South Africa ETA Is Live: How the New Travel Permit Works and What It Costs
SOUTH AFRICA · VISAS
Key Facts
- —What happened South Africa launched its Electronic Travel Authorisation at OR Tambo International Airport on 12 August 2026.
- —How much The ETA processing fee is R500 (about US$31), plus a R425 (about US$26) visa fee where one applies.
- —What it means Approved travellers get up to 90 days, with one extension of up to 90 more.
- —The catch The permit is only half the paperwork; a separate SARS customs declaration is compulsory for almost every traveller.
- —Who it affects Short-stay visitors from pilot countries now, with more nationalities to be added in phases.
- —What comes next Land and sea ports, eGate links and work visas are all still to come.
The South Africa ETA is a digital permit you buy online before you fly, now live at four airports. Here is what it covers, what it costs, and the separate customs form that catches people out.
The South Africa ETA went live on 12 August 2026, and it changes how short-stay visitors reach the country. South Africa now lets approved travellers apply online instead of queueing at an embassy.
What the permit is and what it replaces
ETA stands for Electronic Travel Authorisation. It is an online permit you apply for and pay for before you board your flight.
President Cyril Ramaphosa launched it at OR Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber hosted the event on 12 August 2026.
An approved permit covers a stay of up to 90 days. You can then apply through the same system to extend by up to a further 90 days.
Schreiber said that extension is allowed under the Immigration Act. It was the last feature built before the launch.
Who can use the South Africa ETA right now
The system was piloted during South Africa’s G20 presidency for travellers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico. Schreiber said it had handled 216,204 applications by launch day.
The department says the permit will progressively become compulsory for nationals of countries that need a port-of-entry visa. Embassies are to be told as their countries are added.
Visa-exempt travellers will be able to use it by choice. The benefit for them is a faster counter on arrival and an easier extension.
No public list of eligible nationalities is published on the application site. If you are unsure, ask the South African mission in your country before you book.
That gap matters if you are planning a longer move rather than a holiday. Our guide to retiring in South Africa covers the visas this permit does not touch.
How the application works
You start by registering a profile at eta.dha.gov.za. The site verifies your mobile number and your email address with a one-time pin.
You then scan your passport and upload a selfie. Software compares the passport photo with your face and checks the document against more than forty parameters.
Payment comes next, followed by an automated risk check. Schreiber said approved applicants receive their authorisation within 24 hours.
You can store the approval in the digital wallet on your phone. At the border counter you look into a camera so the system can match your face again.
What it costs and how fast it really is
A processing fee of R500 (about US$31) applies to each application. It was gazetted on 17 August 2026, five days after the launch.
That is not the whole bill. Travellers who need a visa also pay the R425 (about US$26) visa fee.
Schreiber put the combined cost at R925 (about US$57). Currency conversions use the 13 September 2026 rate of 16.14 rand to the dollar.
No refund rule for rejected applications has been published. Assume the money is gone once you pay, and check your passport details twice before you submit.
The 24-hour figure is a departmental promise, not a guarantee written into law. Schreiber quoted one Indian traveller who said his approval came through in eight minutes.
He also said 6,126 fraudulent applications had already been caught and rejected. Wrong or mismatched details can put your file into that review pile.
The customs form many travellers miss
A second rule sits beside the travel permit and catches almost everyone. Since 1 July 2026 travellers entering or leaving the country must file an online traveller declaration.
It comes from the South African Revenue Service, the tax and customs authority known as SARS. The platform is called the South African Traveller Management System, or SATMS.
SARS says the declaration must be submitted no more than 24 hours before you depart. It applies at air, land, sea and rail ports of entry.
You file it on the SARS website, the SATMS app or the SARS MobiApp. Children and infants need a declaration too.
SARS also says nobody is refused entry or exit only for failing to declare in advance. Officials and self-service terminals at ports are meant to help you catch up.
One group is excluded. Air and sea passengers who only transit, and never leave the designated transit area, do not file at all.
What is not switched on yet
Arrivals are covered at four airports: OR Tambo, Cape Town, King Shaka and Lanseria. Land and sea ports are due to follow over the coming months.
The link to the airport eGates is not finished. Schreiber publicly urged the airports company and the border agency to speed that work up.
Until that link exists, manual passport stamping stays in place. The dedicated counters are the only speed gain on offer for now.
Study, spousal and work visas are not on the platform yet. The department says those categories will be added over the coming months.
The wider regional picture is moving too, and not always in the same direction. We looked at Africa’s push to drop visas earlier this year.
A simple order to do it in
Apply once your flights are booked, not the night before you fly. That leaves room if the automated check sends your file for a closer look.
Use the passport you will actually travel on, and check every digit. The border camera matches your face to that document, not to a replacement one.
Save the approval in your phone wallet and carry a printout as well. Airport wifi and dead batteries are still a thing.
Then file the SARS declaration inside the last 24 hours before departure. Keep the emailed confirmation where you can find it quickly.
More: South Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a South Africa ETA to visit?
Only if your nationality has been added to the system. No public list has been published, so check with a South African mission before booking.
How much does the South African travel permit cost?
Processing costs R500 (about US$31) for each application. Travellers who need a visa pay a further R425 (about US$26), making R925 (about US$57).
How long does approval take?
Home Affairs says approved applicants receive the authorisation within 24 hours. That is a stated target rather than a legal guarantee.
Do I still have to do the SARS traveller declaration?
Yes, and it is a separate step. File it online no more than 24 hours before departure, unless you stay inside a designated air or sea transit area.
Sources: Department of Home Affairs, Minister Schreiber’s launch address, 12 August 2026; Government Gazette No. 55209, first amendment of the fee regulations, 17 August 2026; Home Affairs fee schedule; SARS, FAQs on the required online traveller declarations from 1 July 2026; BusinessTech on the gazetted fee, 17 August 2026; eta.dha.gov.za; open.er-api.com.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
Read More from The Rio Times