A short-term visitor’s visa for South Africa allows foreign nationals to visit the country for tourism purposes and generally needs to be applied for prior to arrival in South Africa. Should the passport holder be visa exempt from South Africa, he/she will enter South Africa on an entry stamp for a period of 30 – 90 days. This visitor visa is for short stay purposes only and cannot be changed to a longer-term visa within the country. It is thus ideal for holiday goers and/or visiting family for a short period of time.
The Immigration Act provides for 12 additional different types of longer-term visitor visas exceeding three months up to a maximum of three years. These visitor visa categories are as listed below –
Academic sabbaticals
Voluntary or charitable activities
Research
Accompanying spouses and children accompanying their parents who are in South Africa on temporary residence visas
Teachers at international schools
For any work in films and advertisements produced in South Africa (including actors, camera men, hairstylist, makeup artists or lighting and sound engineers)
Foreign journalists sent to South Africa by foreign news agencies
For visiting professors or lecturers or academic researches
Artists who wish to write, paint or produce sculptures
For foreigners involved in the entertainment industry, travelling through South Africa to perform
Tour hosts and leaders
For foreigners required to remain in South Africa to testify as state witnesses in criminal court cases
The above mentioned visas will be required to be applied for within the home country/country of temporary residence where applicable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I extend my tourist visa whilst in South Africa?
Yes, you can extend your tourist visa in South Africa to a further 90 days subject to the conditions of your visa.
What do I do if my visa is due to expire, but my extension application is still pending?
You are legally permitted to remain in the country whilst your application is pending, you will however not be able to travel during the period after expiry and before receiving your new visa. It is therefor advisable to depart prior to the expiry of your visa and re-enter on a brand-new tourist visa. Should you need to depart for whatever reason after expiry you will be declared an undesirable person for overstaying your visa and banned from re-entering for a period of between 1 and 5 years (depending on the overstay period). This ban can be uplifted and takes on average 2 – 4 weeks to be processed before you may re-enter.
Am I able to change to a work visa / spousal visa from a Tourist visa within South Africa?
No, the Immigration Act does not permit any person to change from a tourist visa to any other visa category from within South Africa. As such, a new application is required to be filed within your home country/country of residence.
Am I able to legally conduct work activities on a Tourist visa?
No, a tourist visa enables you to travel to South Africa for holiday and/or business purposes only. Business is considered as meetings, interviews, signing of contracts, training or conferences. If you are required to conduct short term work, you are required to apply for a short-term work visa, such as the Visitor Visa in terms of Section 11(2).
Our Main Focus Remains To Serve Corporates, Professionals and High Net Worth / Affluent Families With Legally Correct Immigration and Permanent Residency Services.
CONTACT US
This Website Uses Cookies
We use cookies to optimise your experience on this website. You can set your cookies preferences below or visit our Cookies Privacy Policy for more information. By continuing to use our website you are agreeing to Xpatweb's Privacy Policy and the use of cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.