Everyone wanting to enter South Africa MUST have a visa.

 

Passport holders from many countries e.g. the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand and most (but not all) European EU countries are considered to be "exempt" as they do not have to apply for a visa from their home country, but will be given a 90 or 30 day tourist visa from Immigration on arrival in the first Port of Entry in South Africa 

See this link for list of these countries: https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/exempt-countries

 

Other nationalities formerly had to apply for a visa in their home country before arrival but this has now been changed by the introduction of the E-Visa scheme. This currently only applies to passport holders from the following countries: ​

Albania, Algeria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iran, Kenya, Liberia, Lithuania, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Republic of Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia, Uganda.

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In order to check which visa you require, please proceed as follows:

1. check on the link below to view the table – scroll down to Visa Exemption List. Check your passport nationality in the left hand column and scroll across to the column headed “Ordinary” (most cruisers will have an ordinary passport). This column will show if you are exempt from obtaining a visa prior to arrival and will show the duration of the visa which will be issued on arrival. If the column is blank then you are NOT exempt and must obtain a visa prior to arrival, or an E-visa if applicable.

​https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/exempt-countries

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2. If you are not exempt from obtaining a visa prior to arrival as above and a passport holder from one of the countries listed above then you should apply for an E-visa. Please be advised that this is a slow process, so prepare well ahead.

​https://ehome.dha.gov.za/epermit/home

 

3. If you are not exempt and are not on one of the countries listed above, YOU MUST APPLY FOR A VISA IN YOUR HOME COUNTRY BEFORE ARRIVAL. In this case, it is vitally important to obtain a visa prior to arrival. If you do arrive without a visa you will not be “cleared in” and will not be permitted to leave your boat whilst in South Africa. You may be refused entry and be deported.

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A Seaman’s Book is only eligible for bona-fide crew on a merchant vessel as a supporting document to prove crew status. It is not a visa, and cannot be used instead of a visa to enter the country.

 

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OSASA/20 July 2024

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