gobordaGlobal mobility intelligence
Work & skilled workersEffectiveHigh impactVerified

South Africa activates its points-based work visa and remote work visitor visa

🇿🇦 South AfricaDigital Nomad2 recorded versionsLast change 18 Jul 2026
ConfidenceHigh · 88%

Current rules

The new rules establish: • A specific foreign income threshold for individuals applying for the remote work visitor visa. • Clarification on when local tax registration becomes mandatory for remote workers operating under this visa.

Overview

South Africa published rules for its remote work visitor visa, setting a foreign income threshold and clarifying when local tax registration is triggered.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • People from other countries who want a General Work Visa
  • People from other countries who want a Critical Skills Work Visa
  • Skilled workers applying under the new points-based system
  • Highly paid remote workers who work for companies outside South Africa
  • Companies outside South Africa whose employees want to work remotely from South Africa
  • Companies sponsoring skilled foreign workers in South Africa

What changed in the latest version

Before

- People applied for work visas using the General Work and Critical Skills Work Visa rules that existed before. - This process involved a lot of paperwork and administrative steps. - There was no modern points-based system for General and Critical Skills applications that qualified. - South Africa did not have a specific Remote Work Visitor Visa for foreign employees who worked from outside South Africa for employers in other countries. - General Work Visa applicants outside the Trusted Employer Scheme did not need to meet the new annual salary of R650,796.

After

1. Points-Based Work Visas Qualifying General Work Visa and Critical Skills Work Visa applications are now judged using a points-based system. This system checks applicants against clear factors. It does not only use a flexible assessment. For General Work Visa applications outside the Trusted Employer Scheme, the applicant must earn at least R650,796 gross each year. 2. Remote Work Visitor Visa South Africa now has a specific visa for people who qualify as remote workers. These workers must be employed outside South Africa. The aim is to let highly paid foreign remote workers live in South Africa for a short time. Their job must remain with an employer in another country. The government created this visa to bring money into the country from abroad. It does not aim for these workers to compete with South African workers for jobs in South Africa.

This is an important change for people who are thinking about working or doing remote work in South Africa. The two changes create different ways to get a visa: Do you want to work for an employer in South Africa? → The points-based work visa system applies to you. Do you work remotely for an employer outside South Africa? → The Remote Work Visitor Visa may apply to you. The changes aim to attract highly skilled workers, investment, and money spent by foreigners. They also aim to make work visa decisions clearer.

Explained simply

Imagine you want to work for your company back home, but from sunny South Africa. Before, it might have been a bit hazy how that worked. Now, South Africa has laid out clear rules for a special 'remote work visitor visa'. Think of it like a new set of instructions for a game: you'll need to earn a certain amount of money from your job outside South Africa to qualify. Also, these new instructions tell you exactly when you'll need to start paying taxes in South Africa, so there are no surprises. It makes it much simpler to know if you can come and what you need to do.

Version history

  1. v1Effective 9 Oct 2024EffectiveHigh impact
    South Africa activates its points-based work visa and remote work visitor visa

    Rules for a points-based general work visa and a remote work visitor visa are now active. These rules include income limits and a specific income test for remote workers.

Other routes in this country

1 / 6