Visa Exempt Countries South Africa 2025

Citizens of many countries can enter South Africa without needing a visa, depending on their nationality. Below is the updated list from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), broken down by visa-free duration.

🌍 90-Day Visa-Free Countries

Foreign nationals of the following countries do not require a visa for visits of up to 90 days:

• African Union Laissez Passer
• Andorra
• Argentina
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Canada
• Chile (only ordinary passport holders)
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Ecuador
• Finland
• France
• Germany (except in diplomatic staff due to assume duty at the Embassy and Consulates of Germany in SA)
• Ghana
• Greece
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Liechtenstein
• Luxemburg
• Malta
• Monaco
• Namibia (90 days per year)
• Netherlands
• New Zealand (set to change from 16 January 2017)
• Norway
• Panama (only ordinary passport holders)
• Paraguay
• Portugal
• San Marino
• Singapore
• Spain
• St Vincent & the Grenadines
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Tanzania (90 days per year)
• Trinidad & Tobago (only ordinary passport holders)
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (only ordinary passport holders)
• British Islands Bailiwick of Guernsey and Jersey, Isle of Man. British Oversees Territories namely: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St Helena and Dependencies (Ascension Island, Gough Island and Tristan da Cunha), Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, the Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and the Turks and Caicos Island.
• United States of America (except in diplomatic staff due to assume duty at the Embassy and Consulates of the USA in SA)
• Uruguay
• Venezuela
• Zambia (90 days per year)
• Zimbabwe

🌍 30-Day Visa-Free Countries

Nationals of the following countries can visit South Africa for up to 30 days without a visa:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bahamas (only ordinary passport holders)
• Barbados
• Belize
• Benin
• Bolivia
• Cape Verde
• Costa Rica
• Cyprus (only ordinary passport holders)
• Gabon
• Guyana
• Hong Kong [only with regard to holders of Hong Kong British National Overseas passports and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports]
• Hungary (only ordinary passport holders)
• Jordan
• Kingdom of Eswatini
• Lesotho
• Macau [only with regard to holders of Macau Special Administrative Region passports (MSAR)]
• Malaysia
• Malawi
• Maldives
• Mauritius
• Mozambique (only ordinary passport holders)
• Peru
• Poland (only ordinary passport holders)
• Seychelles
• South Korea
• Thailand (only ordinary passport holders)
• Turkey

🌍 Valid for the duration mentioned (for use by officials and diplomats only).

This exemption applies only to holders of official or diplomatic passports and is valid strictly within the specified timeframe.

• Albania (120 days)
• Algeria (30 days)
• Angola (90 days)
• Belarus (90 days)
• Benelux states (90 days)
• Bulgaria (90 days)
• China (PROC) (30 days)
• Cyprus (90 days)
• Comoros (90 days)
• Croatia (90 days)
• Cuba (90 days)
• Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (90 days) (official visits only)
• Egypt (30 days)
• Ghana (90 days)
• Guinea (90 days)
• Hungary (120 days)
• India (90 days)
• Indonesia (30 days)
• Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) (30 days)
• Kenya (90 days, including civil servants holding ordinary passports travelling for official government business)
• Liberia (90 days)
• Mexico (90 days)
• Madagascar (30 days)
• Morocco (30 days)
• Mozambique (90 days)
• Namibia (30 days)
• Nigeria (90 days)
• Paraguay (120 days)
• Poland (90 days)
• Romania (90 days)
• Rwanda (30 days)
• Senegal (90 days)
• Slovak Republic (90 days)
• Thailand (90 days)
• Tunisia (90 days) (also special passports)
• Uganda (90 days)
• Vietnam (90 days)

🌍 Countries Requiring a Visa for Entry to South Africa

Countries not listed as exempt require travelers to apply for a visa before entering South Africa.

• Belarus (Republic of)
• Bulgaria (Republic of)
• China (People’s Republic of)
• Comoros (Union of)
• Congo (Democratic Republic of)
• Croatia (Republic of)
• Cuba (Republic of)
• Egypt
• Ethiopia (The Federal Democratic Republic of)
• Guinea (Republic of)
• India
• Indonesia (Republic of)
• Ivory Coast (Republic of Còte D’Ivoire)
• Liberia
• Lithuania (Republic of)
• Mali (Republic of)
• Mexico
• Morocco (Kingdom of)
• Niger
• Nigeria (Republic of)
• Romania
• Rwanda (Republic of)
• SADC laissez-passers
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone (Republic of)
• Slovak Republic
• Togo (Republic of)
• Uganda (Republic of)
• Vietnam (Republic of)
  
  

Foreign nationals who are not visa exempt must apply for a visit visa or e-visa for South Africa.

📝 Notes and Travel Tips

• Even if you’re visa-exempt, you must show a valid passport, proof of accommodation, and a return or onward ticket.
• You are not allowed to work unless you apply for the correct visa type beforehand.
• Extensions may be possible but must be done within South Africa before your stay expires.

Last updated: April 2025 — based on the official DHA source.