Applicants who wish to abandon their waivers, long-term visas, and appeal applications, will be allowed to exit at the port of entry on or before 31 December 2024, without being declared undesirable, and those who need to travel but are awaiting the outcome of their applications will be allowed to exit and re-enter the country without being declared undesirable. However, applicants from non-visa-exempt countries who travel out of the country are required to apply for a ‘port of entry visa,’ which will allow them to re-enter the country.
Short-term visa holders who have been issued with a visa for 90 days or less and applied for a renewal, but have not received their visa outcomes, must make the necessary arrangements to depart the country within 90 calendar days from the date of expiry of their initial entry visa, to avoid being declared undesirable upon departure from the country.
The extension of the temporary concession is only applicable to foreign nationals who have been legally admitted in the country and have submitted their applications through the Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) Global in South Africa. The applicants must produce a verifiable receipt for such application which can be verified against the VFS Global tracking system.
| Applicants who have pending waiver applications? | Applicants who have pending long-term visa applications | Applicants who have appealed a negative decision |
When does the temporary visa concession extension cease to apply? | 31 December 2024 | 31 December 2024 | 31 December 2024 |
Considerations for visa- exempt persons | To the extent that this foreign national needs to travel, he/she may depart from South Africa and will be allowed to re-enter South Africa. | To the extent that this foreign national needs to travel, he/she may depart from South Africa and will be allowed to re-enter South Africa. | To the extent that this foreign national needs to travel, he/she may depart from South Africa and will be allowed to re-enter South Africa. |
Considerations for non-visa exempt persons | Foreign nationals from non-visa-exempt countries are required to apply for a port of entry visa. | Foreign nationals from non-visa-exempt countries are required to apply for a port of entry visa. | Foreign nationals from non-visa-exempt countries are required to apply for a port of entry visa. |
What documentation should the foreign national have available for travelling purposes? | Original passport and original receipt of waiver application obtained from the Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Global. | Original passport and original receipt of long-term visa application obtained from the Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Global. | Original passport, original receipt of appeal application, and copy of rejection letter from the Department of Home Affairs. |