South Africa: visa and entry rules
What you need to get in, how long you may stay, and what an overstay costs
South Africa's borders: every crossing point
Other 50
Airports 10
South Africa's land border crossings, listed by the neighbour they lead to:
With Zimbabwe: Beitbridge, the busiest crossing in southern Africa.
With Mozambique: Lebombo - Ressano Garcia, the road to Maputo.
With Botswana: Skilpadshek, Groblersbrug and others.
With Namibia: Vioolsdrif - Noordoewer in the west.
With Eswatini: Oshoek and Golela.
With Lesotho: Maseru Bridge and several more. Lesotho is entirely surrounded by South African territory, and it can only be reached from here.
Queues at Beitbridge are the norm, especially over public holidays: this is the main corridor between South Africa and the rest of Africa.
Driving into South Africa
There are plenty of overland routes - six neighbours, and well-developed road links.
How long a vehicle may stay in the country and whether a carnet is needed to bring it into South Africa is decided by the local customs service. You cannot go by the neighbouring countries' rules.
Driving is on the left.
A licence in English carrying your photograph and signature is accepted; in any other language you need an International Driving Permit or a certified translation.
A rental car can only be taken across the border with a letter from the rental company - they ask for it at the crossings.
Travelling to South Africa with a pet
An import permit is required, arranged in advance with the veterinary service.
A microchip to the international standard is mandatory.
The rabies vaccination must be valid on the date of entry.
A rabies antibody titre test is required.
Quarantine applies depending on the country the animal is coming from.
Check the timings for bringing an animal into South Africa with your country's veterinary service before you buy tickets.
Overstaying your visa in South Africa
The main consequence is being declared an undesirable person, rather than a fine. The offender is put on a list, and entry is closed off for between one and five years depending on how long the overstay lasted.
The decision is taken as you leave, and it is hard to challenge from abroad.
Extensions are arranged in advance, with time to spare for processing.
South Africa treats overstays more harshly than most countries in the region - worth taking into account when planning long trips.
What else to check before you go
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Entry rules change faster than anything else on this site, and they change without notice. We cross-check every page against several sources and state the date it was verified, but that does not replace the main step: before you travel, check an official source — the country’s consulate, its immigration service or its e-visa portal. Especially if more than a couple of months have passed since our check.