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. Tourism is one of the biggest contributors to South Africa’s economy. In 2018, 16.44 million tourists visited the country, making it the second most visited country in Africa After Morocco. The tourism industry grew at a 1.21% rate annually from 2000 to 2019.
The tourism and travel industry contributed 8.6%, or R425.8 billion, to South Africa’s GDP. As of 2018, it was also responsible for 1.5 million jobs in the country. However, the coronavirus pandemic dealt 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 South Africa’s E-visa requirements, eligible countries, and the application process.
Requirements to get South Africa’s E-visa
- A valid passport from an eligible country with 2 free pages for entry and departure stamps.
- Upload two colour passport photographs.
- If you travel by air, you need a return or onward ticket.
- Pay the required amount as a visa fee.
- Complete the application form, which is known as the BI-84
- A document that confirms your reason for visiting South Africa and how long you will stay.
- 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
- You need to provide the following documents if you are travelling with kids.
- If the minor is travelling alone, consent from a guardian and proof of custody or guardianship are required.
- If you are from or are passing through areas with yellow fever in Africa or South America, you must obtain a yellow fever vaccination certificate.
Which countries are eligible?
South Africa is still testing its E-visa program, which 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 added a few more countries to the list in this trial phase. The goal is to make it fully functional by the end of the 2024/2025 financial year to make it accessible to people in more countries. Below is the list of countries currently eligible for South Africa’s E-visa.
- Cameroon
- Nigeria
- DR Congo
- Uganda
- China
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
- Mexico
- Saudi Arabia
- Iran
- Pakistan
- Egypt
- Philippines
- 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 who 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.
- Please provide personal information such as your 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 and street numbers.
- Fill in information about where you currently reside, including the zip/postal and country codes.
- Please enter your citizenship details, such as your present country of citizenship and whether 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.
- Fill 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 in the applicant’s employment record section.
- Answer the security/health questionnaire.
- Review all the sections a few more times to ensure that you provided the right information and 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
- The E-visa system allows for a wide range of card payments. You can pay with MasterCard, Diner Club, Visa Card, Unionpay, Maestro, etc.
- It curbs the spread of Covid-19 since there is no physical contact with other people.
- The team of professionals handling the E-visa application process respect your need for confidentiality.
- The team will edit your photo if it does not meet the criteria.
- You can contact the E-visa customer support team at any time of the day or year.
- The team will thoroughly review your file for lapses before forwarding it to the South African government for approval.
- E-visa payment methods are secure and are in 3D.
