Straight Talk South AfricaHonest trip planning for first-time visitors

South Africa visa-free countries: how many days every passport gets

By , the straight-talking local · Updated · Visas and entry

Last checked: 1 November 2026, against the Department of Home Affairs' visa exemption list (issued 9 December 2025). Home Affairs says the list is "subject to change without notice", so check it again close to your flight.

Short answer: if you hold an ordinary passport from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or almost any EU country, you can visit South Africa as a tourist for up to 90 days without a visa. The exceptions that catch Europeans out: Poland and Cyprus get 30 days, not 90. In total, Home Affairs lists 111 countries and territories whose ordinary passports are visa-exempt: 88 for 90 days and 23 for 30 days. If your passport isn't on the list, you need a visa before you fly.

Use the checker for your passport and trip length, or scroll to the full list.

Check your passport

The checker needs JavaScript. The full list below has the same information.

This covers ordinary passports on a visit, such as a holiday or seeing family. Diplomatic, official and service passports have their own column on the Home Affairs list. Working, studying or staying longer always needs the right visa, whatever your passport.

The main passports at a glance

Passport Visa-free stay Good to know
United States 90 days ETA optional
United Kingdom 90 days Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar are listed separately, also 90 days
Ireland 90 days
Canada 90 days
Australia 90 days
New Zealand 90 days
Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Belgium and most other EU countries 90 days Each country is listed separately
Poland 30 days Ordinary passports only; Polish diplomatic and official passports get 90
Cyprus 30 days Ordinary passports only; Cypriot diplomatic, official and service passports get 90
Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein 90 days Not EU members, but all listed at 90 days

Before you fly, whatever your passport

Being visa-exempt doesn't mean no paperwork. Three things apply to everyone:

  1. Passport validity and blank pages. The UK and Canadian governments both tell travellers their passport must be valid for at least 30 days after the date they leave South Africa, with at least two blank pages for stamps (UK FCDO, Travel.gc.ca). Airlines can refuse to board you if it doesn't.
  2. The SARS traveller declaration. Since 1 July 2026 travellers are expected to complete the free online traveller declaration before they arrive.
  3. The ETA is optional for you. South Africa's Electronic Travel Authorisation costs R500 and is optional for visa-exempt travellers. Our ETA guide explains when it's worth paying for.

The full list: every visa-exempt passport

Ordinary passports only, as published by the Department of Home Affairs, list issued 9 December 2025. Country names are shortened (for example "Germany" for "Federal Republic of Germany"). Download the list as a CSV file, free to reuse with a link back to this page.

Passport Visa-free stay Note
Andorra 90 days
Angola 90 days 90 days in total per calendar year; each visit no longer than 30 days
Anguilla 90 days
Antigua and Barbuda 30 days
Argentina 90 days
Australia 90 days
Austria 90 days
Bahamas 30 days
Barbados 30 days
Belgium 90 days
Belize 30 days visa fee only applies to visits over 30 days
Benin 30 days visa fee only applies to visits over 30 days
Bermuda 90 days
Bolivia 30 days
Botswana 90 days
Brazil 90 days
British Antarctic Territory 90 days
British Indian Ocean Territory 90 days
British Virgin Islands 90 days
Bulgaria 90 days
Canada 90 days
Cape Verde 30 days
Cayman Islands 90 days
Chile 90 days
Costa Rica 30 days
Croatia 90 days
Cyprus 30 days
Czech Republic 90 days
Denmark 90 days
Ducie and Oeno Islands 90 days
Ecuador 90 days
Estonia 90 days
Eswatini 30 days
Falkland Islands 90 days
Finland 90 days
France 90 days
Gabon 30 days visa fee only applies to visits over 30 days
Germany 90 days
Ghana 90 days 90 days in total per calendar year
Gibraltar 90 days
Greece 90 days
Guernsey 90 days
Guyana 30 days
Henderson Island 90 days
Hong Kong 30 days visa fee only applies to visits over 30 days
Hungary 90 days
Iceland 90 days
Ireland 90 days
Isle of Man 90 days
Israel 90 days
Italy 90 days
Jamaica 90 days
Japan 90 days
Jersey 90 days
Jordan 30 days
Kenya 90 days 90 days in total per calendar year
Latvia 90 days
Lesotho 90 days
Liechtenstein 90 days
Lithuania 90 days
Luxembourg 90 days
Macau 30 days
Madagascar 90 days 90 days in total per calendar year
Malawi 30 days
Malaysia 90 days
Maldives 30 days
Malta 90 days
Mauritius 90 days
Monaco 90 days
Montserrat 90 days
Mozambique 30 days
Namibia 90 days 90 days in total per calendar year
Netherlands 90 days
New Zealand 90 days
Norway 90 days
Panama 90 days
Paraguay 90 days
Peru 30 days
Pitcairn Islands 90 days
Poland 30 days
Portugal 90 days
Qatar 90 days
Romania 90 days
Russian Federation 90 days
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 90 days
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 90 days
San Marino 90 days
Saudi Arabia 90 days
Seychelles 90 days 90 days in total per calendar year
Singapore 90 days
Slovakia 90 days
Slovenia 90 days
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 90 days
South Korea 30 days visa fee only applies to visits over 30 days
Spain 90 days
Sweden 90 days
Switzerland 90 days
São Tomé and Príncipe 90 days
Tanzania 90 days 90 days in total per calendar year
Thailand 30 days visa fee only applies to visits over 30 days
Trinidad and Tobago 90 days
Tunisia 90 days
Turkey 30 days visa fee only applies to visits over 30 days
Turks and Caicos Islands 90 days
United Arab Emirates 90 days
United Kingdom 90 days
United States 90 days
Uruguay 90 days
Venezuela 90 days
Zambia 90 days 90 days in total per calendar year
Zimbabwe 90 days

Not in the table? Then your ordinary passport needs a visa for South Africa. Some countries, such as India, Mexico and China, appear on the Home Affairs list for diplomatic or official passports only, so ordinary passport holders from those countries need a visa. Apply through the South African embassy, high commission or consulate that serves you, or through the ETA portal if your country is on it.

What the notes mean

Staying longer than your visa-free days

Don't overstay, even by a day. If you know your trip will be longer than your exemption, apply for the right visa before you travel. If plans change while you're here, contact Home Affairs before your days run out. Then sort the rest of your paperwork with our guides to driving on your own licence and staying safe as a visitor.

Sources

Checked on 1 November 2026.

Seen a change on the Home Affairs list? Tell us and we'll update this page.

Quick answers

Which countries can visit South Africa without a visa?

Home Affairs lists 111 countries and territories whose ordinary passport holders don't need a visa for a short visit (list issued 9 December 2025, checked 1 November 2026). They include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and every EU country. Most get 90 days; 23 get 30 days.

Do Polish and Cypriot citizens get 90 days in South Africa?

No. Home Affairs' list gives ordinary passport holders from Poland and Cyprus 30 days visa-free, not the 90 days most EU passports get. If you're staying longer than 30 days on one of those passports, apply for a visa before you travel.

Does the 90 day limit reset if I leave South Africa and come back?

Not for every passport. For some countries, such as Kenya, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania and Ghana, Home Affairs marks the exemption as 90 days per calendar year, so all your visits in a year count towards the same 90 days.

Do I still need the ETA if my passport is visa-exempt?

No. The Electronic Travel Authorisation is optional for visa-exempt travellers and costs R500. You do still need a valid passport that meets South Africa's rules and the free SARS online traveller declaration.