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

General Work Visa

Under the General Work Visa there are very strict requirements. The South African government, although trying to promote work and trade in South Africa, recognize the need to give South Africans the chance to obtain employment ahead of any foreigner.

You will have to prove that you are the only person who can fill that position and that no other South African can play that role. This is done by placing an advert in a national newspaper advertising the position.

A Department of Labour report would need to be obtained.

You will also need to have a job offer/contract from your future employer.

The most important part of the process is skills assessment by SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority) in SA which evaluates your formal qualifications and compares them to a SA qualification. This process is mandatory and for this we would need your academic transcripts and award diplomas. Note under the regulations provision is made for the recognition of work experience in the absence of formal qualifications and this therefore makes provision recognition of prior work experience (RPL).

This is a paper based system which merely compares the foreign qualifications and arrives at an equivalent qualification in SA, and if qualified in SA then no SAQA needed.

Next your employer has to prove that you are the only person that can fill the position and no other South African can fill that role. This is done by placing an advert in a national newspaper advertising the position.

Please note the work Visa is issued in the name of the employer so the person is tied to the employer. If they change the job they will require a new work Visa.

There is some good news for people who are qualified through work experience only and they can qualify if they don’t require formal qualifications, ie SAQA.

Inter Company Transfer Visa

An intra-company transfer work Visa may be issued by the Department to a foreigner who is employed abroad by a business operating in the Republic in a branch, subsidiary or affiliate relationship and who by reason of his or her employment is required to conduct work in the Republic.

An important factor is that the applicant has to have been employed with the company abroad for a period of not less than 6 months.

The Intra company transfer is not designed to be a long term visa. The idea is to bring in foreign workers employed by the company abroad with a branch or subsidiary branch here in South Africa; they work or conduct training for four years, and then return home.

This Visa does not require the hassle of proving the company could not find suitable applicants and it does not require the hassle of verifying an applicant’s formal qualifications. It is based purely on employment. If you are a company that needs to transfer in foreign employers, please contact us and we will make this go as smoothly as possible.

It is important to note that this category of work Visa cannot be granted for more than four (4) years and this type of Visa is not extendable.

Critical Skills Work Visa

The Critical Skills Visa South Africa is for skilled workers whose occupation is on the Critical Skills Visa List for South Africa. This list reflects the occupations that are in demand in South Africa.

The newly published "Skills or qualifications determined to be critical for the Republic of South Africa in relation to an application for a Critical Skills Visa or Permanent Residence Visa"

This category of work visa may be issued to an applicant who falls within a specific professional category or specific occupational class determined by the Minister by notice in the Government Gazette. This is done after consultation with the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Trade and Industry.

If an applicant falls within one of the professional categories listed on the critical skills list and also has the appropriate post qualification working experience in that profession then such applicant may qualify to apply for this category of work Visa.

The applicant also needs to where applicable register with the relevant South African professional accreditation body regulating that industry as stipulated by Minister of Home Affairs. Such body must also confirm the applicant’s skills, qualifications and working experience.

Furthermore, such applicant’s qualifications need to be evaluated relevant to a South African level. An applicant for a Critical Skills Visa may enter South Africa on such visa without having secured a job offer first. It is, however, required of the applicant to confirm employment with the Department of Home Affairs within a period of one (1) year upon arrival in South Africa, failing which, the Visa would automatically lapse.

The Critical Skills Work Visa is tied to an individual and not to an employer so under this Visa a person can leave from one employer to the next without obtaining a new work Visa.

South Africa Working Visas

South Africa seeks highly skilled individuals to live and work in SA.

SA Migration Services will provide professional assistance to arrange your work visa for you if you qualify.

Work Visas are regulated in terms of Section 19, Regulation 18 and items 18 (1), 19(2), 20, 21 and 22, of Schedule A.

There are three common types of Work Visas:

• General Work Visa
• Inter Company Transfer Visa
• Critical Skills Visa