Thailand, Mauritius, and the Netherlands all just reopened to South Africans – with provisos

Business Insider SA  - 06 Oct 2021

• The holiday-friendly island states of Thailand and Mauritius, plus the Netherlands, all reopened or announced they would welcome SA travellers again on Friday.
• During August and September, a number of countries dropped specific or general travel restrictions that kept South Africans out.
• In Thailand, you will still be restricted in where you can go for the first week, and Mauritius will demand a test on arrival as well as on day 5. 

Two island-getaway destinations, and one important destination in Europe, are now all open to South African visitors again – with some restrictions on movement and testing requirements. 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced that country had dropped restrictions on its "sandbox" scheme, which allows tourists to access a single island for seven days, before then gaining the freedom to travel anywhere in the country.

That allows fully-vaccinated South Africans to visit the sandbox sites Phuket, Surat Thani (Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, and Ko Tao), Phang-Nga (Khao Lak and Ko Yao), and Krabi (Ko Phi Phi, Ko Ngai and Railay Beach).

Meanwhile, island peer Mauritius followed through on a planned reopening to foreign visitors, with 89% of its population having now received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Unvaccinated visitors must still remain in resort bubbles for 14 days, but those fully vaccinated have freedom of movement – with mandatory tests on arrival (on top of a pre-departure PCR test), and on day 5 of their stay.

Mauritius announced the details of its reopening in mid-September, after its flag-carrier airline had earlier announced plans to resume flights to and from SA in October.

Also on Friday, the Netherlands removed South Africa from its list of "very high risk" countries with effect from 9AM.

The Netherlands announced in June that it would allow a very specific subset of South Africans – students, key workers, and those with compelling family reasons – to enter that country after a minimum quarantine period of five days.

The number of countries on the can-travel list has been growing fast

The Seychelles opened to South African travellers in mid-September, with even those not vaccinated against Covid-19 welcomed as long as they show a negative PCR test on arrival.

The island nation will require quarantine only for those who test positive for the coronavirus while there, it said at the time.

During August and early September, a number of other destinations popular with South African travellers opened up, including Germany and Austria, Canada (albeit with mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated children aged between 12 and 17), and Ireland (even as the neighbouring United Kingdom controversially kept SA on its red list).

The United States is expected to drop major restrictions on countries including South Africa during November.

In general, avoiding at least home-based self-isolation requirements in such countries requires proof of full vaccination.

www.samigration.com

South Africa to be taken off UK red list for travel next week

Businesstech - 06 October 2021-

The UK will soon allow quarantine-free travel for almost all countries, including South Africa, according to a report in The Sunday Telegraph.

The current measures imposed by the British government permit entry to only British and Irish Nationals arriving from high-risk countries – commonly referred to as red list countries – who are required to quarantine in government-managed hotels.

However, Reuters reports that British prime minister Boris Johnson is expected to allow fully vaccinated arrivals from countries including South Africa, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia for hotel quarantine-free travel later this week, citing The Sunday Telegraph.

The Sunday paper reported that the UK’s red list of destinations would be cut to nine from 54, with the announcement expected to be made on Thursday (7 October).

The UK’s hotel quarantine policy for higher risk countries costs £2,285 per adult (R46,000), putting a huge financial burden on potential travellers to the country.

Reuters reported that the country is already planning to relax its travel rules from 4 October by scrapping its amber list for medium risk destinations and no longer requiring fully vaccinated passengers to take a Covid-19 test before they arrive in the country from places not on the red list.

“The government has said that from later in October, arrivals in England will no longer have to take a PCR test two days after arrival and can instead opt for the cheaper lateral flow test.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa said in an address to the country earlier this week that he had spoken with Johnson to discuss the UK’s red listing of South Africa.

“This has put us in a disadvantaged position since the United Kingdom is South Africa’s biggest source of tourism from the northern hemisphere and a significant trading partner.

“While UK scientists were concerned about the presence of the Beta variant in South Africa, the reality is that the Delta variant is now by far the dominant variant in the country,” the president said.

Ramaphosa said that he put South Africa’s case to the UK prime minister, “which he understood very well”.

“We both agreed that decisions of this nature should be informed by science and are hopeful of a positive outcome when the issue comes up for review in the coming days,” the president said.

www.samigration.com

Home Affairs extends validity period for expired visas

Businesstech  - 04 October 2021

Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi has clarified which services will be available at Home Affairs offices during the country’s adjusted level 2 lockdown, and announced extension dates for various documents.

While Home Affairs offices are operational across the country, some services have been suspended to reduce the number of physical visits.

This is to limit the risk of people infecting each other and the staff because social distancing is difficult when you have a large crowd, it said.

Motsoaledi has subsequently published a national gazette, detailing what services will be available under the extended level 2 lockdown and going forward. These include:

• Births registration;
• Late registration of births;
• Re-issuance of birth, marriage and death certificates;
• Applications for temporary identity certificate;
• Applications and collection of identity cards and documents;
• Applications and collection of passports;
• Solemnisation and registration of marriages;
• Applications for retention and renunciation of citizenship;
• Applications for rectifications and amendments of personal particulars;
• Applications for travel documents for people who plan to travel abroad;
• All back-office support services;
• Visa services in terms of the Immigration Act;
• Online renewal of refugee status and asylum seeker permits/visas.

Extensions and new dates

This applies to all visa and permit holders who applied for the previous waiver, and who have not left the country since the declaration of the state of disaster, and for holders of asylum seeker permits and refugee status which expired during the state of disaster.

He added that the following services will be rendered by the Department of Home Affairs from the following dates:

• Permanent residence permit appeals applications with effect from 1 October 2021;
• Proof of permanent residence permit applications with effect from 1 October 2021;
• Permanent residence permit applications from 1 January 2022.

www.samigration.com

UK to lift travel restrictions to SA - report

Business Insider SA  - 03 Oct 2021  

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson could relax travel restrictions soon.

• South Africa could be moved from the UK's red list.
• This means that travellers would no longer have stay 10 days in a so-called quarantine hotel.
• Fully vaccinated people would not have to quarantine at all.

The United Kingdom (UK) could ease travel restrictions to South Africa as soon as Thursday according to a report by The Telegraph.

This possible move follows heavy lobbying by South African business organisations as well as the government, to urge the UK government to move the country from its controversial red list, which requires travellers to quarantine even if they test negative and are vaccinated.

Such a shift would mean travellers would no longer have stay 10 days in a so-called quarantine hotel at their own expense of £2,285 (R44,800).

The lobbying to be moved from red list went to the highest level with SA President Cyril Ramaphosa and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussing the issue last week.

Having SA on the red list has hurt the local tourism season, with Tourism Business Council of SA saying the tourism industry loses around R26 million every day that the country remains on the list, Fin24 previously reported.

SA Migration - Visas: Critical Skills Work Visa , Business Visa , Retirement Visa , Spouse Visa , Life Partner Visa , Registered Immigration Practitioner , Immigration Lawyer ,Permanent Residence , Citizenship, Asylum to temporary residence  , Refugee   - www.samigration.com