Where can you go on a South Africa passport?

The South African passport requires visas for many major Western destinations including the United States, Canada, Australia, and most of the European Union (Schengen — Annex I), but offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to the United Kingdom (90 days), most of Africa under SADC and ECOWAS arrangements, and parts of Latin America and Southeast Asia. South African passport holders are heavily represented in UK Skilled Worker, Canada Express Entry, and Australia Subclass 482 employer-sponsored migration. Bilateral working-holiday agreements include Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland.

About travel from South Africa

Visa requirements for South Africa passport holders vary by destination, purpose, and policies that change without notice. We pull from official government sources where possible — embassy and ministry-of-foreign-affairs pages — and surface the date we last verified each requirement, plus a direct link to the primary source on every answer.

For each destination, you'll find tourist, business, transit, work, study, partner/family and diplomatic visa routes (where applicable). Each shows the visa type, maximum stay, typical cost, processing time, and the official application URL.

Important: a valid visa permits entry subject to officer discretion at the border. Always verify with the destination's embassy or consulate before booking travel, accepting employment, or making relocation plans — particularly for long-stay routes (work, study, family) where the consequences of incorrect information are severe.