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Tourism & short stayEffectiveCritical impactVerified

South Africa launches Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system

🇿🇦 South AfricaEntry Rules1 recorded versionLast change 12 Aug 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

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.

Overview

South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has officially launched the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system on 12 August 2026. This new digital platform is designed to modernise the country's immigration process, enhancing security through biometric verification and automated risk analysis while facilitating legitimate travel and combating visa fraud. It aims to streamline entry for short-term visitors and will eventually expand to cover all visa categories, including study, spousal, and work visas.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • Eligible travellers who need visas
  • Visitors for short periods
  • Tourists
  • Eligible business visitors
  • Travellers from countries included in the ETA rollout

What changed in the latest version

Before

Before the ETA started, South Africa used traditional port-of-entry visa rules and manual immigration processes. A port-of-entry visa is a travel document needed to enter a country, obtained upon arrival or beforehand, that allows a person to seek entry. These old ways were easy to defraud and caused administrative problems. They also caused long queues at border posts. Travellers from countries needing visas had to get physical visas. The old system could not find people who stayed longer than allowed in real-time. It also could not check people's identity using biometrics on a large scale.

After

Travellers must create a profile on eta.dha.gov.za. They must check their mobile phone number or email with a One-Time Pin (OTP). Then, they must scan their passport and upload a selfie photo. Biometric technology compares the passport photo to the selfie photo. It also scans the passport for authenticity. Authenticity means checking if the passport is real and not fake. It checks over 40 things on the passport. After payment, the ETA system checks for risks automatically. If the ETA is approved, the traveller gets it within 24 hours. They can save it in a digital wallet. When travellers arrive, they must look into a camera. This uses EMCS 2.0 (Electronic Movement Control System 2.0) to check their face and confirm their identity using biometrics. The ETA system also finds people who stay longer than allowed in real-time. Biometrics uses unique physical characteristics, like fingerprints or facial patterns, to identify people. It lets lawful travellers who enter for up to 90 days apply to stay for another 90 days. The system will slowly become compulsory for short visits from countries that need port-of-entry visas. A port-of-entry visa is a travel document needed to enter a country, obtained upon arrival or beforehand, that allows a person to seek entry. People who do not need a visa can use the ETA if they want to. This can mean faster queues or easier extensions to their stay. At first, the system will be available at OR Tambo, Cape Town, King Shaka, and Lanseria International Airports.

This change aims to help economic growth. It makes tourism, investment, and legitimate travel easier. Legitimate travel means legal and proper travel. It also fights visa fraud and illegal immigration. Visa fraud is when someone tricks others to get a visa or uses false documents. Illegal immigration is when people enter or stay in a country without legal permission. It aims to modernise and digitise South Africa’s immigration system. This reduces paperwork and physical queues for travellers by moving services online. It also uses biometric verification. Biometric verification checks people's identity using unique physical characteristics, like fingerprints or facial patterns. Short-stay visitors can easily extend their stay by another 90 days using the ETA. This is expected to greatly increase money from tourism. The ability to find people who stay longer than allowed in real-time improves national security and immigration enforcement. Immigration enforcement is making sure people follow immigration rules. The shift to a digital system that uses biometrics directly changes how some foreign nationals will apply to enter South Africa and what their entry experience will be like.

Explained simply

Imagine you want to visit South Africa. Instead of filling out lots of paper forms or waiting in long lines, South Africa now has a new online system called ETA. You go to a website, upload a picture of your passport and a selfie, and they use computers to quickly check if you're good to go. If approved, you get a digital pass on your phone. When you arrive, you just look into a camera, and it quickly checks your face against your digital pass, making entry much faster and safer. It's like a fast-pass for international visitors, helping stop fake documents and making travel smoother.

Frequently asked

Version history

  1. v1Effective 18 Sept 2025EffectiveCritical impact
    South Africa launches Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system

    South Africa has started an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) platform. This is a big change to its visa and immigration system. People travelling must register online. They must scan their passport and upload a selfie photo. This checks their identity using biometrics. The system then checks for risks automatically. Travellers get an ETA within 24 hours after they pay. Biometrics uses unique physical characteristics, like fingerprints or facial patterns, to identify people. When travellers arrive, they will use dedicated ETA counters. An upgraded system called EMCS 2.0 (Electronic Movement Control System 2.0) will check their face again to confirm their identity. People who visit legally for a short time, up to 90 days, can apply to stay for another 90 days. The system can also find people who stay longer than allowed in real-time. At first, this system is for travellers from China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico. It is available at four main international airports. Later, the ETA will become compulsory for some nationalities who need a port-of-entry visa. A port-of-entry visa is a travel document needed to enter a country, obtained upon arrival or beforehand, that allows a person to seek entry. People who do not need a visa can use the ETA if they want to.

Timeline

  1. Announced

    12 Aug 2026

    South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has officially launched the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system on 12 August 2026. This new digital platform is designed to modernise the country's immigration process, enhancing security through biometric verification and automated risk analysis while facilitating legitimate travel and combating visa fraud. It aims to streamline entry for short-t

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