Where can South Africa passport holders live?

As of 2026, a South Africa passport lets you enter 93 countries without applying for a visa — 60 visa-free and 33 with a visa issued on arrival. Another 34 only ask for a quick eVisa or eTA online. For longer stays, 9 countries let South Africa citizens stay more than 90 days without any visa.

Updated July 2026 · Source: Passport Index open dataset · See it on the interactive map →

Visa-free (just show up)	60
Visa on arrival (at the airport)	33
eVisa / eTA (quick online form)	34
Stay beyond 90 days, no visa	9
Embassy visa needed	71

Stay beyond 90 days, no visa (9)

Antigua and Barbuda (180 days), Barbados (180 days), Costa Rica (180 days), Dominica (180 days), El Salvador (180 days), Fiji (120 days), Georgia (360 days), Peru (180 days), Vanuatu (120 days)

Visa-free (60)

Angola (30 days), Antigua and Barbuda (180 days), Argentina (90 days), Bahamas (90 days), Barbados (180 days), Belize, Benin (90 days), Botswana (90 days), Brazil (90 days), Chile (90 days), Costa Rica (180 days), Dominica (180 days), Dominican Republic, Ecuador (90 days), El Salvador (180 days), Fiji (120 days), Gabon (30 days), Gambia (90 days), Georgia (360 days), Ghana (90 days), Grenada (90 days), Guatemala (90 days), Guyana (30 days), Haiti (90 days), Honduras (90 days), Hong Kong (30 days), Israel (90 days), Jamaica, Kiribati (90 days), Lesotho, Macao (30 days), Malawi (90 days), Malaysia (90 days), Mauritius (90 days), Micronesia (30 days), Mozambique, Namibia (90 days), Nicaragua (90 days), Palestine, Panama (90 days), Paraguay (90 days), Peru (180 days), Philippines (30 days), Russia (90 days), Rwanda (30 days), Saint Kitts and Nevis (90 days), Saint Lucia (42 days), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (90 days), Seychelles (90 days), Singapore (30 days), Swaziland (30 days), Tanzania (90 days), Thailand (60 days), Trinidad and Tobago (90 days), Tunisia (90 days), Uruguay (90 days), Vanuatu (120 days), Venezuela (90 days), Zambia (90 days), Zimbabwe (90 days)

Visa on arrival (33)

Armenia, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Qatar, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu

Quick online form first (eVisa / eTA) (34)

Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Cuba, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, India, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, South Korea, South Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Togo, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam

Embassy visa needed (71)

Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Congo, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Yemen

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Frequently asked questions

How many countries can South Africa citizens visit without a visa?

South Africa passport holders can visit 93 countries without applying for a visa in advance: 60 are fully visa-free and 33 issue a visa on arrival. 34 more require only an online eVisa or eTA.

Where can South Africa citizens stay for more than 90 days without a visa?

9 countries allow South Africa citizens to stay more than 90 days visa-free, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, Georgia, Peru, Vanuatu.

Can South Africa citizens move to Europe permanently?

Staying past the tourist window requires a residence visa. Popular routes include digital-nomad, passive-income, student and work visas in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Ireland, France and the UK. Residently builds your exact document checklist and checks every document against the official rules before you file.

Want to stay somewhere for good?Any stay past the tourist window needs a residence visa. For Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Ireland, France and the UK, Residently builds your exact document checklist and checks every document against the official rules — free to start.

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