Visa Requirements for South Africa Passport Holders 2026

Ranked #97 worldwide • 60 countries visa-free access

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0 Visa Required
0 e-Visa
0 Visa on Arrival
Passport Power Rank: #97
62% Global Access
100 countries require a visa – Get a free dummy ticket

Showing 198 destinations

Visa Required
Afghanistan
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
Albania
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Algeria
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Andorra
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Angola
30 days
Visa Free
Antigua and Barbuda
180 days
Visa Free
Argentina
90 days
Visa on Arrival
Armenia
eVisa
Australia
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Austria
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
Azerbaijan
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Bahamas
90 days
eVisa
Bahrain
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Bangladesh
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Barbados
180 days
Visa Required
Belarus
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Belgium
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Belize
Visa Free
Benin
90 days
eVisa
Bhutan
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Bolivia
Visa Required
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Botswana
90 days
Visa Free
Brazil
90 days
Visa Required
Brunei
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Bulgaria
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
Burkina Faso
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Burundi
Visa on Arrival
Cambodia
eVisa
Cameroon
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Canada
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Cape Verde
Visa Required
Central African Republic
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Chad
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Chile
90 days
Visa Required
China
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
Colombia
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Comoros
Visa Required
Congo
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Costa Rica
180 days
Visa Required
Croatia
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
Cuba
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Cyprus
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Czech Republic
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
DR Congo
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Denmark
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Djibouti
Visa Free
Dominica
180 days
Visa Free
Dominican Republic
Visa Free
Ecuador
90 days
Visa on Arrival
Egypt
Visa Free
El Salvador
180 days
eVisa
Equatorial Guinea
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Eritrea
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Estonia
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Ethiopia
Visa Free
Fiji
120 days
Visa Required
Finland
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
France
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Gabon
30 days
Visa Free
Gambia
90 days
Visa Free
Georgia
360 days
Visa Required
Germany
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Ghana
90 days
Visa Required
Greece
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Grenada
90 days
Visa Free
Guatemala
90 days
eVisa
Guinea
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Guinea-Bissau
Visa Free
Guyana
30 days
Visa Free
Haiti
90 days
Visa Free
Honduras
90 days
Visa Free
Hong Kong
30 days
Visa Required
Hungary
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Iceland
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
India
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Iran
eVisa
Iraq
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Ireland
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Israel
90 days
Visa Required
Italy
Dummy Ticket needed
ETA Required
Ivory Coast
Visa Free
Jamaica
eVisa
Japan
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Jordan
eVisa
Kazakhstan
Dummy Ticket needed
ETA Required
Kenya
Visa Free
Kiribati
90 days
Visa Required
Kosovo
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Kuwait
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Kyrgyzstan
Visa on Arrival
Laos
Visa Required
Latvia
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Lebanon
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Lesotho
Visa Required
Liberia
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
Libya
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Liechtenstein
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Lithuania
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Luxembourg
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Macao
30 days
Visa on Arrival
Madagascar
Visa Free
Malawi
90 days
Visa Free
Malaysia
90 days
Visa on Arrival
Maldives
Visa Required
Mali
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Malta
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Marshall Islands
Visa on Arrival
Mauritania
Visa Free
Mauritius
90 days
Visa Required
Mexico
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Micronesia
30 days
eVisa
Moldova
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Monaco
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
Mongolia
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Montenegro
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Morocco
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Mozambique
eVisa
Myanmar
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Namibia
90 days
Visa Required
Nauru
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Nepal
Visa Required
Netherlands
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
New Zealand
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Nicaragua
90 days
Visa Required
Niger
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Nigeria
Visa Required
North Korea
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
North Macedonia
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Norway
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Oman
ETA Required
Pakistan
Visa on Arrival
Palau
Visa Free
Palestine
Visa Free
Panama
90 days
ETA Required
Papua New Guinea
Visa Free
Paraguay
90 days
Visa Free
Peru
180 days
Visa Free
Philippines
30 days
Visa Required
Poland
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Portugal
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Qatar
Visa Required
Romania
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Russia
90 days
Visa Free
Rwanda
30 days
Visa Free
Saint Kitts and Nevis
90 days
Visa Free
Saint Lucia
42 days
Visa Free
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
90 days
Visa on Arrival
Samoa
Visa Required
San Marino
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
Sao Tome and Principe
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Saudi Arabia
Visa on Arrival
Senegal
Visa Required
Serbia
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Seychelles
90 days
Visa on Arrival
Sierra Leone
Visa Free
Singapore
30 days
Visa Required
Slovakia
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Slovenia
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Solomon Islands
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Somalia
ETA Required
South Korea
eVisa
South Sudan
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Spain
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Sri Lanka
Visa Required
Sudan
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
Suriname
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Swaziland
30 days
Visa Required
Sweden
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Switzerland
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
Syria
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Taiwan
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Tajikistan
Visa Free
Tanzania
90 days
Visa Free
Thailand
60 days
Visa on Arrival
Timor-Leste
eVisa
Togo
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Tonga
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Trinidad and Tobago
90 days
Visa Free
Tunisia
90 days
eVisa
Turkey
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Turkmenistan
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa on Arrival
Tuvalu
eVisa
Uganda
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Ukraine
Dummy Ticket needed
eVisa
United Arab Emirates
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
United Kingdom
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
United States
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Uruguay
90 days
Visa Required
Uzbekistan
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Vanuatu
120 days
Visa Required
Vatican
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Venezuela
90 days
eVisa
Vietnam
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Required
Yemen
Dummy Ticket needed
Visa Free
Zambia
90 days
Visa Free
Zimbabwe
90 days

Visa Requirements for South Africa Passport Holders 2026

South African passport holders have moderate visa-free travel access, with particularly strong connections to African nations and several key global destinations. Understanding South Africa visa requirements is essential for planning international trips, as many popular destinations require advance applications. South African travelers should plan ahead and ensure all documentation is in order before embarking on international journeys.

Visa Free

South African passport holders can travel visa-free to many destinations, especially across the African continent and parts of Asia and South America. Popular visa-free countries for South African citizens include Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Brazil, and Turkey. Additionally, South Africans enjoy visa-free access to several Caribbean nations and Pacific Island countries, offering diverse holiday options without visa complications.

Visa Required

Many of the world's most popular travel destinations require South African passport holders to obtain visas before arrival. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the entire Schengen zone in Europe all require advance visa applications from South African citizens. These processes often involve biometric data collection, extensive documentation, and processing times of several weeks.

Top Routes from South Africa

Namibia

South African citizens can visit Namibia visa-free for up to 90 days.

Brazil

Visa-free entry for South African passport holders for stays up to 90 days.

Turkey

South Africans can enter Turkey visa-free for tourism stays of up to 30 days.

United Kingdom

A Standard Visitor visa is required, applied online with biometric appointment at a visa center.

United States

A B1/B2 visa is required with an in-person interview at the US Consulate in Johannesburg or Cape Town.

Mozambique

South Africans can obtain a visa on arrival at Mozambique border posts for stays of up to 30 days.

You need a flight reservation for your South Africa visa application!

South African travelers frequently need dummy tickets when applying for visas to Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia. These embassies typically require proof of a confirmed return or onward flight as part of the visa application process. Since purchasing full-price airline tickets before visa approval is financially risky, a dummy ticket allows South African applicants to present valid flight reservations while avoiding potential losses if their visa is denied or delayed.

Get Your Free Dummy Ticket Now →

Frequently Asked Questions: South Africa

How many countries can South African passport holders visit visa-free?
South African passport holders can visit approximately 105 countries and territories either visa-free or with visa-on-arrival access. This includes most African countries, several destinations in South America such as Brazil, and popular tourism spots like Turkey and Thailand.
Do South African citizens need a visa for the UK?
Yes, South African citizens need a Standard Visitor visa to enter the United Kingdom. The application is submitted online, followed by a biometric appointment at a visa application center. Applicants need a valid passport, proof of finances, accommodation details, and a travel itinerary. Processing takes approximately 3 to 6 weeks.
Can South Africans travel to Europe without a visa?
No, South African citizens require a Schengen visa to visit most European countries. The application must be submitted at the embassy or consulate of the primary destination country and includes documents such as bank statements, travel insurance, accommodation bookings, and a confirmed flight itinerary.
What African countries can South Africans visit without a visa?
South African passport holders can visit many African countries visa-free, including Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mauritius, among others. Some countries like Mozambique and Ethiopia offer visa-on-arrival options for South African travelers.

Travel Information for South Africa

Capital
Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
Currency
South African Rand (ZAR)
Language
English, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans (11 official languages)
Timezone
SAST (UTC+2)
Emergency
10111 (police), 10177 (ambulance)

Visa Requirements for South Africa Passport Holders 2026

The South Africa passport currently ranks #97 in the world. South Africa passport holders can travel to 60 countries without a visa, 33 countries with visa on arrival, and 29 countries with an e-Visa.

For the 71 countries that require a traditional visa application, you will typically need a confirmed flight reservation or onward ticket as part of your documentation. Instead of buying a real ticket before visa approval, you can use our free dummy ticket service to get a valid flight reservation for your visa application.

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