South Africa’s new R500 visa fee takes effect: Who must pay

South Africa has introduced a new R500 electronic processing fee for travellers who apply through the country’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, as government rolls out its new digital immigration platform.

The fee took effect on Sunday, 17 August 2026, after the Department of Home Affairs published amended immigration fee regulations in the Government Gazette.

It is important to note that the R500 charge is not a new fee for South African citizens, passport applications or all people travelling in and out of the country. It applies to eligible foreign travellers who use the ETA platform.

The ETA is South Africa’s new online travel-authorisation system, designed to digitise visa applications, improve border security and make the process easier for legitimate visitors.

The system was officially launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa at OR Tambo International Airport on 12 August after an earlier pilot phase.

Under the amended regulations, an “electronic processing fee” of R500 is payable for ETA applications. The existing R425 fee for a visitor’s visa remains in place.

This means a traveller from a country that requires a visa and uses the ETA system could pay a combined R925: R425 for the visa and R500 for electronic processing.

However, government has argued that the new digital route could still be cheaper than the old outsourced application process. Previously, many visa applicants paid a R425 visa fee plus an outsourced processing charge of about R1,550 — a total of R1,975.

Home Affairs had proposed the R500 fee to help fund the continued operation and expansion of the digital platform after it initially operated without an integrated online payment system.

The ETA was first tested with travellers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico during South Africa’s G20 Presidency. Government plans to extend it to additional countries over time and eventually expand digital processing to other immigration services, including work and study visas.

For visa-exempt travellers, the ETA is expected to remain voluntary during the early rollout. They will not lose their visa-free travel status simply because the system has been introduced, although those who choose to use the ETA platform will pay the R500 processing fee.

Government says the digital system will allow eligible travellers to apply online from abroad instead of having to visit a South African mission or visa-processing centre. It is also intended to strengthen biometric checks and identify potentially fraudulent applications before travellers arrive at the border.

Travellers are advised to check the official ETA portal and the visa requirements that apply to their passport before making travel arrangements, as eligibility and rollout arrangements may differ by country.

The official regulations state that the R500 electronic processing fee came into operation on the date it was published in the Government Gazette, 17 August 2026.