Visa requirement
South Africa visa for Indian citizens
Official-source answer with stay limit, cost, required documents and last verification date.
Do Indian citizens need a visa for South Africa?
Checked answer — confirm before travel
Indian citizens need an ETA (electronic travel authorisation) before travelling to South Africa.
Last verified:
What this means: An ETA is an electronic travel authorisation you apply for online before you fly — it is not a visa, but you cannot board without it.
Confidence: Medium Likely current — confirm details with the official source.
This answer is for ordinary Indian passport holders travelling as citizens of that passport. Residence permits, long-stay visas or living in another country can change which embassy or rule applies.
Visa types at a glance
| Visa type | Availability | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist visa-free? | No visa, ETA required | Up to 90 days. |
| eVisa? | No | No eVisa route is stored for this corridor. |
| Visa on arrival? | No | No visa-on-arrival route is stored for this corridor. |
- 90 days
- Varies — see notes
- Apply online before you fly
Before you travel
- 1 Entry step Apply online before you fly Official route (opens in a new tab)
- 2 Stay limit 90 days
- 3 Official fee Varies — see notes
- 4 Passport validity 7-month validity after arrival; 2 blank pages. Full note below. See full note
- 5 Transit airside: not required; landside: required. Full note below. See full note
- 6 Freshness Checked 23 Jul 2026; confidence: medium
Shareable verdict: Indian citizens need an ETA (electronic travel authorisation) before travelling to South Africa. Checked 23 Jul 2026.
Open SVG cardCost note
The official ETA portal displays any applicable payment during the application. No stable public fee amount is stated in the reviewed FAQ, so confirm the live amount before submission.
Passport and transit notes
- Passport validity
- passport valid for at least 7 months after arrival; 2 blank pages; The live ETA FAQ requires at least seven months of validity from the intended travel date, at least 30 days beyond the visa expiry and an ICAO-compliant machine-readable passport. Carry at least two unused pages under the current immigration regulations.
- Validity source (opens in a new tab) Validity guide
- Transit
- airside transit: not required; landside transit: required; No transit visa is required when remaining in the designated transit area at OR Tambo, Cape Town, King Shaka or Lanseria International Airport. Leaving transit or using another port invokes the ordinary entry rule for this passport.
- Transit source (opens in a new tab) Transit guide
What you need
- Indian ordinary machine-readable passport valid for at least seven months from the intended travel date
- Approved South African ETA / digital port-of-entry visa linked to the passport
- Return or onward ticket
- Proof of accommodation and sufficient funds if requested
- Yellow-fever certificate if the itinerary triggers the official health rule
Why this verdict
South Africa's ETA is live for Indian ordinary-passport tourists. It issues the visa-required traveller a digital port-of-entry visa rather than making the passport visa-exempt. The current rollout is limited to arrival at OR Tambo, Cape Town or Lanseria International Airport.
Conditional rules
- International transit remains inside the designated transit area at OR Tambo, Cape Town, King Shaka or Lanseria International Airport Visa-free
South Africa's current DHA guidance waives the transit visa at these four airports, although biometric processing applies. Deportees and the separately listed Pakistan/Bangladesh cases are outside this corridor rule.
- Arrival is at a port other than OR Tambo, Cape Town or Lanseria International Airport Visa required
The current public ETA rollout is limited to these three arrival airports. Use the applicable traditional visa route for another port unless DHA confirms expanded coverage.
- Trip involves employment, ordinary paid work or another activity outside visitor status Visa required
Use the South African visa or Section 11(2) authorisation matching the actual activity; a tourist ETA or visa exemption does not grant general work rights.
Frequently asked questions
Do Indian citizens need a visa for South Africa?
Indian citizens need an ETA (electronic travel authorisation) before travelling to South Africa. (ETA required.) Verified 23 Jul 2026 against the official source.
How long can Indian passport holders stay in South Africa?
Up to 90 days.
How much does entry to South Africa cost for Indian citizens?
The official fee varies — see the official source. This page tracks the official government fee only, not agent markup.