🇿🇦 Tourism & short stay

The medical-report requirement is waived for temporary residence visa and permanent residence applications. The waiver applies to applications submitted in South Africa and abroad and, following the Department's clarification, to pending applications as well as new applications. All other immigration requirements remain in place.

The Department of Home Affairs is implementing a digital-first approach through the 'Home Affairs @ home' programme. This includes an expanded Trusted Employer Scheme focusing on major infrastructure projects, companies setting up headquarters, and the financial services sector, with digital administration. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is live for short-stay visitors from four countries (China, India, Indonesia, Mexico) and will expand to more countries and visa categories (e.g., study visas) by year-end 2026. The ETA now includes an extension module for visitor visas for an additional 90 days, allowing digital application for qualifying visitors already in South Africa (including visa-exempt travellers). Digital Identity (Digital ID) is being developed as a secure, verifiable digital version of Home Affairs products, co-existing with physical Smart ID cards. Access to Smart ID Cards is significantly expanded through a partnership with the banking sector, with plans for passport applications and first-time Smart ID applications at bank branches, and courier delivery of IDs and passports. The Green ID book will be discontinued in favour of the Smart ID Card.

Travellers register a profile on eta.dha.gov.za, verify cell phone/email with OTP, scan passport, upload selfie. Biometric technology compares passport photo to facial photograph and scans passport for authenticity (over forty parameters). After payment, ETA uses automated risk analysis. If approved, traveller receives ETA within 24 hours (can be stored in digital wallet). Upon arrival, traveller looks into a camera for biometric verification using EMCS 2.0. The ETA also enables detection of overstayers in real-time and allows lawful travellers entering for up to 90 days to apply to extend their stay for a further 90 days. The system will progressively become compulsory for short stay visits from countries requiring port-of-entry visas and accessible voluntarily for visa-exempt travellers for faster queues or stay extensions. It will initially be available at OR Tambo, Cape Town, King Shaka, and Lanseria International Airports.