South Africa Visa

South Africa is one of the most beautiful and frequently visited destinations of the African continent. Indian citizens require a South African visa to visit the picturesque nation. One can apply for a South African visa online and get a South African visa in no time.

Depending upon the purpose of one’s visit, there are different types of South African visas available. These include visas for holidays, work, academic projects, and other purposes. The applicant can choose the visa type required. Furthermore, the applicant is required to fill out the appropriate form along with suitable supporting documentation for the visa generation process.

An Indian applying for a South African visa,  can visit the visa centres (VFC) in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, etc. South Africa levies no visa application fees on Indians applying for the visa. However, there is a VFS logistics charge that is levied on Indians applying for a South African visa. The charge at present is Rs. 1,376 (if the applicant is from Mumbai/Delhi). One has to pay a logistics fee of Rs. 1,675 if they are applying for the South African visa from cities like Jaipur, Gurugram, Pune, etc.

If the applicant plans to apply for a South African holiday visa, they are required to submit a completed visa application form-11 (DHA-84), which must be filled in black ink and block letters. Other major documents required for obtaining a South African visa include-

• a passport that has a validity of at least 30 days after the intended stay/departure date from South Africa. At least two unused pages are required.
• proof of funds in the form of bank statements from the last 3 months, signed and stamped by a bank official. The applicant is required to maintain a balance equivalent to South African currency Rand 3,000 in INR. 
• proof of hotel booking and other accommodation details. The applicant must clearly state the name, passport number of applicant(s) and duration of visit, physical address, as well as contact details of the hotel as well as the authorised signatory, designation, and signature
• NOC for leave from the employer, school or university mentioning the name, passport number of applicant(s) and the duration of visit
• A day-to-day itinerary or travel plan covering the traveller’s stay in South Africa
• Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate
• two recent (not older than 30 days) passport size photographs (35mm x 45mm picture)
• marriage certificate. This is required for verification purposes. The applicant needs to carry the original marriage certificate at the time of submission at VFS centre
• copies of bio-data pages of the passport
• original cover letter signed by the applicant, stating the name, passport number of applicant(s) and duration of the visit. The letter must have the applicants’ address, as well as contact details of authorized signatory, designation, and signature (should mention who will bear the expenses of the trip)

The processing time for a South African visa is around 5 working days to 21 working days. If the applicant intends to do corporate work in South Africa, they need to fill in form DHA- 17331 along with the mentioned document. One needs to specify the type of  South African visa to obtain the South African visa.

One can also track the status of their visa application after applying for the South African Visa online and collect it from the stipulated receiving centres on completion of the process.