South Africa has introduced a R500 (about $31) processing fee for its new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), just five days after President Cyril Ramaphosa officially launched the system as part of efforts to digitise the country’s visa and immigration processes.
- South Africa has introduced a R500 (about $31) processing fee for its new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system.
- The ETA system aims to digitize visa applications, with President Ramaphosa launching it to simplify and speed up travel to South Africa.
- Previously, travellers paid a total of R1,975 for visas, but under the new ETA system, the combined fee is reduced to R925, saving applicants R1,050.
- The ETA is set to become mandatory for travellers from countries that currently require visas, while remaining optional for visa-exempt visitors.
The Department of Home Affairs formally introduced the fee through amendments to South Africa’s visa regulations gazetted on August 17, following an earlier proposal to introduce the charge.
The ETA system was officially launched by Ramaphosa at OR Tambo International Airport on August 12, when the government announced plans to expand the digital platform to more countries.
The ETA platform has been operating in pilot form since October 2025 for nationals of participating countries, allowing eligible travellers to submit applications digitally and receive processing decisions within 24 hours.
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Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the initial fees for participating countries were waived because the platform did not have an integrated online payment system.
With online payments now available, the department has introduced the R500 processing charge for each ETA application.
Schreiber said the new system could ultimately reduce the cost of obtaining a South African visa.
Under the previous system, travellers paid a R425 visa fee alongside an R1,550 fee charged by outsourced visa-processing services, bringing the total to R1,975.
Under the new ETA system, the R1,550 outsourced processing charge is replaced by a R500 ETA processing fee, while the R425 visa fee remains unchanged. The total therefore falls to R925, a saving of R1,050 per application.
The department plans to make the ETA compulsory for travellers from participating countries that currently require visas to enter South Africa. For visa-exempt travellers, the system will initially remain optional.
Schreiber said the department expects visa-exempt travellers to adopt the platform because of its faster processing and security benefits.
ETA expansion could reshape South Africa’s visa system
Ramaphosa has said the government intends to expand the ETA to additional countries, with digital processing eventually covering work visas, study visas and other immigration services.
The system is part of Home Affairs’ wider digital transformation programme, aimed at reducing paperwork and speeding up immigration processing.
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For South Africa, the ETA also forms part of efforts to make the country more accessible to international travellers while strengthening border controls.
The introduction of the fee comes as the government seeks to scale the platform beyond its initial pilot phase.
If expanded as planned, the system could eventually become the main digital gateway for travellers seeking to enter South Africa, making the R500 charge a recurring cost for millions of prospective visitors.
For now, however, the fee applies to ETA applications under the participating-country system, with the government expected to announce further countries and categories as the platform expands.
