Eligibility quiz
Is one of your parents currently a citizen or permanent resident of South Africa?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Live in South Africa
You can enter and live in South Africa with your qualifying relative for the period on your visa, up to two years.
You can leave and seek to return while it is valid, but re-entry is not guaranteed.
How to apply
From outside South AfricaFrom outside South Africa
Find your consulate
Find the South African consulate that handles applications for your country of residence or citizenship, including a designated mission if there is no local one. If you are in South Africa on a visitor’s visa, you generally need to return to your country of origin or permanent residence to apply.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which South African consulate handles relative’s visa applications for someone living in your city?”
Download the application form
Download form DHA-1738, the application for a temporary residence visa.
Download the formFill in the form
Complete and sign the application form.
Find form guidanceSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the South Africa relative’s visa application form DHA-1738?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the consulate.
See required documentsArrange your appointment
Follow your consulate’s instructions to book an appointment if one is required.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I book a South Africa relative’s visa appointment at the consulate serving your city?”
Hand in your application
Bring your completed form and documents to the consulate in person; your fingerprints and photo may be taken, and you may be interviewed. Pay the applicable fee as the consulate instructs.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit and pay for a South Africa relative’s visa application at the consulate serving your city?”
Wait for the decision
Wait for the consulate’s decision and respond if it asks you for more information or documents.
See what happensSearches DuckDuckGo for “How long does a South Africa relative’s visa decision take at a consulate?”
Collect your visa
Collect your passport and visa as the consulate directs. Wait until the visa has been issued before making travel arrangements.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I collect my passport and South Africa relative’s visa from the consulate serving your city?”
Once in South AfricaOnce in South Africa
Present your visa
When you arrive in South Africa, show your passport and visa to immigration officials. You can then stay under the visa’s conditions, but it does not allow you to work.
Find arrival guidanceSearches DuckDuckGo for “What do I show immigration when I arrive in South Africa with a relative’s visa?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates
Get your full birth certificate showing your relationship to your South African parent. If needed, also provide paternity-test results; if you were adopted, add the adoption decision.
Parent's status records
Provide a certified copy of your parent's South African passport or identity document, or evidence of their South African permanent residence. Your parent must currently be a South African citizen or permanent resident; being born in South Africa alone is not enough.
Considerations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Conditions for staying
Keep your travel documents valid and follow the conditions of your permission.
Your sponsoring relative must promise financial support of R8,500 per person per month, unless that relative is a dependent child.
Before your permission expires, leave or get an extension; renewal is not automatic.
Work and study limits
This permission does not allow you to work, including working for yourself.
You need separate permission to work or study.
Permission can end
Your permission ends when it expires; if you are a spouse, it also ends when your spousal relationship is dissolved.
Immigration authorities can refuse an extension or cancel permission if you break its conditions or become barred from entering or staying in South Africa.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Visas and permits sa
English Facebook group for people living in South Africa interested in South African visas
Join on FacebookSouth African Visa Applications - Help
English Facebook group for people interested in South African visas
Join on FacebookSouth African Visa and Immigration Forum
English Facebook group for people living in South Africa interested in South African visas
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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