The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has implemented its R500 fee for processing the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for foreign trips.
The fee was proposed in July 2026 by the DHA Minister Leon Schreiber, who explained that the fees were necessary to support the ETA platform, which launched as a pilot back in October 2025.
The system officially went live last week and has been made available to nationals of participating countries. The ETA is part of the DHA’s digital transformation programme, reported BusinessTech.
Schreiber said that the ETA fees had previously been waived and that the R500 fee would make the platform cost-effective.
The ETA allows travellers to apply for visas and have them processed within 24 hours. President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the new system with the ETA at O.R. Tambo International Airport on 12 August.
The president said the government will expand the system over time to include more countries and additional services like work visas and study visas.
Now that the ETA has been launched and its online payment capabilities are in place, the once fully subsidised programme will start charging a fee for visa applications.
Schreiber noted that, in the next phase of the ETA rollout, it will become compulsory for travellers from non-visa-exempt countries included on the platform.
Initially, it will be optional for travellers from visa-exempt countries, explained the minister.
“However, notwithstanding the optional nature of the platform for visa-exempt travellers, the Department anticipates fast uptake of this new system from visa-exempt travellers, given the significant improvements in efficiency and security it delivers,” he said.
Despite the new R500 fee, Schreiber said that travellers would actually save money overall as the ETA processing is an in-sourced feature.
In contrast, outsourcing the service would accumulate fees of up to R1,500 which, combined with the R425 visa fee, would result in a total payment of R1,925.
Under the new system, travellers pay R425 for the visa and R500 for the ETA processing fee, resulting in a lower total of R925.
What you’ll pay for a visa under South Africa’s new travel rules
| Application | Section of the Act | Amount (R) |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic processing fee (applicable to the ETA) | 7(1)(i) | R500.00 |
| Certificate to enter or depart from the Republic at a place other than a port of entry | 9(3)(b) | R425.00 |
| Port of entry visa* | 10A | R425.00 |
| Transit visa* | 10B | R425.00 |
| Visitor’s visa* | 11 | R425.00 |
| Study visa* | 13 | R425.00 |
| Treaty visa* | 14 | R425.00 |
| Business visa* | 15 | R1,520.00 |
| Medical treatment visa* | 17 | R425.00 |
| Relatives visa* | 18 | R425.00 |
| Work visa* | 19 | R1,520.00 |
| Retired person visa* | 20 | R425.00 |
| Corporate visa* | 21 | R1,520.00 |
| Exchange visa* | 22 | R425.00 |
| Permanent residence permit (excluding applications by a foreigner contemplated in sections 26(b), 26(c) and 27(d) of the Act) | 25 | R1,520.00 |
| Proof of permanent residency | 7(1)(i) | R100.00 |
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