South Africa | Electronic Travel Authorization to launch Aug. 12 following successful pilot program

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs announced the full rollout of the country’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, set to launch Aug. 12, 2026.

Key takeaways:

Following a successful ETA pilot program with travelers from select countries, South Africa will officially launch ETA on Aug. 12 for all eligible nationals traveling for business or tourism. The ETA system will implement advanced biometrics and machine learning to make travel to South Africa faster and more secure, according to the announcement. The first phase of the ETA pilot program was introduced in October 2025.

ETA allows travelers to:

• Visit South Africa without the need for a traditional visitor’s visa
• Enter South Africa for up to 90 days for tourism or business
• Have multiple entries limited to 90 days per visit

As BAL previously reported, the department recently proposed a new 500 South African rand (about US$30) processing fee for ETA applications filed and processed online.

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

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