Wondering what are the visa–free countries for South Africans are in 2024 ? See my guide below.
One of the worst aspects of travelling is having to apply for visas. A South African passport, while providing access to many countries, comes with several disadvantages too. One of the primary issues is the limited visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to countries, especially in Europe and North America, which often requires extensive and costly visa application processes. This can be a significant inconvenience for travellers, making it a deterrent to travel to those countries. Personally, my decision on where to travel is often affected by the country’s visa requirements.
As of 2024, the South African passport ranks 47th on the Henley Passport Index, which measures the global travel freedom of passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a visa. This position is a slight improvement from its previous rank of 53rd in 2023.
The highest ranked passport is that of Singapore, followed by France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Austria.
South African passport holders can currently travel to over 100 destinations either without requiring a visa, or by obtaining a visa on arrival or an e-visa. Ireland has recently revoked visa-free travel for South Africans.
Important: Please verify before travelling as status may have changed.
South African passports
1. Visa-free countries for South Africans
These are the countries South Africans can travel to without a visa.
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Benin
- Botswana
- Brazil
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Chile
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Eswatini
- Falkland Islands
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Lesotho
- Macao
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Mauritius
- Micronesia
- Montserrat
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nicaragua
- Niue
- Palestinian Territories
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Reunion
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Singapore
- Vincent and the Grenadines
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls – Zambia
2. Visa on Arrival
The following countries provide a Visa on Arrival for South Africans
- Armenia
- Bolivia
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cape Verde
- Comoros / Comoro Islands
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Guinea-Bissau
- Indonesia
- Iran (Prior application required)
- Jordan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Nepal
- Nigeria
- Palau
- Qatar
- Samoa
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Helena
- Tajikistan
- Timor-Leste
- Tuvalu
- Uzbekistan (Prior application required)
Camels at Petra in Jordan
3. E-Visas for South Africans
The following countries require an E-Visa for South Africans
- Albania
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Cameroon
- Congo (Democratic Republic)
- Equatorial Guinea
- Guinea
- India
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Myanmar
- Oman
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Suriname
- Togo
- Turkey
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- Vietnam
Burj Khalifa , Dubai, United Arab Emirates
4.Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) Countries for South Africa Citizens
The following countries require South Africa passport holders to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) prior to visiting. This is a digital travel document which can be obtained online prior to travel.
- Israel
- Pakistan
- Seychelles
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
5. Visas Required For South Africans
The following countries require South Africans to apply for a visa.
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Andorra
- Anguilla
- Aruba
- Austria
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Colombia
- Congo
- Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Curacao
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- French West Indies
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Greenland
- Guam
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Mali
- Malta
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Nauru
- Netherlands
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Niger
- Norfolk Island
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Norway
- Papua New Guinea
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Romania
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Senegal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Maarten
- Pierre and Miquelon
- Sudan
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tonga
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- US Virgin Islands
- Vatican City
- Wallis and Futuna
- Yemen
Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 49 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.
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