South Africa is proposing a new ZAR 500 ($30) processing fee for travellers applying for its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), as the country continues expanding its digital border management system.
- +South Africa plans new $30 travel permit fee for visitors
The proposed fee, published by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs, is currently open for public consultation until August 11, 2026.
The proposed fee, published by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs, is currently open for public consultation until August 11, 2026. If approved, it will take effect from August 17, 2026, adding a fixed processing charge for eligible travellers applying for the online travel permit.
The development is expected to affect foreign nationals, including Nigerians, who require travel authorization for short-term visits to South Africa.
Under the proposed regulations, applicants will pay ZAR 500 to obtain an ETA, which allows multiple entries into South Africa for tourism and business purposes.
For now, ETA holders can enter South Africa through OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, Cape Town International Airport, and Lanseria International Airport.
The proposed ETA fee comes as South Africa continues to tighten its immigration system while grappling with heightened tensions over undocumented migration and xenophobic violence.
During bilateral talks in Abuja, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, said anti-immigrant violence had become a recurring problem, citing multiple outbreaks since 1995 and noting that dozens of Nigerians had lost their lives in recent years.
