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Immigration Act: First Amendment of the Regulations on Fees

🇿🇦 South AfricaConsultations1 recorded versionLast change 17 Aug 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 90%

Current rules

South Africa has proposed amendments to the immigration-fee regulations. The amendment was published as Government Notice 7834. It appears in Government Gazette 55209. The proposal is part of the Department of Home Affairs' process for changing the fees prescribed under the Immigration Act. The proposed fees should not yet be treated as final fees. Existing fees continue to apply until the amendment legally takes effect.

Overview

South Africa has published a proposed amendment to the fees charged under the Immigration Act. The Department of Home Affairs published the Immigration Act: First Amendment of the Regulations on Fees on 17 August 2026. The proposal would amend the existing immigration-fee regulations and is currently subject to the required process before it can become final. This means the policy should not yet be treated as a final change to South Africa's immigration fees.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • People applying for South African immigration services covered by the fee rules
  • People who are not citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland — legally called third-country nationals — applying for immigration documents or services
  • Employers dealing with immigration applications for people who are not citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland — legally called third-country nationals — workers
  • Immigration professionals and representatives
  • Families submitting immigration applications
  • Businesses that often submit immigration applications

What changed in the latest version

Before

Immigration fees follow rules made under the Immigration Act 13 of 2002. Applicants currently pay the fees listed in the existing rules. These previous fee rules are still valid while the government considers the proposed change. The July 2026 draft was an earlier version of this proposed change.

After

South Africa has proposed changes to the immigration fee rules. The change was published as Government Notice 7834. It appears in Government Gazette 55209. This proposal is part of the Department of Home Affairs' process to change fees under the Immigration Act. The proposed fees are not yet final. Existing fees still apply until the change officially starts.

This change matters because it directly affects the money people pay for immigration processes in South Africa. People and businesses applying for or sponsoring visas and permits will need to know the new fee structure. We do not know if costs have gone up, gone down, or if new fees have been added for some services, because the specific details are not available. This change will affect how all applicants and their representatives plan their budgets.

Explained simply

Imagine if the prices for things like school applications or getting a special pass to stay in South Africa were about to change. This announcement is like a notice saying, 'Hey, we've updated the price list!' but it doesn't tell you exactly which prices went up or down. You'd need to check the actual new price list to find out.

Frequently asked

Version history

  1. v1Issued 17 Aug 2026PublishedInformational impact
    Immigration Act: First Amendment of the Regulations on Fees

    South Africa has published the 'Immigration Act: First Amendment of the Regulations on Fees'. This amendment changes the fees for services or applications under the Immigration Act. The notice was published on 17 August 2026. The document does not provide details about the specific changes to fees or when these changes will start.

Timeline

  1. Announced

    17 Aug 2026

    The South African government has introduced the First Amendment of the Regulations on Fees under the Immigration Act, as published on 17 August 2026. This instrument directly impacts the cost structure associated with various immigration services and applications within the jurisdiction of South Africa, though the specific fee changes and effective dates are not established by the available sourc

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