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Where can South Africa passport holders travel?

63 countries are visa-free. Add 24 with a visa on arrival, 5 with an online eTA and 31 with an eVisa, and you can visit 123 countries without applying at an embassy.

25 rules on this page are backed by a cited official or authoritative source, shown next to the country. In our latest audit (22 October 2026), 175 of 185 destinations matched IATA Timatic, the database airlines check (via Wikipedia), or were confirmed with an official source; 10 are still being checked. How we check visa rules

Source: Passport Index dataset (visualpharm/visa-free-dataset, updated 2026-06-14) + 188 sourced corrections (last checked 2026-10-22). Page built 26 October 2026. Report an error

Visa free 63

Visa on arrival 24

eTA (online travel authorization) 5

eVisa (apply online) 31

Embassy visa required for 75 countries

Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Yemen

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Changing planes with a South Africa passport

These rules cover connecting flights where you stay in the airport's international transit area. Leaving it, changing airports or collecting your bags means entering the country, which needs the entry visa.

Recent rule changes for South Africa passports

Articles for South Africa passport holders

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South Africa passport: common questions

How many countries can South Africa passport holders visit without a visa?

63 countries are visa-free for South Africa passport holders. Counting 24 with a visa on arrival, 5 with an online eTA and 31 with an eVisa, they can visit 123 countries without applying at an embassy. The other 75 countries require an embassy visa.

Which countries are visa-free for South Africa passport holders?

South Africa passport holders can enter these 63 countries visa-free: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Palestinian Territory, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Singapore, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Why do other websites show a different number for the South Africa passport?

Websites count different things. Wandava counts every way in without an embassy: visa-free (63), visa on arrival (24), online eTA (5) and eVisa (31), 123 in all. Counting only entry with no step before you travel (visa-free and visa on arrival) gives 87, and visa-free alone gives 63. When an online visa needs a local sponsor or a full set of supporting documents, Wandava counts it as an embassy visa, not an eVisa.

Which countries give South Africa passport holders a visa on arrival?

South Africa passport holders can get a visa on arrival in these 24 countries: Armenia, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Nepal, Palau, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu. A fee may apply.

Where do South Africa passport holders need an eTA or eVisa?

An online eTA is needed for Ghana, Israel, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles and South Korea. An eVisa, applied for online before you fly, is needed for Albania, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, India, Japan, Libya, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, São Tomé and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Turkey, Uganda and Vietnam.

Can a US, UK or Schengen visa help South Africa passport holders visit more countries?

Yes. Holding a valid visa opens more countries that South Africa passport holders can enter without an embassy visa: 6 more with a US visa, 5 more with a UK visa and 39 more with a Schengen visa. Conditions apply, and each rule links to its official source.

Where can South Africa passport holders with a Schengen residence permit, UK residence permit or US green card travel?

A valid residence permit opens more countries that South Africa passport holders can enter without an embassy visa: 6 more with a US green card, 2 more with a UK residence permit and 37 more with a Schengen residence permit. A Schengen residence permit allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180 in the other Schengen countries. Conditions apply, and each rule links to its official source.

Do South Africa passport holders need a transit visa?

Schengen area: no airport transit visa needed. United Kingdom: direct airside transit visa (DATV) needed. United States: US visa needed, even to change planes (a C-1 transit visa or a B visitor visa). Canada: Canadian visa needed, even to change planes (a transit visa for stays of 48 hours or less). Australia: no transit visa needed for connections within 8 hours. Singapore: no transit visa needed. United Arab Emirates: no transit visa needed. Some visas and residence permits exempt you; the transit section on this page lists them with official sources.

How up to date is this South Africa passport information?

The visa data comes from the Passport Index dataset (visualpharm/visa-free-dataset, updated 2026-06-14) + 188 sourced corrections (last checked 2026-10-22). This page was built on 26 October 2026. Entry rules change, so confirm with the destination's official website or embassy before you travel.