South Africa switches on its online ETA on 12 August.

What is changing

On Wednesday 12 August 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa officially launches South Africa's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. The ETA is the country's new digital entry permit: instead of applying for a paper visitor's visa at an embassy, eligible travellers apply online, submit biometrics and receive an approval in real time.

The launch follows a pilot that ran during South Africa's G20 Presidency. It started in October 2025 with summit delegates, then opened to tourists from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico arriving at OR Tambo and Cape Town International. The Department of Home Affairs has said the system will expand step by step to all nationalities that need a visa for South Africa and, eventually, to all ports of entry.

Who is affected

• The ETA is for travellers who currently need a visitor's visa for South Africa, travelling for tourism or business, for stays of up to 90 days.
• The rollout starts with the four pilot nationalities — China, India, Indonesia and Mexico — and will widen from there.
• If you can already enter South Africa visa-free (most EU countries, the UK, the US and many others), nothing changes for you.

Cost and process

The Department of Home Affairs has proposed a processing fee of R500 (about US$30) per online application. Application, biometric capture and approval all happen digitally, and the ETA is linked to the upgraded Electronic Movement Control System (eMCS 2.0), which is meant to speed up checks at the border.

What travellers should do

If you need a visa for South Africa and hold a passport from one of the pilot countries, apply through the Department of Home Affairs' official ETA portal — not through third-party resellers. Everyone else keeps applying the way they do today until Home Affairs confirms their nationality has been added. As always, confirm the current rules on the official government source before you book.