Visa requirement
United Kingdom visa for South African citizens
Official-source answer with stay limit, cost, required documents and last verification date.
Do South African citizens need a visa for the United Kingdom?
Checked answer — confirm before travel
South African citizens need a visa to enter the United Kingdom.
Last verified:
Confidence: Medium Likely current — confirm details with the official source.
This answer is for ordinary South African 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 | This page stores a visa or authorization route instead. |
| eVisa? | No | No eVisa route is stored for this corridor. |
| Visa on arrival? | No | No visa-on-arrival route is stored for this corridor. |
- Set by visa
- 135 GBP
- Apply for a visa before you travel
Before you travel
- 1 Entry step Apply for a visa before you travel Official route (opens in a new tab)
- 2 Stay limit Set by visa
- 3 Official fee 135 GBP
- 4 Passport validity Official rule stored below. See full note
- 5 Transit airside: conditional; landside: conditional. Full note below. See full note
- 6 Freshness Checked 23 Jul 2026; confidence: medium
Shareable verdict: South African citizens need a visa to enter the United Kingdom. Checked 23 Jul 2026.
Open SVG cardCost note
Standard Visitor visa fee for up to 6 months.
Passport and transit notes
- Passport validity
- Passport or travel document should be valid for the whole stay in the UK.
- Validity source (opens in a new tab) Validity guide
- Transit
- airside transit: conditional; landside transit: conditional; UK transit rules depend on nationality, route and whether the traveller goes through UK border control. Visa nationals may need a Direct Airside Transit visa or Visitor in Transit visa unless an exemption or valid UK visitor permission applies.
- Transit source (opens in a new tab) Transit guide
What you need
- valid passport
- completed online application
- visa application centre appointment
- proof of funds and ties to South Africa
- return or onward ticket
Why this verdict
South African citizens need a Standard Visitor visa to visit the UK. South Africa is not in the current ETA-eligible nationality list, so pre-travel visitor-visa approval remains the conservative headline.
Frequently asked questions
Do South African citizens need a visa for the United Kingdom?
South African citizens need a visa to enter the United Kingdom. (Visa required.) Verified 23 Jul 2026 against the official source.
How long can South African passport holders stay in the United Kingdom?
The length of stay is set by the visa you are issued.
How much does entry to the United Kingdom cost for South African citizens?
The official fee is 135 GBP. This page tracks the official government fee only, not agent markup.