South African passport: where you can go visa-free

With a South African passport, you need no visa for 13 of the 40 destinations we check abroad, and only an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) for 1 more. Of the rest, 7 need eVisas you apply for online, 1 needs a visa on arrival and 18 need visas before you travel.

At a glance

13No visa needed
1Visa-free with a travel authorisation (eTA)
1Visa on arrival
7eVisa: apply online before you go
18Visa needed before you travel

South Africa is your own country, so it isn't counted here. Citizens enter on their South African passport.

Visa365 checks 41 destinations: 40 countries and the Schengen Area, which counts as one. It isn't every country in the world, and the stay limits still apply.

Your longest stays without a visa

The longest single stays South African passport holders can make without applying for a visa in advance (no visa needed, or just an eTA), starting with no days used.

Georgia365 days365 days per visit
Costa Ricaup to 180 daysUp to 180 days per visit
Argentina90 days90 days per visit
Brazil90 days90 days per visit and 180 days in any 366 days (both limits apply) · rolling window
Chile90 days90 days per visit
Ecuador90 days90 days in any 366 days · rolling window
Malaysia90 days90 days per visit
Panama90 days90 days per visit
Peruup to 90 daysUp to 90 days per visit and 183 days in any 366 days (both limits apply) · rolling window
Uruguay90 days90 days per visit

Where it says "up to", the officer at the border sets your stay. The officer can give you fewer days; the date on your stamp or entry record is what counts. A rolling limit (such as 90 days in any 180) also caps your time over the window, so leaving and coming back doesn't reset it. See every destination ranked.

Every destination for a South African passport

No visa needed (13)

You can travel there without applying for a visa. The stay limit still applies.

Destination	Stay limit	Notes and source
Argentina	90 days per visit	argentina.gob.ar
Brazil	90 days per visit and 180 days in any 366 days (both limits apply)	The Federal Police can extend a stay, up to 180 days a year (window of 366 days). gov.br
Chile	90 days per visit	Can be extended once by up to 90 days. serviciomigraciones.cl
Costa Rica	Up to 180 days per visit	The officer sets the stay, up to 180 days. migracion.go.cr
Ecuador	90 days in any 366 days	90 days in the year from first entry (counted as 366 days); can be extended once by up to 90 days. gob.ec
Georgia	365 days per visit	Citizens of listed countries may enter and stay for one full year without a visa. geoconsul.gov.ge
Malaysia	90 days per visit	Tourism or business visits; each passport's 90 days confirmed by its foreign ministry or a Malaysian mission (#92). kln.gov.my
Panama	90 days per visit	Allowed stay is 3 months. embassyofpanama.org
Peru	Up to 90 days per visit and 183 days in any 366 days (both limits apply)	The officer sets the days on entry (window of 366 days). consulado.pe
Philippines	30 days per visit	Initial stay; needs a return or onward ticket. losangelespcg.org
Singapore	Length not confirmedLength set by the officer at entry and shown on your e-Pass, emailed after arrival; ICA publishes no fixed number.	ica.gov.sg
Thailand	30 days per visit	Tourism only; entry under this exemption is allowed only twice within a calendar year. tatnews.org
Uruguay	90 days per visit	gub.uy

Visa-free with a travel authorisation (eTA) (1)

No visa, but you need an electronic travel authorisation before you travel.

Destination	Stay limit	Notes and source
South Korea	30 days per visit	k-eta.go.kr

Visa on arrival (1)

You get the visa when you arrive.

Destination	Stay limit	Notes and source
Indonesia	30 days per visit	Single-entry Visitor Visa, bought online in advance or on arrival. evisa.imigrasi.go.id

eVisa: apply online before you go (7)

You apply online for a visa before you go.

Destination	Stay limit	Notes and source
Cambodia	30 days per visit	Single-entry tourist visa, also available on arrival; extendable once. evisa.gov.kh
Egypt	30 days per visit	Single-entry tourist visa for 30 days; US and UK citizens can also buy it on arrival. travel.state.gov
India	30 days per visit	Pre-fill is the 30-day e-Tourist visa (valid 30 days from first arrival). 1- and 5-year e-Tourist visas: up to 90 days per visit, 180 per calendar year. indianvisaonline.gov.in
Japan	Set by your visa	Residents of India or South Africa can get a single-entry tourist eVISA of up to 90 days; others apply at an embassy. mofa.go.jp
Sri Lanka	30 days per visit	Paid tourist ETA with double entry; the 30 days run from first arrival. eta.gov.lk
Türkiye (Turkey)	30 days per visit	One-month single-entry e-Visa; a three-month visa is available from Turkish missions. mfa.gov.tr
Vietnam	90 days per visit	Single or multiple entry; only valid at the entry points chosen when applying. gov.uk

Visa needed before you travel (18)

You need to get a visa before you travel.

Destination	Stay limit	Notes and source
Albania	Set by your visa	A previously used multiple-entry Schengen, EU, US or UK visa or residence permit allows entry without an Albanian visa. punetejashtme.gov.al
Australia	Set by your visa	Visitor visa (subclass 600) needed before travel. immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Set by your visa	A Bosnia and Herzegovina visa is needed before travel. mvp.gov.ba
Canada	Set by your visa	Visitor visa; usually up to 6 months. canada.ca
Colombia	Set by your visa	Visitor (V) visa from a Colombian consulate. cancilleria.gov.co
Cyprus	Set by your visa	A valid double- or multiple-entry Schengen visa also allows up to 90 days in any 180 without a Cyprus visa. gov.cy
Ireland	Set by your visa	An Irish visa is needed; Indian citizens can instead use an eligible UK short-stay visa under the visa waiver or British-Irish Visa Scheme. irishimmigration.ie
Mexico	Set by your visa	Mexican visa, unless you hold a valid visa or permanent residence of the US, Canada, Japan, UK or a Schengen state (residence also Chile, Colombia, Peru). inm.gob.mx
Montenegro	Set by your visa	Holders of a valid Schengen, US, UK, Irish, Canadian, Australian, Japanese or New Zealand visa may stay up to 30 days without a visa. gov.me
Morocco	Set by your visa	Not on Morocco's visa-exempt list; apply at a Moroccan consulate. consulat.ma
New Zealand	Set by your visa	A visitor visa is needed before travel. immigration.govt.nz
North Macedonia	Set by your visa	A valid multiple-entry Schengen, UK, US or Canadian visa allows visa-free stays of up to 15 days per entry. mfa.gov.mk
Schengen Area	90 days in any 180 days	A Schengen short-stay (C) visa is needed and allows at most 90 days in any 180. home-affairs.ec.europa.eu
Serbia	Set by your visa	A valid Schengen, UK, EU or US visa or residence permit allows up to 90 days in six months without a Serbian visa. mfa.gov.rs
Taiwan	Set by your visa	A visitor visa from a Taiwan overseas mission is needed before travel. boca.gov.tw
United Arab Emirates	Set by your visa	A visa is needed before travel. mofa.gov.ae
United Kingdom	Set by your visa	A Standard Visitor visa is needed; visits are usually up to 6 months. gov.uk
United States	Set by your visa	B-2 visitor visa from a U.S. consulate; the officer sets the admission date. dhs.gov

Planning time in Europe

With a South African passport, the answer for the Schengen Area is a visa before you travel, then up to 90 days in any 180 days, and days in all its member states count together. Work out your own dates with the Schengen 90/180 calculator, and see where in Europe you can go when your Schengen days run out.

Digital nomad visas you can apply for

In our checked data, South African passport holders are among those who can apply for digital nomad visas in these 28 countries. Each is a national visa or permit with its own income and other requirements: open the official page before you apply.

AlbaniaOne-year single permit for digital mobile workers, applied for while legally in Albania. mb.gov.al
ArgentinaTransitory residence for 180 days, extendable once by 180; only for visa-exempt nationalities. argentina.gob.ar
BrazilTemporary visa (VITEM XIV) for 1 year, renewable once. gov.br
BulgariaOne-year residence permit, renewable once for one more year; average annual income of at least 50 Bulgarian minimum monthly wages. iisda.government.bg
ColombiaVisa V for digital nomads and remote workers, up to 2 years. cancilleria.gov.co
Costa RicaRemote worker stay of 1 year, renewable once; needs US$3,000 a month from abroad. migracion.go.cr
CroatiaTemporary stay for up to 18 months; a shorter grant can be extended by up to 6 months; needs at least 2.5 times Croatia's average net monthly salary. mup.gov.hr
CyprusResidence permit for 1 year, renewable for 2 more years; capped at 500 permits. gov.cy
EcuadorTemporary residence for remote work, up to 2 years. gob.ec
EstoniaLong-stay D visa for up to 1 year; needs income of at least €4,500 a month (gross) in the 6 months before applying. washington.mfa.ee
GreeceNational visa for up to 12 months, then a 2-year residence permit can be applied for in Greece; income of at least €3,500 a month (net for employees). migration.gov.gr
HungaryWhite Card valid up to 1 year, extendable once for another year; needs net income of at least €3,000 a month for 6 months before entry. oif.gov.hu
IndonesiaE33G remote worker visa: up to 1 year; needs at least US$60,000 a year from a foreign employer. evisa.imigrasi.go.id
ItalyResidence permit issued for 1 year, renewable in Italy; needs yearly income of at least three times the healthcare-contribution exemption level. consnewyork.esteri.it
LatviaLong-stay visa for 1 year; employer or own business must be registered in an OECD country, earning at least 2.5 times Latvia's average gross wage. pmlp.gov.lv
MalaysiaDE Rantau Nomad Pass: 3 to 12 months, renewable for 12 more (24 in total); needs USD 24,000 a year (tech) or USD 60,000 (non-tech). mdec.my
MaltaPermit issued for 1 year, renewable at Residency Malta's discretion; needs gross income of at least €42,000 a year. nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt
MontenegroTemporary residence for up to 2 years, extendable once for up to 2 more years. digitalnomads.gov.me
PanamaShort-stay remote worker visa for 9 months, extendable once by 9; needs foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 a year. migracion.gob.pa
PortugalTemporary stay visa for less than a year, multiple entries; needs average monthly income of at least four times Portugal's minimum wage. vistos.mne.gov.ptResidence permit valid 2 years, renewable for 3-year periods; needs average monthly income of at least four times Portugal's minimum wage. aima.gov.pt
Romania90-day long-stay visa, then a 6-month residence permit that can be extended; income at least 3 times Romania's average gross monthly salary. igi.mai.gov.ro
SloveniaUp to 1 year and cannot be extended; reapply 6 months after expiry; monthly funds at least twice Slovenia's average net monthly salary. gov.si
South KoreaWorkation visa (F-1-D): 1 year, extendable by up to 1 more year. mofa.go.kr
SpainVisa for up to 1 year, then a 3-year residence permit applied for in Spain; needs monthly income of at least 200% of Spain's minimum wage. exteriores.gob.es
Sri Lanka1 year, renewable annually; needs at least USD 2,000 a month remitted to Sri Lanka. immigration.gov.lk
ThailandDestination Thailand Visa: valid 5 years, up to 180 days per entry, extendable once by 180 days. london.thaiembassy.org
United Arab EmiratesVirtual work visa for 1 year, extendable; needs income of at least US$3,500 a month from work outside the UAE. gdrfad.gov.ae
UruguayProvisional identity card for digital nomads, 180 days, renewable once for 180. gub.uy

Compare every digital nomad visa

How these limits are counted

Days per visit: Each stay is counted from the day you arrive until the day you leave. The notes list any extra conditions, such as how often you can enter.
Days in any rolling window: On any day, the days you've spent there in the window up to that day must not go over the limit. Older days drop out as the window moves forward, so your days left change as you travel. Some countries count the period from your first entry instead; the notes say when.
90 days in any 180 days: On any day, look back over the last 180 days: you can have spent at most 90 of them in the Schengen Area. All 29 Schengen states count together as one area.

How days are counted. Visa365 counts any part of a day as a full day, so the day you travel counts for both countries. That way it leans towards counting more days, not fewer. Official rules can count differently, so check each country's sources.

Questions

How many countries can South African passport holders visit without a visa?

Of the 40 destinations we check abroad (39 countries and the Schengen Area, which counts as one), you need no visa for 13. In 1 more you need no visa but an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) before you travel: South Korea. This covers only the destinations we check, not every country in the world, and stay limits still apply. Always check the official source before you travel.

Where can South African passport holders stay the longest without a visa?

Of the destinations we check, the longest single stays without applying for a visa in advance are: Georgia (no visa, 365 days per visit), Costa Rica (no visa, up to 180 days per visit), Argentina (no visa, 90 days per visit), Brazil (no visa, 90 days per visit and 180 days in any 366 days (both limits apply)), Chile (no visa, 90 days per visit), Ecuador (no visa, 90 days in any 366 days), Malaysia (no visa, 90 days per visit), Panama (no visa, 90 days per visit), Peru (no visa, up to 90 days per visit and 183 days in any 366 days (both limits apply)) and Uruguay (no visa, 90 days per visit). Where it says "up to", the officer can give you fewer days. A rolling limit also caps repeat visits, so check how each one is counted.

How long can South African passport holders stay in the Schengen Area?

With a South African passport, the answer is a visa before you travel, then up to 90 days in any 180 days. A Schengen short-stay (C) visa is needed and allows at most 90 days in any 180. Official source: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy_en

Where do South African passport holders need a visa?

Of the destinations we check, you need a visa before you travel for Albania, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Colombia, Cyprus, Ireland, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, the Schengen Area, Serbia, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States; an eVisa (applied for online) for Cambodia, Egypt, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Türkiye (Turkey) and Vietnam; and a visa on arrival for Indonesia. Each country page has the details and the official source.

Which digital nomad visas can South African passport holders apply for?

South African passport holders are among those who can apply in 28 countries in our checked data: Albania, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Ecuador, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Latvia, Malaysia, Malta, Montenegro, Panama, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay. Each is a national visa or permit with its own income and other requirements, so check its official page before you apply.

Other passports

Compare all 44 passports or pick a passport and sort every destination.

This page is general information to help you plan, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Rules change and depend on your passport and circumstances: always check the official sources linked here before you travel.