Do I need a visa for South Africa?
South Africa sets its own entry requirements and applies them by nationality. The answer also depends on why you are travelling. The rule for a holiday is often not the rule for work, study or a long stay, so check that the answer you are reading is the one for your trip.
Now pick the passport you travel on.
Entry rules by passport
Select your nationality for the full answer: stay length, passport validity, pre-registration and how to apply.
| Passport | What you need | Max stay |
|---|---|---|
| Lithuania | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Germany | Visa-free | 90 days |
| United Kingdom | Visa-free | 90 days |
| United States | Visa-free | 90 days |
| France | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Poland | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Netherlands | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Spain | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Italy | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Brazil | Visa-free | 90 days |
| India | Travel authorisation | 90 days |
| China | Travel authorisation | 90 days |
| Türkiye | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Nigeria | e-Visa | No stated limit |
| Philippines | e-Visa | No stated limit |
| Pakistan | e-Visa | No stated limit |
| Bangladesh | Visa required | No stated limit |
| Indonesia | Travel authorisation | 90 days |
| Egypt | e-Visa | No stated limit |
| Vietnam | Visa required | No stated limit |
What to do next
The part most visa checkers leave out: what actually needs doing before you fly.
Confirm with the official source
Rules change without notice, and only the immigration authority of South Africa can tell you where you stand. Search for its official site before you travel.
Check your passport
Passport validity required: 1 month longer than the duration of stay. Renew first if you are close, because this is the most common reason travellers are turned away.
Customs declaration required
Separate from any visa: South Africa requires this registration before or on arrival. Do it even if you need no visa.
Common questions
Entry to South Africa, answered from the same rules the table shows.
It depends on the passport you hold. Of the 20 most-checked passports listed above, 11 enter South Africa without a visa, 9 have to apply for something before travelling. Find your nationality in the table for the exact rule, the stay it allows and what has to be applied for.
11 of the 20 most-checked passports listed above: Lithuania, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, France, Poland, Netherlands and Spain and 3 more. The rest have to apply in advance.
It varies by passport — 90 days or 30 days across the visa-free rules in the table. The limit is per entry, so check the row for the passport you will actually travel on.
1 month longer than the duration of stay. Renew before you travel if you are close to that, because it is one of the most common reasons travellers are refused boarding — by the airline, before they ever reach the border.
Not for any of the 20 most-checked passports listed above. Nationalities outside that list may still be offered one, so check the rule for the passport you hold.
Yes, for Nigeria, Philippines, Pakistan and Egypt. The application is completed online with no embassy appointment.
Yes. South Africa requires Customs declaration, separately from any visa and regardless of whether you need one. Travellers who are told they need no visa miss this most often.
Once you are in South Africa
Where trip1 travellers go, and what to read before you book.
Travelling somewhere else?
Check any passport against any destination
