South Africa Travel Guide

Passports

Country	Passport Required	Visa Required	Return Ticket Required
Other EU	Yes	Yes with some exceptions. See Consulate for more information	Yes
USA	Yes	No	Yes
Canadian	Yes	No	Yes
Australian	Yes	No	Yes
British	Yes	No	Yes

Passport valid for at least 30 days after the intended date of departure required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.

Passports must have at least two blank pages for entry stamps - visitors have been refused entry by airport immigration officials for flouting that regulation.

Visas

Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days on vacation.

Validity

Dependent on length of stay requested. Permits may be extended if done so 30 days prior to expiry of original permit.

Applications to:

Consulate (or consular section at embassy or high commission); see Important Addresses. Applicants in countries where South Africa is not represented may send their applications to the embassy in the nearest country.

Working Days Required

The processing period for visas and transit visas is 10 calendar days.

Travel Warnings

From 1 May 2010, the airport that serves Durban will change to the new King Shaka International Airport. This facility is located at La Mercy, 65kms north of the existing airport. The old airport will no longer be in use.

Most visits to South Africa are trouble-free but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate international terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

There is a high level of crime, but most occurs in townships and isolated areas away from tourist destinations.

The standard of driving is variable, and there are many fatal accidents.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organizations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel

Health Care

Medical facilities are good in urban areas but can be limited elsewhere. Doctors and hospitals often require immediate cash payment. Comprehensive health insurance is recommended to cover the fees of private facilities.

Vaccinations

Vaccination	Special Precaution
Diphtheria	Yes
Hepatitis A	Yes
Malaria	Sometimes*
Rabies	Sometimes
Tetanus	Yes
Typhoid	Sometimes
Yellow Fever	No**

Special Notes

No vaccinations are essential. However:

* Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu-Natal are low risk malaria areas during December-April.

** A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travelers over one year old arriving from an infected area.