SOUTH AFRICAN TEMPORARY RESIDENCE VISA

Temporary residence visa are issued on request to applicants who intend to visit South Africa for a period of over three (3) months but not exceeding three (3) years.

Important Information on Applying for South African Visas

Effective 10 May 2015, applicants for visas will be required to apply in person at the South African mission. No appointment necessary.

PLEASE NOTE:

IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH REGULATION 2(1) (A) OF THE IMMIGRATION ACT OF 2014, ONLY MACHINE READABLE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS (MRTDs) WILL BE ACCEPTED ON SUBMISSION OF VISA APPLICATIONS AND AT PORT OF ENTRY. THEREFORE, NO EXTENDED PASSPORTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Different Types of Temporary Residence Visa

  • Study Visa
    issued to foreigners intending to take up studies in South Africa.
  • Treaty Visa
    issued to foreigners conducting activities in South Africa in terms of an international agreement to which South Africa is a party.
  • Relative’s Visa
    issued to relatives/spouses of South African citizens or residents intending to move to South Africa and take up permanent residence.
  • Medical Visaissued to foreigners intending to visit South Africa for the purpose of undergoing medical treatment.
  • Retired Person’s Visaissued to retirees intending to live in South Africa only for limited or seasonal periods during the validity of the permit.
  • Business Visaissued to foreigners who intend to establish or invest in a business in South Africa in which they may be employed.

  • Work Visa
    • General Work Visa
      This is a permit issued to all foreigners with general qualifications intending to work in South Africa.
    • Intra-Company Transfer Work Visaissued to foreigners being transferred by their own company to an affiliate company in South Africa.
    • Critical Skills Work Visaissued to applicants in possession of exceptional skills or qualifications that are scarce in in South Africa.
    • Corporate Visaissued by the Department to a corporate applicant. A corporate applicant is defined as a juristic person established under the laws of South Africa or a foreign country as a corporation to employ foreigners to conduct work for such applicant.
  • Exchange Visaissued to applicants under the age of 25 years and may only conduct work for one year.

Rev. 9 February 2017C