Overview
According to South African visa policies, nationals of select countries are exempt from a formal visa requirement and travelers can enter the country without one. However, UAE nationals are required to obtain a visa before entering the country and visas are required to enter the country for tourism, visiting family and friends, business meetings or seminars, and training courses that are of less than three months duration.
The fee for the visa application is AED 250.00 and is non-refundable. The embassy usually takes up to four days to process the visa application . Please note that the fee can change every year in April.
The requirements for visa applicants are given below :
· The applicant’s passport must be valid for more than 30 days after the expiry of the intended visit, it must have at least two blank visa pages to
endorse the visa, and for entry stamps; and a copy of all relevant pages of the passport has to be submitted with the original passport. · Two standard identity photographs. · The BI-84 form should be fully completed. Forms can be obtained from the Consulate-General or Embassy or can be downloaded from their
website, www.southafrica.ae · A vaccination certificate, if required. · Bank statements, salary advises medical cover, or cash available including credit card statements or traveler’s cheques as proof of financial
means. · Applicants traveling by air must be in possession of a provisional return or onward flight booking. No fixed travel arrangements must however be
made prior to the issuing of the visa. · A person who is unable to comply with the above requirements, may be required to make a deposit that shall be refunded after the return of the
applicant to the country of origin or otherwise decided time in the form of a bank guaranteed cheque or cash. · If a minor child subject to guardianship or custody is accompanying the applicant or joining the applicant in South Africa, then proof of
guardianship and custody is required. · In the case of an unaccompanied minor, consent from the guardian is required. · Statement and/or documentation confirming purpose and duration of visit. . For business visits (meetings, negotiations, workshops, seminars, conferences and training) letters from both the UAE and the South African
host company/organization should be submitted. The letters should confirm the nature and duration of the visit. . For tourist visits, a provisional hotel booking or travel itinerary is acceptable. . For family visits, an invitation letter from the South African host (with full contact details and South African ID number/residence number) is
acceptable. . For all other types of visits, adequate documentation must be produced which confirms the nature of the visit and the duration of the visit. Applications can be submitted in person at the Embassy or Consulate General, or mailed or couriered.
Important Information Regarding Visas · Only applicants with valid residence in the UAE can apply through the South African Embassy & Consulate-General in the U.A.E. · The visa only enables the holder to proceed to a port of entry before or on the expiry date of the visa, where the holder must comply with the
applicable law, regulation, and entry requirements. · The visa shall upon admission, be considered to be a permit for the purpose of the Act and the period of validity of that permit shall be calculated
from the date of admission. · The period for which a permit will be valid will be set out under the heading 'conditions' on the visa label. · Applicants must ensure that they apply for the correct visa/permit as any change in the purpose of stay may be refused if the purpose of the
original entry was not correctly stated. · The holder of a visitor’s permit may not conduct work unless specifically authorized to do so in terms of Section 11(2) of the Act. · The holder of a visitors’ permit may not establish or operate a business. · Visas cannot be applied for at a South African port of entry (for example, an airport). · Any applicant allowed entry into South Africa due to misrepresentation, or false declaration on the application form or who stays in South Africa
in contravention of his/her visa/permit conditions shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment as an illegal
foreigner. · After a visa is issued, the passport must contain one unused ‘visa’ page for entry stamps.
For Diplomatic/Official/Courtesy Visas · Completed visa application form - IN BLACK INK ONLY · Two (2) x passport size photographs · Original passport + copy of all relevant pages of the applicant’s passport · Official letter to identify themselves from their work Addresses 1. South African Embassy, Abu Dhabi · Postal address: Embassy of the Republic of South Africa, P.O. Box 29446, Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates · Physical address: The Embassy in Abu Dhabi is located at the corner of Airport Road and 25th Street, Villa Number 202, Al Mushref Area, Abu Dhabi.
2. South African Consulate-General, Dubai · Postal address: Consulate-General of the Republic of the South Africa, P.O. Box 34800, Dubai - United Arab Emirates. · Physical address: The Consulate-General is located in Bur Dubai in Khaleed bin al Waleed Street or (Bank Street) in the new Sharaf Building on the 3rd Floor. It is opposite the Burjuman Center and next to the South African Airways building. (Downstairs is the Dubai Islamic Bank.) Timings The Consulate General and Embassy are open on Sundays to Thursdays (closed on Fridays and Saturdays) from 08h30 to 12h30. During the Holy month of Ramadan, both the Embassy and the Consulate General are open from Sunday to Thursday from 09:00 – 12:00 for submissions of visa applications.
For more information, please visit the South African Embassy’s website at, http://www.southafrica.ae/
