South Africa Expands Electronic Travel Authorisation to 53 Countries Ahead of e-Visa Shutdown on 1 December 2026
Updated: 18h
PRETORIA, 7 November 2026 – South Africa has expanded its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system to 53 countries and territories, completing the migration of all markets previously covered by the country’s e-Visa programme as the government prepares to decommission the old e-Visa platform on 1 December 2026. The expansion, confirmed by South African Tourism in a statement reported on 6 November 2026, comes alongside new features allowing applications for minors, biometric enrolment for children aged seven and over, and family or group applications from a single account. The ETA was officially launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 12 August 2026 with an initial pilot covering four countries—China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico—and has since been rolled out in phases through August and September before reaching its current 53-country scope. The official application portal is the Department of Home Affairs ETA platform at eta.dha.gov.za, and the phased rollout was confirmed by Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber in his 1 October 2026 speech on the “quantum leap” vision for Home Affairs.
The 53 Countries and Territories Now Covered by the ETA
The Department of Home Affairs does not yet publish an exhaustive list of eligible nationalities on the public pages of the ETA portal, but an infographic published on 19 October 2026 by the South African Embassy in Caracas sets out the countries integrated during the different phases of deployment. The 53 countries and territories currently included in the programme are:
Africa (17): Algeria, Cameroon, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda.
Americas (4): Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and the United States.
Asia (16): Armenia, Bangladesh, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore.
Europe (16): Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
The presence of a country on this list does not mean that all of its nationals are required to obtain an ETA. The programme applies both to nationalities that are subject to visa requirements to enter South Africa and to travellers who already benefit from a visa exemption for short stays. For visa-exempt nationals, the ETA remains optional, as confirmed by the South African Tourism statement and by the Fragomen analysis of the ETA rollout.
How the ETA Works: Passport Scan, Facial Recognition, and Automated Checks
Unlike the old e-Visa system, the ETA relies on a fully digital procedure that combines passport verification, facial recognition, and automated application checks. The process is designed to be completed without attending a visa centre, but it requires a smartphone for the biometric steps. According to the VisasNews review of the ETA application process, applicants create a personal account, confirm their email address and phone number with verification codes, and then open an individual case or use the multiple-request feature for a family or group. At the “Passport Scan” step, the portal displays a QR code that the applicant scans with their phone’s camera; the phone then guides the traveller through photographing and scanning the passport, followed by a facial scan that is compared with the passport photograph. The traveller completes the travel form, pays the applicable fee, and submits the application. The information collected allows South African authorities to carry out automated checks, including on the authenticity of the passport and the consistency between the document and its holder.
The official ETA portal remains the only channel for submitting an ETA application. The old e-Visa platform at ehome.dha.gov.za/epermit/home will be deactivated on 1 December 2026, with applications concerned being transferred to the ETA system, according to the South African Tourism statement.
New Features for Families, Minors, and Groups
The latest update introduces three practical improvements. Applications for minors can now be submitted through the platform, whereas some initial stages of the programme were limited to adult applicants. For children aged seven and over, the system includes the capture of biometric data and its registration in the Home Affairs National Identification System (HANIS). Families and groups can now complete their procedures from the same space using a multiple-request functionality, removing the need to create a separate account for each participant. These changes are intended to simplify group travel and family applications, and they complement the existing 24-hour turnaround target that Minister Schreiber has set for ETA decisions, as noted in the official launch speech.
The 500 Rand Processing Fee and the e-Visa Transition
Since 17 August 2026, an electronic processing fee of ZAR 500 (approximately €26 or US$31) applies to ETA applications, introduced through amendments to the Immigration Fees Regulations published in the Government Gazette (No. 55209). The fee is set out in the EIG Law summary of the fee amendments and the VisaMundi analysis of the gazette. For visa-required nationals who are not visa-fee exempt, the existing government visa fee of ZAR 425 still applies in addition to the ETA processing fee, bringing the total to ZAR 925. For visa-required nationals who are exempt from the visa fee, the ETA processing fee of ZAR 500 applies without the additional visa fee. For visa-exempt nationals, neither the visa fee nor the ETA fee applies if they simply arrive with a valid passport, but they may optionally apply for an ETA at the usual cost of ZAR 500 to benefit from faster border processing.
The old e-Visa system will be discontinued on 1 December 2026. The transition consolidates short-stay digital procedures onto the ETA portal, and the Department of Home Affairs has indicated that the ETA is intended to become the central platform for processing visa applications, permits, and other immigration formalities, with new categories including study and work visas to be integrated from 2027.
What the ETA Means for French and Other Visa-Exempt Nationals
For French citizens, the ETA is not mandatory for short tourist stays. Holders of a French passport continue to benefit from a 90-day visa exemption for tourism, as confirmed by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs travel advice and by the VisaMundi breakdown of visa-exempt treatment. French travellers who choose not to use the ETA retain the usual visa-free entry regime: their passport must include at least two blank pages and remain valid for at least 30 days after the planned date of departure from South Africa. They may, however, voluntarily apply for an ETA to benefit from accelerated processing at the border or to facilitate certain procedures, including a possible extension of stay. The same optional ETA logic applies to other visa-exempt nationalities on the 53-country list, including Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and Singapore, among others.
Which Airports Accept the ETA and What Comes Next
The ETA system is currently planned for travellers arriving through four international airports: OR Tambo in Johannesburg, Cape Town International, King Shaka in Durban, and Lanseria near Johannesburg. Authorities plan to extend the system to other border crossings, including land and sea crossings. South African Tourism has indicated that the next phases of the rollout will target new tourism markets, particularly in view of the 2027 Cricket World Cup, which South Africa will co-host with Zimbabwe and Namibia. No new list of countries or specific extension date has been communicated at this stage, but the immediate priority remains the 1 December 2026 transition from the old e-Visa platform to the ETA and supporting travellers and tourism professionals through the change.
Key Dates at a Glance
Date | Milestone |
12 August 2026 | ETA officially launched by President Ramaphosa; pilot with China, India, Indonesia, and Mexico |
17 August 2026 | ZAR 500 ETA processing fee takes effect |
1 October 2026 | Minister Schreiber confirms 53-country coverage |
19 October 2026 | South African Embassy in Caracas publishes 53-country infographic |
6 November 2026 | South African Tourism confirms expansion to 53 countries, family/minor features, and e-Visa shutdown date |
1 December 2026 | Old e-Visa platform decommissioned; ETA becomes the sole short-stay digital system |
2027 | Study and work visa categories expected to be integrated into the ETA platform |
Conclusion
South Africa’s ETA is now the country’s primary digital short-stay authorisation system, covering 53 countries and replacing the old e-Visa platform on 1 December 2026. Visa-required travellers from the listed countries must use the official ETA portal and should factor the ZAR 500 processing fee into their travel plans. Visa-exempt travellers, including French nationals, retain their 90-day visa-free access and may treat the ETA as an optional tool for faster processing. Families and travellers with children should note the new minor and group application features, including biometric enrolment for children aged seven and over. With the old portal closing in less than a month, travellers and tourism professionals should confirm their eligibility and complete any pending applications through the ETA system well before the 1 December 2026 deadline.
For more news and daily updates on South African visas and immigration policy, visit visasupdate.com.
Comments