LAST UPDATED: 8/30/24 – South Africa Entrance Requirements

If you are traveling to South Africa from outside of the country, you should be aware of the South Africa entrance requirements for visitors before you start planning your travel. If you do not meet the passport, VISA, or immunization requirements, you could be denied entry into South Africa. This is not something that I would wait until the last minute to take care of as you might not have enough time to sort out any issues at the last minute should you run into them.

To assist you in making sure you meet the necessary requirements to visit South Africa, I have outlined all of the requirements you need to be concerned about in this article.  Furthermore, I have also created the handy checklist I linked below for you to use as a point of reference and to track all of the requirements as you meet them.

Download the South Africa Entrance Requirements Checklist

South Africa Passport Requirements

One of the most important of the South Africa entrance requirements that you will need to consider when planning your trip is the country’s passport requirements. To be allowed into South Africa, not only will your passport need to be valid, but it will need to be valid for at least 30 days after your date of arrival. So, if your passport is set to expire within 30 days of your arrival date, you will need to renew your passport before you travel to South Africa.

South Africa VISA Requirements

In addition to the passport requirements, you must know the South Africa entrance requirements regarding travel visas before planning your travel to South Africa. Depending on which country you are from, you may or may not need to apply for a tourist VISA to visit South Africa. The following sections outline the South African tourist VISA requirements and how to apply.

VISA-Exempt Countries

If you are a passport holder from one of the countries listed below, you are VISA-exempt. This means that you won’t need to obtain a tourist VISA before traveling to South Africa if you plan on staying for less time than the VISA exemption period. The good news is that if you are a resident of the United States and Canada or the Schengen Area of the European Union, you will not need to obtain a tourist visa if you plan on staying in South Africa for less than 90 days.

All Other Travelers

If you don’t hold a passport from one of the VISA-exempt countries listed above, you will need to apply for a South African tourist VISA before traveling. I strongly recommend that you apply for your VISA well before your expected travel date as you won’t be able to board your flight to South Africa without your VISA.

South Africa Immunization Requirements

Important Note: I am not a medical doctor and do not have any medical experience. The information provided in this section is a summary of information that I got from the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States for travel to South Africa. I am providing you this information to help bring awareness of the necessary vaccinations to you, but consultation with my guide should not replace a discussion about your travels with your doctor or a travel medical clinic.

One of the most important, and yet most often overlooked, aspects of travel is the necessary vaccinations that are required or recommended to keep you safe and healthy when you travel. Before you depart for South Africa, you are going to want to make sure that you have all of the proper vaccinations.

Some of these vaccinations, like the Yellow Fever vaccination, are included in the South Africa entrance requirements if you are traveling to South Africa from certain high-risk locations. Other vaccinations, such as a flu shot and the Rabies vaccine, are recommended, but not required. For your convenience, I have summarized the CDC’s recommendations on vaccines and healthcare for travelers visiting South Africa for you to review below.

Recommended Travel Vaccinations for South Africa

There are several vaccinations that the CDC recommends that you get before traveling to South Africa, which I have outlined for you below. If you are traveling to South Africa from a destination where Yellow Fever is common, even if it is only a long layover, then you will be required to show proof of vaccination before you will be allowed into the country. The other vaccinations on this list are not in the South Africa entrance requirements, but they are strongly recommended.

READ MORE:

Rabies Vaccination for Travel – Why I think All Travelers Should Consider It

Routine Vaccinations for South Africa

In addition, the vaccinations that are recommended for travel to South Africa specifically, there are other routine vaccinations that you should make sure that you are current on before traveling anywhere in this world. For an overview of the routine vaccinations recommended by the CDC, please review the chart that I have included below.

Non-Vaccine Preventable Diseases

In addition to the recommended vaccinations, there are other health precautions that you should take when traveling to South Africa to avoid getting sick. While these health precautions aren’t on the list of South Africa entrance requirements, they are important measures that you can take to make sure you don’t get ill while traveling.

aVOID CONTAMINATED WATER

When traveling, one of the easiest ways to get sick is to come into contact with contaminated water. Several illnesses are found in South Africa that can be spread by either drinking or swimming in contaminated water. Before you depart for your trip, you will want to be aware of the illnesses below. To avoid getting sick, make sure you stick to drinking bottled water and avoid swimming in stagnant pools.

AVOID BUG BITES

Another easy way to get sick while traveling is to be bitten by bugs that carry illnesses. The most common insect that spreads diseases to humans is the mosquito, but ticks and flies can also spread serious illnesses through their bites. To make sure you don’t fall ill from an insect bite while in South Africa, I would recommend bringing insect repellent and mosquito netting with you when you visit and avoid getting bitten by bugs as much as possible.

be aware of airborne illnesses

Out of all the ways that illnesses can be spread, airborne diseases are the hardest to protect yourself against. After all, you don’t have to physically touch or be touched by an infected person or animal and there isn’t a repellant that you can spray on to avoid catching these illnesses.

This is why it is always important to be observant of those with whom you interact while traveling and make sure you don’t expose yourself to potentially harmful airborne illnesses. According to the CDC, the particular airborne illnesses that you should be aware of while traveling to South Africa are as follows:

South Africa Customs Restrictions

Free Import

When traveling to South Africa, it is important to understand what types of items you are free to bring into the country and which items you will be charged or prohibited from bringing in. According to the VISAHQ.com, website, the following items are considered free-import items, but with limits (as described below).

• 200 cigarettes
• 20 cigars
• 250g of tobacco
• 50ml of perfume
• 2L of wine
• 1L of spirits
• Goods for personal use

Important Note: Travelers may be asked to pay a deposit on expensive items like laptops, DSLRs, or mirrorless cameras. This deposit will be refunded when the item is re-exported when you travel home.

Prohibited Items

Before you will be allowed into South Africa, you will also need to clear customs to be sure you aren’t carrying any prohibited items with you. For instance, travelers are strictly prohibited from bringing the following items into South Africa:

• Narcotics and other controlled substances
• Pornography
• Weaponry, explosives fireworks etc.
• Poisonous chemical and biological substances and other health-endangering substances
• Cigarettes with a mass of more than 2 kilograms per 1000 units
• Counterfeit goods
• Goods breaking copyright laws
• Prison-made and penitentiary-made goods

Controlled Items

In addition to these prohibited items, the government of South Africa has placed limits on the quantity of other items that can be brought into the country. If you plan to travel with any of the following items when visiting South Africa, you will want to plan accordingly so that you do not violate the South Africa entrance requirements:

•  Local currency of over 10,000- gold coins, coin and stamp collections and unprocessed gold need to be declared.
• Endangered species of plants or wildlife, whether alive or dead, including any parts of and articles made from them will need a permit from CITES.
• Plants and products thereof (honey, margarine, and vegetable oils, seeds, etc.).
• Animals and products thereof (dairy products, butter, eggs).
• Medicines for personal use need to be accompanied by a prescription and a note from your doctor.

South Africa Currency Restrictions

The final aspect of the South Africa entrance requirements that you will want to make sure you comply with when traveling to South Africa is the amount of currency you plan on bringing to the country. When visiting South Africa, like all countries, you can’t just bring any amount of currency that you want into the country or leave with any amount of currency when visiting. According to the US State Department website, the government of South Africa has the following currency limits and regulations in place:

• A limit of 25,000 South African Rand (ZAR), an unlimited amount of foreign currency if declared, and no Kruger coins are allowed on entry into South Africa.
• A limit of 25,000 South African Rand (ZAR), an unlimited amount of foreign currency if declared on entry, and up to 15 Kruger coins if proof purchased with foreign currency.

Don’t Forget to Subscribe to My Adventures!

Let Me Help You Save On Your Next Adventure!

‘Start Exploring Today’ Merchandise Available Now!