What you need to know about South Africa’s E-visa

What is an E-visa?

An electronic visa allows eligible travellers to apply digitally. South Africa officially launched its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) on 12 August 2026. Start at the official DHA portal to check availability for your passport, purpose of travel and entry route.

Digital immigration services are intended to make legitimate travel easier while supporting border security. Tourism is an important economic activity, but older visitor counts and rankings are not current travel guidance.

COVID-19 disrupted travel in 2020. The present application process and eligibility should be checked with DHA; historical estimates of tourism’s direct and total economic contribution use different measures and should not be combined.

This article discusses South Africa’s E-visa requirements, eligible countries, and the application process. 

Requirements to get South Africa’s E-visa 

• Use a valid passport and meet the passport-validity and blank-page requirements stated by DHA.
• Provide the passport scan and facial image or biometric capture requested by the official system.
• Provide return or onward travel details where required.
• Pay only the fee displayed by the official DHA application channel.
• Complete the digital form for your selected application category; do not assume the old BI-84 paper form is the current ETA form.
• A document that confirms your reason for visiting South Africa and how long you will stay. 
• Financial evidence of how you will afford your living expenses while in South Africa
  • Your bank statement 
  • Bursary 
  • Salary advances 
  • Cash is available in the form of traveller’s cheques and credit cards. 
  • Undertakings that the hosts in South Africa have signed 

• Check the current DHA entry and documentation rules for children travelling with you.
• If the minor is travelling alone, consent from a guardian and proof of custody or guardianship are required.
• A yellow-fever certificate is required for travel covered by South Africa’s yellow-fever rules, including specified risk-country travel or transit; it is not required simply for every African or South American journey.

Which countries are eligible?

Eligibility and rollout change over time. Check the official ETA portal for your nationality and journey. The countries below are from an older e-visa eligibility list; they are not a confirmed current ETA list or a guarantee of visa-free entry.

1. Cameroon 
2. Nigeria 
3. DR Congo 
4. Uganda 
5. China 
6. Ethiopia 
7. Kenya 
8. Mexico 
9. Saudi Arabia 
10. Iran 
11. Pakistan 
12. Egypt 
13. Philippines 
14. India

Read Also: How to Claim From the Road Accident Fund in South Africa

Steps to apply for South Africa’s E-visa

• Start at https://eta.dha.gov.za/. The previously linked commercial e-visa website is not the Department of Home Affairs.
• Check that the official system supports your nationality and travel purpose before starting.
• Choose the available application category that matches your journey.
• Follow the applicable process if applying for a child or another traveller.
• Create your profile and provide the identity and contact details requested on the official portal.
• Enter passport details exactly as they appear in the document.
• Provide accommodation or host details where requested.
• Provide your residential address where requested.
• Answer citizenship questions accurately.
• Provide family or guardian details if the application requires them.
• Disclose previous immigration history where requested.
• Complete any residence-history questions shown for your application.
• Answer any asylum or refugee-status questions accurately if requested; that process is distinct from visitor authorisation.
• Provide a contact person if requested by the official form.
• State the purpose and duration of your intended visit accurately.
• Answer immigration-compliance questions where requested.
• Complete employment details if requested.
• Answer the security and health questions honestly.
• Review all the sections a few more times to ensure that you provided the right information and order for every section.
• Read and accept the declaration only when the information is correct.
• Follow the portal prompts to submit the completed application.
• Use the payment methods offered by the official portal for your application.
• Check the official account and notifications for the decision; submission does not guarantee approval or admission at the border.

Benefits of the E-Visa 

1. Available payment methods are those displayed by the official DHA system; a commercial provider’s card list is not an official guarantee.
2. Digital submission can reduce administrative visits; identity or border checks may still require personal attendance.
3. Read the privacy notice on the official portal before submitting personal data.
4. Submit images that meet the official requirements; do not assume DHA will edit an unsuitable photo for you.
5. Use support contacts displayed on the official DHA portal and check their service hours.
6. Apply through DHA directly or the authorised channel for your category; a commercial intermediary is not required for an eligible online application.
7. Verify the official domain and payment instructions before paying; commercial claims about payment security do not establish government approval.