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Do British citizens need a visa for South Africa?
United Kingdom 
South Africa United Kingdom passport holders can enter South Africa without a visa for up to 90 days.
No visa needed
- Entry requirement
- Visa-free
- Maximum stay
- 90 days
- Apply before travel
- No
- Last updated
- February 2026
Before you travel
Checked November 2026At the border
- Passport must be valid for at least 30 days after your planned departure from South Africa.
- Passport needs at least two unused pages for entry and exit stamps; travellers without them can be refused entry.
- A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if you have been in or transited a yellow fever endemic area (direct airport transit excepted).
- Visa-exempt visitors do not need an ETA but may apply voluntarily to use faster arrival processing or to extend a 90-day stay by up to another 90 days.
- ETA travellers have their faces verified on departure.
Recent changes
- October-November 2025: ETA piloted during South Africa's G20 Presidency for travellers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico.
- August 2026: ETA officially launched on 12 August 2026; R500 electronic processing fee gazetted on 17 August 2026.
- Late 2026: ETA being made compulsory country by country for short stays by nationals who need port-of-entry visas; land and sea ports to follow.
Official source: Department of Home Affairs, Republic of South Africa · Not yet confirmed officially: eta.fee: R500 and R425 figures come from gazette text seen in official search snippets; the 17 Aug 2026 gazette PDF could not be text-extracted, and the R925 combined figure came from a pre-launch proposal, eta.validity and processing: taken from the eta.dha.gov.za FAQ as indexed; the FAQ page is script-rendered and could not be read directly, eta.status: which nationalities are already compulsory as of November 2026, consularVisa.processing time, scamWarning: no official warning about look-alike ETA sites found
What United Kingdom passport holders need to do
- Check your passport validity. Many countries ask for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date.
- Be ready to show a return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation and proof of funds at the border.
- Leave before the permitted stay ends. Working or studying usually needs a different visa.
United Kingdom is one of 86 passports in the “visa-free” group for South Africa. See the full South Africa visa requirements for every passport.
Other easy destinations in Africa for United Kingdom passport holders
South Africa is one of 118 destinations in the “visa-free” group for the United Kingdom passport, which ranks #6 worldwide with a mobility score of 162. Of 54 destinations in Africa, 34 need no visa arranged in advance; the easiest are listed below.
| Destination | Requirement | Max stay |
|---|---|---|
 Angola | Visa-free | 30 days |
 Botswana | Visa-free | 90 days |
 Cape Verde | Visa-free | 30 days |
 Eswatini | Visa-free | 30 days |
 Gambia | Visa-free | 90 days |
 Lesotho | Visa-free | – |
 Malawi | Visa-free | 30 days |
 Mauritius | Visa-free | 90 days |
 Morocco | Visa-free | 90 days |
 Mozambique | Visa-free | 30 days |
 Namibia | Visa-free | 90 days |
 Rwanda | Visa-free | 30 days |
Frequently asked questions
Do British citizens need a visa for South Africa?
United Kingdom passport holders can enter South Africa without a visa for up to 90 days.
How long can United Kingdom passport holders stay in South Africa?
Up to 90 days without a visa.
Do South Africa citizens need a visa for the United Kingdom?
South Africa passport holders need to obtain a visa from an embassy, consulate or visa centre before travelling to the United Kingdom.
South Africa visa requirements for other passports
Data last updated February 2026. This page covers short visits such as tourism. Rules can change at short notice and differ for work, study or long stays. Confirm with the embassy or official immigration website of South Africa before you book.