Is the arrival card mandatory to travel to South Africa?

Yes. Since 1 July 2026, the online Traveller Declaration is mandatory for every traveller entering or leaving South Africa by air, land or sea, including South African citizens and residents.

When should I submit my declaration?

The window is very short: the declaration can be submitted no more than 24 hours before your departure from the country you are travelling from. With Visamundi, you can place your request as soon as your trip is confirmed: we submit it at the right time.

Do children and babies need their own declaration?

Yes. Every passenger, children and infants included, must be covered by a declaration, and the customs status is given traveller by traveller. Several travellers can still be grouped in a single request.

I am only transiting through South Africa. Do I need this document?

No. Air and sea travellers in transit are exempt, provided they do not leave the international transit area.

Is the declaration free?

Yes, the official form of the South African authorities is free. If you hand the process over to Visamundi so you don't have to depend on the 24-hour window, service fees apply.

South Africa: Arrival card

The Traveller Declaration, South Africa's new arrival card

100% online

The declaration is completed online, from a computer or a smartphone, with no visit to any office.

Free

No government fee is charged for the declaration, whatever your nationality.

24 h before departure

The form can only be submitted no more than 24 hours before you leave for South Africa.

Information requested by the Traveller Declaration — The information requested by the official form, as presented by SARS.

Run by SARS (South African Revenue Service), the country's tax and customs authority, the Traveller Declaration has existed as an optional service since 2022. It became mandatory on 1 July 2026 to speed up border crossings.

It brings together in a single form your immigration details (passport, trip, accommodation, purpose of stay) and your customs declaration: goods, currency and bearer negotiable instruments. Once submitted, you receive an electronic confirmation with instructions on what to do when you arrive.

Official name: Traveller Declaration (SARS)
Type of document: Electronic arrival card and customs declaration
Government fees: None
Who needs it: Everyone, children and babies included
Submission window: No more than 24 hours before departure
What you receive: Electronic confirmation sent by email

Who needs to complete the declaration?

The rule is universal: every traveller entering or leaving South Africa by air, land or sea is concerned, whatever the purpose of the trip. It also applies to South African citizens and residents.

The obligation is individual: each passenger must be covered by a declaration, children and infants included. Parents complete the declaration on behalf of their children.

The Traveller Declaration does not replace a visa. French nationals, like other visa-exempt travellers, can stay up to 90 days without a visa, and South Africa's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) remains optional for them. Visa-required nationalities, however, must obtain their ETA or visa in addition to this declaration.

Exemption

Air and sea travellers in transit do not need to complete the declaration, strictly provided they do not leave the international transit area. A paper declaration is only accepted in case of a SARS system failure, no internet connectivity at the port of entry, or a genuine inability to submit online.

Completing the declaration step by step

1
Customs status
The form starts with your customs status: "nothing to declare", or goods and currency to declare to the South African authorities.
Visamundi handles it· €29 incl. VAT
2
Travellers
Several travellers can be added to the same request, but the customs status is given for each of them, children and infants included.
3
Identity and trip
Surname, first name, nationality and passport number, then flight number, arrival date and the full address of your accommodation (hotel, guesthouse or relatives).
4
Purpose of stay
Tourism, business, family visit or study. For business trips, the details of the host company or your employer are mandatory.
5
Goods and currency
If you have something to declare: total amount and currency carried, and the nature and intended use of goods (personal, professional or resale).

Official form: declaration type and mode of travel — Step 1: customs status ("nothing to declare" or "goods to declare"), then mode of travel and passport.

Official form: travel details and travelling companions — Step 2: travel reason, origin, arrival date and adding children or companions.

Official form: currency declaration — If you have currency to declare: instrument type, amount, currency and source of funds.

A 24-hour window only

The declaration can be submitted no more than 24 hours before your departure from the country you are travelling from. It cannot be done earlier. To avoid filling in the form at the last minute, you can place your request with Visamundi whenever you like: our experts submit it at exactly the right time.

Documents to prepare

For each traveller

Valid passportValid for at least 30 days after your intended departure from South Africa, with at least two blank pages.
Flight bookingTo find your exact flight number and arrival dates.
Accommodation bookingHotel, guesthouse or your relatives' address: precise contact details are required.
Customs supporting documents, if you have something to declareBank withdrawal receipts for currency; invoices, proof of origin or professional certificates for goods. You may be asked for them on arrival.

After submission: confirmation and customs

Official form's "nothing to declare" confirmation — By choosing "nothing to declare", you confirm you are not carrying any of these goods, nor more than R100,000 in cash or bearer instruments.

Once your declaration is validated, you receive a confirmation email containing your electronic arrival card and instructions on what to do on arrival. Keep it on your smartphone or print it before you leave.

At the airport or border, this confirmation directs you to the right customs lane: one lane is for travellers with "nothing to declare", another for checking "goods to declare" and currency.

Key takeaways

Key points about the Traveller Declaration

The Traveller Declaration has been mandatory since 1 July 2026 for all travellers, babies included, except those in transit who stay in the international area. It is free and includes the customs declaration. Its only difficulty is timing: it is submitted no more than 24 hours before departure. Have your passport, flight, accommodation and, if relevant, customs documents ready.

Once this formality is done, it's time to travel: Table Mountain in Cape Town, safaris in Kruger National Park, the Garden Route and the vineyards of Stellenbosch await.

Vaccines & health

Required

Certificate required for travellers aged 1 year and over arriving from a country at risk, including airport transits over 12 hours.

Recommended

Year-round in the low-lying north-east: Kruger Park, Limpopo and northern KwaZulu-Natal; highest October to May, take preventive medicine.

Recommended

Recommended for unvaccinated travellers aged 1 year and over.

Recommended

Recommended for unvaccinated travellers, and for long or repeated stays.

Recommended

Dogs and wildlife carry rabies; consider it for long or isolated stays, and for children who walk.

Recommended

For long stays, poor hygiene conditions, or visits to friends and relatives.

Recommended

The CDC recommends it for adults expecting close intimate contact with new partners during the trip.

SourcesCDC USA Institut Pasteur

Information provided for guidance only. Check with an international vaccination centre before departure.

Customs allowances

Alcohol

Aged 18 or over : 2 bottles (2 litres) of wine and 1 bottle (1 litre) of spirits or liquor.
Granted once per 30 days, after an absence of 48 hours or more.

Tobacco

Aged 18 or over : 200 cigarettes and 20 cigars and 250 g of tobacco.
Granted once per 30 days, after an absence of 48 hours or more.

Currency

Rand (ZAR) : up to ZAR 25,000 in and out.
Foreign currency and traveller's cheques : unlimited on entry if amounts over USD 10,000 are declared on arrival.
No limit for travel between South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (common monetary area).
Krugerrands only with prior Reserve Bank approval.

Medicines

Medication other than for personal use is subject to restrictions.

Allowances are given for guidance only and may change. Above these thresholds, a customs declaration is required on arrival.

Get your South Africa arrival card online

Available travel documents

Traveller Declaration (Arrival Card)

The Traveller Declaration, South Africa's new arrival card

Who needs to complete the declaration?

Completing the declaration step by step

Documents to prepare

After submission: confirmation and customs

Key takeaways

Travel advisories for South Africa

Frequently asked questions