is only with regard to holders of Macau Special Administrative Region passports (MSAR).
Malaysia: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Maldives: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Malta: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits Malta: Holders of diplomatic and official passports for holiday visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
Mauritius: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Mexico: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Morocco: Holders of diplomatic and official passports for holiday visits not exceeding 30 days and transits

Namibia: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Netherlands (Kingdom of the): Bona fide holiday and business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
New Zealand: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
Norway: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits

Paraguay: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
Peru: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Poland: Holders of diplomatic and official passports for holiday visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
Portugal: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits

Romania: Holders of diplomatic and official passports for holiday visits not exceeding 120 days and transits

San Marino: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
Seychelles: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Singapore: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Slovak Republic: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
South Korea: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Spain: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
St Helena: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
St Vincent & the Grenadines: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
Swaziland: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits
Sweden: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
Switzerland: Bona fide holiday & business visits only (period unspecified) and transits

Thailand: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Tunisia: Holders of diplomatic and official passports for holiday visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Turkey: Bona fide holiday & business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits

United States of America: Bona fide holiday and business visits only (period unspecified) and transits
Uruguay: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits

Venezuala: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 90 days and transits

Zambia: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits
Zimbabwe: Bona fide holiday and business visits not exceeding 30 days and transits. Only government officials, including police on cross border investigation

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South African Volunteer Visa

 

Most volunteer programs are for 3 months to 3 years. This allows volunteers to come into South Africa on a normal tourist visa and work in the country. However, some volunteers will come into the country on programs that last for more than 3 months. This is where SA Migration can assist.

There are many volunteer opportunities in South Africa. The country welcomes volunteers and if you plan to volunteer through a proper volunteer organization and have been accepted, you can apply for a Volunteer Visa. In some cases, if you plan to volunteer for three months or less, you may not need a visa. Please check with us.

The Volunteer Visa is a temporary residency visa. It is a multiple entry visa and is renewable. This is the correct visa to choose if you have an acceptance letter from a Registered Volunteer Organization, are not being paid for your work, and plan to volunteer for your entire stay in South Africa.

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A Relative's Visa may be issued by the Department to a foreigner who is a member of the immediate family of a citizen or a resident, providing that such citizen or resident provides the prescribed financial assurances.

This only applies to first level of kinship i.e: Brother, Sister, Mother, Father.

The period of validity of the Visa shall be determined by the financial assurance provided, but will not exceed a period of 24 months at a time. A relative Visa issued to a spouse shall lapse upon the dissolution of the spousal relationship and the Department may at any time satisfy itself that a good faith spousal relationship exists and or continues to exist.

Let SA Migration Intl handle your entire case from filling out the documentation to processing the application.

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South African Retirement Visa

A retirement visa can be granted for 4 years to someone with a monthly pension, irrevocable annuity or retirement account of R37 000 from a net worth/combination of assets realizing R37 000 per month and wishes to retire temporarily or permanently in South Africa.

A South African Retired Person's permit is ideal for people wishing to retire in South Africa temporarily or permanently subject to the financial criteria or parameters being satisfied. This South African visa category is designed for those intending to retire in the country or wishing to have a long stay in South Africa with the need to renew the visa or permit. This retirement visa is not based on age but rather on assets, rental income and / or bank accounts generating income. It is based upon foreigner providing proof that such foreigner has the right to a pension or an annuity or retirement account which will give such foreigner a prescribed minimum payment for the rest of his or her life from the country of his or her origin; or a minimum prescribed net worth generating income for life.

This South African immigration visa is a popular option for seasonal visitors, i.e. those visiting the country for a period of six months or more. An important point to observe is that successful applicants are under no obligation to apply for permanent residence.

The temporary grant may be renewed indefinitely so long as the requirements continue to be met. However, permanent residency does bestow additional benefits upon its holder. In South Africa, immigration through the retired person's route can be either a temporary visa permit or a permanent residence visa as outlined in the eligibility criteria summarized below.

• The temporary route is granted for four years and is renewable indefinitely for four-year periods.
• The permanent route offers permanent residents the same rights and privileges as those with South African citizenship, with a few key exceptions, most notably the right to vote.

In both the temporary and permanent residence category the, South African Retired Persons Visa is based upon financial criteria and unlike a South African Work Visa, no prior job offer needs to be in place before an application can be made. Although unlike temporary South African visit visas, retired people can permitted to work if they wish, provided they apply under the correct visa category – Retirement plus Work Visa We wish to stress that the category “retired person", does not confer a maximum or minimum age limit for this class of visa for South Africa. Retired person's visas may be awarded to people of all ages, provided that the eligibility requirements below are met.

• A pension, retirement account or irrevocable annuity which has a value of at least R37, 000 per month. This requirement applies to each person making an application.
• Alternatively, candidates may obtain a South African visa of this kind by demonstrating a "net worth" through a combination of assets which equates to a minimum of R37, 000 per month. Once again, this criterion applies to each person making an application.

Work Conditions
The nature of this type of immigration to South Africa is such that no specific stipulations are in place regarding a candidate's ability to work in South Africa. In most cases, it may be assumed that people embarking upon this route, based as it is upon a steady income from a source other than employment will not be entering the country to work. However, each case will be considered individually and candidates may be able to work during their time in the country.

Applicants wishing to work will need to submit an employment contract and is not required to demonstrate that a South African citizen or resident is available for the position. The idea here is that applicants under this category can supplement their income and that the rules have been relaxed significantly from the stringent work visa requirements.

Accompanying Dependents

Spouse immigration and dependent immigration are now provided through temporary South African Retired person's visas. This route to South Africa is based upon the financial security of each applicant and unlike work permit visas or business visas, the dependent family members of retired applicants automatically qualify for visit visa status to accompany the principle applicant and does not have to meet the same criteria for temporary residence but for the purposes of permanent residence they are treated as one family unit.

However, in cases where an applicant successfully obtains permanent residence as a retired person, their spouse and/or dependent children, i.e. those aged under 21 will also qualify for permanent residency.

Financially Independent

An alternative route exists in the financially independent visa for which candidates would need to be able to demonstrate a net asset value totalling not less than R12 million.

In addition, it would also be necessary to demonstrate proof of payment of R120,000 as a non-refundable sum to the Director General of Home Affairs. The application for a financially independent visa will lead to permanent residence.

• A retired persons visa may be issued for a period exceeding three months to a foreigner who intends to retire in the Republic, provided that the foreigner provide proof that such foreigner has the right to a pension or an annuity or retirement account which will give such foreigner a prescribed minimum payment for the rest of his or her life from the country of his or her origin; or a minimum prescribed net worth.
• The Department may authorise the holder of a retired person permit to conduct work under terms and conditions as the Department may deem fit to determine under the circumstances.
• A retired person visa may allow its holder to sojourn in the Republic on a seasonal or continuous basis; and not exceed a four-year period, at the expiry of which it may be renewed one or more times.

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South African Spousal Visa

This type of South Africa Spouse or life partner permit is available to people in either heterosexual or same-sex relationships and can be applied for as either a spouse temporary residence permit or a permanent residence permit depending on the length of the marriage or relationship in question.

Foreigners who are spouses of South African citizensor permanent resident holders may apply for permanent residence. To obtain permanent residence, you would have to have been with your partner for more than 5 years.

Being one of the most progressive countries in the world in recognizing same-sex couples and affording them equal rights to that of heterosexual unions South Africa grants spousal permits to life partners in both same-sex and heterosexual relationships.

• The spousal permit is classified under the relative’s visa category and is renewable.
• The spousal visa is issued for a period of 36 months at a time. An added factor is the expiry date of the passport , ie the visa cannot be longer than expiry date of passport.
• It is a temporary residency visa and is only issued to foreign nationals who can prove a committed relationship with a South African citizen or person holding permanent residency.
• The couple must be able to prove a relationship longer than two years

If you would like to study or work while in the Republic you may do so but you would have to apply for working rights to be added to your visa. Persons on a spousal permit may also only apply to have either study, or business or working rights added to their visa, but not all three. This means that if you added a working rights endorsement to your visa you may only work for an employer.

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