What you need to know about South Africa’s E-visa

What is an E-visa?

An E-visa is known in full as an electronic visa. It cancels out the need for individuals to visit physical consulates and embassies to apply for a visa to a country. They can apply online and wait for the results of their application. The coronavirus pandemic made governments around the world realize how important E-visas are. Applicants do not have to come into contact with other people, which helps to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The South African E-visa is not yet fully functional. However, the South African government is looking forward to an improvement in the country because of the E-visa. 

The SA government is positive that the E-visa will attract more tourists to the country. The tourism industry is one of the biggest contributors to South Africa’s economy. In 2018, SA had 16.44 million tourists to the country, and that made South Africa the second most visited country in Africa After Morocco. The tourism industry was growing at a 1.21% rate annually from 2000 to 2019.

The tourism and travel industry contributed 8.6%, which amounted to R425.8 billion to South Africa’s GDP. It was also responsible for 1.5 million jobs in the country as of 2018. However, the coronavirus pandemic came as a blow to the tourism industry in 2020. The sector only accounted for 3.7% of South Africa’s annual GDP, which is the worst the country has seen in decades. Little wonder that the government is seeking ways to revive the industry and increase its GDP. 

This article discusses the requirements for South Africa’s E-visa, eligible countries, and the application process. 

Requirements to get South Africa’s E-visa 

1. A valid passport from an eligible country with 2 free pages for entry and departure stamps. 
2. Upload two colour passport photographs.
3. If you are travelling by air, you need a return or onward ticket. 
4. Pay the required amount as a visa fee. 
5. Complete the application form, which is known as the BI-84
6. A document that confirms your reason for visiting South Africa and how long you will stay. 
7. Financial evidence of how you will afford your living expenses while in South Africa

• Your bank statement 
• Bursary 
• Salary advances 
• Cash is available in the form of traveller’s cheques and credit cards. 
• Undertakings that the hosts in South Africa have signed 

1. You need to provide the following documents if you are travelling with kids.

• Consent from a guardian if the minor is travelling alone or Proof of custody or guardianship.

1. A yellow fever vaccination certificate if you are from or passing through areas with yellow fever in Africa or South America. 

Which countries are eligible?

South Africa is still testing its E-visa program and only gives citizens from a few countries access to it. In 2019, it was only accessible to Kenya and India. However, there has been improvement, and the government decided to add a few more countries to the list in this trial phase. The goal is to make it fully functional by the end of the 2022/2024 financial year so that it will be accessible to people in more countries. Below is the list of countries that are currently eligible for South Africa’s E-visa. 

1. Cameroon 
2. Nigeria 
3. DR Congo 
4. Uganda 
5. China 
6. Ethiopia 
7. Kenya 
8. Mexico 
9. Saudi Arabia 
10. Iran 
11. Pakistan 
12. Egypt 
13. Philippines 
14. India

Read Also: How to Claim From the Road Accident Fund in South Africa

Steps to apply for South Africa’s E-visa

• Visit https://www.evisa-south-africa.com/application and move on to fill out the form that appears before you. 
• Choose ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to indicate if the application is for a minor that is to travel unaccompanied by you.
• Next, indicate the type of application that you seek. 
• Choose ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to indicate if the principal applicant is a child or minor. 
• Fill in personal information such as date of birth as on your passport, nationality, sex, full name, social media handles, telephone numbers, email address, and country of residence. 
• Fill in your passport information as it appears on the passport, including your passport number and the issuing country. 
• Enter details of the place in South Africa where you will reside during your visit, including the unit number and the street number. 
• Fill in information about where you currently reside, including the zip/postal code and the country code. 
• Enter your citizenship details, such as your present country of citizenship and if you have acquired citizenship in another country. 
• Enter information about the principal applicant’s parents’ details. Parent A should be for one parent, and Parent B should be for another. 
• Give details of any visa that has been issued to you. 
• Give details of your addresses within the last decade. 
• Fil in the asylum seeker/refugee status section.
• Enter information about the contact person in the country where you reside. 
• Complete the section for your purpose/intention of staying in South Africa.
• Move to the maintenance/deportation section. 
• Fill the employment record of the applicant section.
• Answer the security/health questionnaire. 
• Go over all the sections a few more times to ensure that you provided the right information and in the right order for every section.
• Tick the last box at the lower right hand of the page to agree to the Declaration. 
• Click ‘Next’ to move to the next phase. 
• Make the E-visa payment. You can pay online with a credit card. 
• Your South Africa E-visa will be sent to you by email once it is approved.

Benefits of the E-Visa 

1. The E-visa system allows for a wide range of card payments. You can pay with MasterCard, Diner Club, Visa Card, Unionpay, Maestro, etc. 
2. It curbs the spread of Covid-19 since there is no physical contact with other people. 
3. The team of professionals handling the E-visa application process respect your need for confidentiality.
4. The team will edit your photo if it does not meet the criteria. 
5. You can reach out to the E-visa customers support team any time of the day on any day in the year. 
6. The team will thoroughly review your file for lapses before sending it forward to the government of South Africa for approval. 
7. E-visa payment methods are secure and are in 3D.