South Africa | 60-day filing requirement for certain visa applications waived

South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs issued an immigration directive signed Oct. 2, 2026, that waives the requirement to file certain visa applications 60 days before an existing visa is set to expire.

Key takeaways:

The waiver applies to:

• All new visa extension applications and change of status or condition applications submitted to the Department of Home Affairs
• Visa extension applications and change of status or condition applications submitted before the directive was issued and still pending adjudication
• All pending appeals for applications not submitted 60 days prior to the existing visa’s expiration date

The existing visa must be valid at the time the application is submitted for the waiver to be granted.

Additional information: The Department of Home Affairs is expected to publish Immigration Directive No. 13 of 2026 on its website.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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