International Travel Information

• South African passport holders with a valid UAE visa are allowed entry into Dubai for both business and leisure purposes.
• If Dubai is your final destination, you must take a negative COVID‑19 PCR test 96 hours before departure and bring the certificate to check‑in.
• Only official and printed PCR test certificates will be accepted. Other test certificates including antibody tests and home testing kits are not accepted in Dubai. Test certificates must be obtained from an approved laboratory.
• Certificates may be in English or Arabic. SMS and digital certificates are not accepted. Without a printed negative PCR test certificate, you will not be accepted onto the flight.
• Complete the Health Declaration form prior to arrival at the airport and give it to the check-in staff.
• If Dubai is your final destination, you will need to complete the quarantine undertaking form given to you on board. Give this form to the Dubai Health Authority staff on arrival in Dubai.
• You may need to take another COVID‑19 PCR test on arrival. If you take a test at the airport, you must remain in your hotel or residence until you receive the test result.
• If the test result is positive, you will be required to undergo isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines.
• You must also download the COVID19 – DXB Smart App (available on iOS and Android).

Stay updated on Dubai’s entry requirements

• Visas are required for South Africans​
• For visa applications and requirements please visit the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Pretoria on the Embassy's Facebook page. Click here for more info.
• South Africans are allowed into Egypt for leisure.
• Passengers will be refused entry if not holding a certificate of a negative PCR test result tested no more than 72 hours before departing for Egypt.
• The test certificate must be presented in a printed copy - digital format of the test certificate will not be accepted.
• Confirmation letters stating that the passenger has been tested are not accepted.
• The PCR test must be issued by an authorized accredited laboratory and stamped with the laboratory ‘s stamp.
• The test certificate is accepted in Arabic or English language.
• A Health Declaration form should be available on all the international flights and must be completed by the passenger before boarding the flight (at the departure airport) and to be delivered to the Quarantine Authorities upon arrival.
• Passengers must also hold a hard copy of the completed Health Declaration Form. A form in digital format will not be accepted.
• Passengers with any symptoms of Covid-19 or whose temperature is 38°C or above will be refused boarding.

• Passengers are not permitted to travel if they do not hold a "Travel Certificate for access to French territory" (Attestation de déplacement dérogatoire et justificatif de déplacement professionnel) detailing their travel plans, and a sworn statement that they do not have Covid-19.
• This travel certificate and the statement can be obtained online prior to travel.
• All travellers to France must also complete a travel certificate and carry it at all times during their journey. This does not apply to passengers with proof of regular residence in Lebanon.
• Passengers aged 11 years or older who are not holding the result of a biological examination of virological screening (PCR, LAMP or antigenic test) carried out less than 72 hours before the flight proving that they are free of Covid-19, will be invited to be examined on arrival at the airport.
• Travellers going to France are recommended to bring a negative Covid-19 test result (PCR test) taken less than 72 hours before the flight, to present upon arrival in France. Otherwise, a free Covid-19 test can be done upon arrival. This does not affect passengers in transit to outside France.

South Africans visiting Kenya for 30 days or less do not require a visa.

Requirements to enter Kenya:

• Negative COVID-19 test certificate is mandatory for boarding. Test certificates should be granted within 72 hours of the flight departure date.
• The negative COVID-19 test must be a negative PCR test result.
• Travellers arriving from South Africa are not required to enter mandatory quarantine for 14 days, as long as they have a negative COVID-19 test.
• Guests are required to present COVID-19 test certificates and declaration documents on arrival in Kenya.
• Passengers must hold a QR code showing they have completed a Travellers Health Surveillance Form online prior to departure.
• Passengers are required to fill in a Passenger Locator Form during their flight to Kenya.
• All travellers will be screened on arrival; anyone displaying symptoms of COVID-19 will be required to quarantine in the place they are staying for the first 14 days of their stay and observe the Government of Kenya protocols as directed.

• South African passport holders arriving from South Africa are not permitted entry into Germany unless under exceptional or urgent circumstances.
• All passengers arriving into Germany must complete a printed passenger locator card (Aussteigekarte).
• A COVID-19 test on arrival in Germany is mandatory for all passengers at a cost of EU50 per person.
• Travellers must self-isolate until the negative result comes through 24 hours later.
• If negative, you are free to move around.
• Passengers who already hold a negative COVID-19 test certificate obtained within 48 hours prior to arrival in Germany will not have to quarantine while awaiting their results.

Stay updated on Germany’s entry requirements

South African passport holders do not require a visa if staying for less than 30 days.

Entry requirements:

• Passengers travelling to the Maldives must hold a negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate obtained within 96 hours prior to departure.
• Passengers travelling to the Maldives must hold travel insurance.
• Passengers must complete the Traveller Health Declaration form within 24 hours before travelling to the Maldives, and are also advised to download the TraceEkee app onto their phone.

Tourists are NOT required to quarantine on arrival for 14 days​.

• All passengers (including children and infants) travelling to Mauritius for the month of October 2020 must possess the following documents:
• A certificate of a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken not more than 7 days before departure
• A valid air ticket to Mauritius
• Proof of purchase of a travel package, including accommodation, on a full-board basis, at a designated hotel for a mandatory 14 day in-room quarantine
• All passengers arriving into Mauritius will have to undergo PCR tests on the day of arrival, day 7 and day 14 following their arrival
• If a PCR test reveals that a person is COVID-19 positive, he/she will be taken to a public medical institution for treatment.

• ALL travellers (including tourists, business travellers and all Namibian citizens and Permit Holders) who arrive in Namibia with a negative PCR test result not older than 72 hours, will be permitted to proceed to their final destination in the country.
• No quarantine is necessary upon presentation of a negative PCR test. The previous mandatory 5-day retest is no longer needed.
• Returning Namibian citizens or Permit Holders may enter the country with or without a COVID-19 PCR test result. In the event that these travellers present a positive test result or no result at all, they will be subjected to mandatory quarantine and testing or isolation, after arrival. This provision shall also apply to aircraft and marine vessel crew members, humanitarian aid workers, essential service providers, as well as operators and drivers of cross-border transport vehicles who arrive in the country without the requisite test.
• All travellers who arrive in Namibia with a negative PCR test result that is older than 72 hours but not older than 7 days, will be permitted to enter the country. However, they will be required to undergo 7 days of supervised quarantine at home or tourism facility. In the event that these environments do not fulfil quarantine requirements, the travellers will be placed under mandatory Government quarantine facilities at their own cost.
• Non-Namibians, who do not present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result, will not be granted entry into the country.

Passengers are currently not permitted to enter the Netherlands for leisure tourism purposes.

The following passengers are allowed entry into the Netherlands:

• - nationals and residents of the European Union, the Schengen Area, and the United Kingdom and their family members
• - residents of Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay
• - passengers who are essential personnel or highly qualified workers whose work cannot be performed abroad
• - diplomats
• - staff of international organisations
• - passengers travelling for emergency family situations
• - partners of a national of a European Union or Schengen Area member state residing in the Netherlands, provided they are holding a completed Declaration of relationship for COVID-19 entry ban exemption form
• - passengers travelling for humanitarian reasons
• - seamen
• - seasonal workers for agriculture
• - passengers travelling for the purpose of study
• - elite athletes and their support staff
• - cultural professionals
• - journalists and researchers
• - passengers travelling for business

• Passengers traveling to and from the Netherlands are required to submit a health declaration during the check-in process.Passengers should quarantine for 10 days on arrival in the Netherlands.
  • This does not apply to crew members, transit passengers, healthcare professionals, frontier workers, transport personnel, diplomats or staff of international organisations, military personnel, humanitarian aid workers and passengers travelling for imperative family reasons.
• Travellers to the Netherlands are required by the Dutch government to do a health screening. During check-in, customers will receive a health statement to read and acknowledge. Furthermore, travellers need to complete a health screening form that they have to bring when traveling.

• All travellers entering Nigeria must have tested negative for COVID-19 in the country of departure before boarding their flight.
• The PCR test MUST be within 120 hours before departure and preferably within 72 hours pre-boarding.
• For certain countries, COVID-19 PCR tests will only be acceptable from specified laboratories.
• All passengers who intend to arrive in Nigeria are required to register via the online Nigerian International Travel Portal.

On this portal three transactions should be completed:

1. Complete Online Health Declaration/Self Reporting Form.
2. Upload your negative COVID-19 PCR test results conducted in the country of departure.
3. Payment for a repeat (second) PCR test is to be done upon arrival in Nigeria.
4. On completion, an Access Report containing a QR Code will be sent to the email address provided by the passenger.
5. Print out or download an electronic copy of this Access Report for presentation before boarding. If this is not provided, passengers may not be allowed to board a flight to Nigeria.
6. Passengers must fill out the National Health Declaration Form online and present it on arrival.
7. On arrival, passengers must self-isolate for 7 days.
8. Passengers are allowed to exit self-isolation on day 8, provided they have a negative COVID-19 test result.

• On completion, an Access Report containing a QR Code will be sent to the email address provided by the passenger.
• Print out or download an electronic copy of this Access Report for presentation before boarding. If this is not provided, passengers may not be allowed to board a flight to Nigeria.
• Passengers must fill out the National Health Declaration Form online and present it on arrival.
• On arrival, passengers must self-isolate for 7 days.
• Passengers are allowed to exit self-isolation on day 8, provided they have a negative COVID-19 test result.

On entry into Nigeria-please see this site for guidelines.

Seychelles is visa-free for South African passport holders for a stay up to 30 days.

• No quarantine needed on arrival
• Visitors, including infants and children, must have a negative COVID-19 PCR certificate from an accredited laboratory. The test must be taken a maximum of 72 hours before departure from South Africa to Seychelles
• Visitors must submit their negative PCR test results, flight and accommodation details before departure for approval through this link as health travel authorisation is required
• This can only be done after they have received their PCR test results.
• Travellers must save and print out approval.
• Visitors must ensure that accommodation bookings are made only at licensed establishments or liveaboards that have been certified by the Public Health Authority. Refer to the list of certified accommodation category 1.
• Booking vouchers reflecting the entire duration of stay in Seychelles must be presented at the Immigration counter for verification. Visitors without such a booking will be directed to another establishment that is certified.
• Visitors must ensure that they have valid travel insurance with full medical coverage, including COVID-19 related medical care, for the duration of their stay in Seychelles.
• PCR test facilities are available on the 3 main islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue to visitors prior to departure. Visitors requiring the test should contact the Public Health Authority well in advance at covid19test@health.gov.sc or telephone +248 4388410 to make the necessary arrangements. The PCR test currently costs SCR2, 500. Children below the age of 12 years and persons of 65 years and above are exempted from the fee. All PCR tests administered in Seychelles are accredited by the Ministry of Health.

South African passport holders can apply for a FREE online visa here.

• No quarantine needed on arrival
• No PCR test needed to enter Turkey from South Africa.

South African passport holders do not need a visa to enter Zanzibar.

• No quarantine needed on arrival.
• No PCR test needed on arrival to enter Zanzibar.
• Passengers are required to complete a Traveller Surveillance Form on their flights travelling to Tanzania.

• Passengers travelling to Zimbabwe from South Africa must hold a negative PCR COVID-19 test certificate obtained not more than 48 hours prior to departure. The test must be printed out, stamped and signed, not to be displayed on mobile screens.
• Travellers must complete a Health Questionnaire which will be provided inflight.
• All travellers will be screened upon arrival at the airport in Zimbabwe. If you are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 you will be required to quarantine and adhere to any additional directives from therelevant health authority.

• South African passport holders with a valid visa are allowed entry into the UK.
• Passengers must quarantine for 14 days on arrival in England if they have been in a country not listed on this page in the last 14 days.
• Travellers must self-isolate if they visited or made a transit stop in a country, territory or region that is not on the list in the 14 days before arriving in England.
• There are different self-isolation rules and penalties if you’re travelling to Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland.
• Complete a Public Passenger Locator Form before landing in the UK.
• No PCR test is required on arrival unless flying on Emirates or Etihad.

Stay updated on the UK’s entry requirements

International travel is now open to anyone wishing to travel to South Africa for business or leisure purposes. There is longer a red list of countries. Please note that health and safety protocols do apply upon entry into South Africa.

For local travel, you do not need to go through Port Health screening. If you are travelling within South Africa, you no longer need to submit any health documents.

The requirement for travel insurance applies to foreign national travellers. South Africans without travel insurance will not be denied entry, however you are strongly advised to take out a comprehensive insurance cover for peace of mind.

South African authorities do not require you to have a test when departing South Africa, unless it is required by the country you are travelling to. However, should you exhibit symptoms during screening, you will be denied boarding.

Testing may be conducted at various international airports so make sure you have the required documents for your destination. Some countries require a negative PCR test when transiting through airports.

You can access over 200 testing sites across the country. Please visit Pathcare, Lancet and Ampath for a list of sites per province.

The cost for a Covid-19 test is R850 and results take 48-72 hours to process.