Passport guide · South African

South African passport: 98 visa-free destinations

Holders of a South Africa passport have easy entry to 98 countries — 60 visa-free and 38 with visa on arrival. Below is the full, sourced list plus e-visa and visa-required countries.

60visa-free
38visa on arrival
29e-visa
71visa required

Visa-free destinations

Countries a South African passport holder can enter without arranging any visa in advance. Day-limit shown where available.

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

Visa on arrival

Visa issued at the border — typically quick, fee-paid, and no embassy visit required. Still bring passport photos, proof of onward travel, and hotel bookings.

  • Armenia
    Visa on arrival
  • Bolivia
    Visa on arrival
  • Burundi
    Visa on arrival
  • Cambodia
    Visa on arrival
  • Cape Verde
    Visa on arrival
  • Comoros
    Visa on arrival
  • Djibouti
    Visa on arrival
  • Egypt
    Visa on arrival
  • Ethiopia
    Visa on arrival
  • Guinea-Bissau
    Visa on arrival
  • Indonesia
    Visa on arrival
  • Iran
    Visa on arrival
  • Ivory Coast
    Visa on arrival
  • Jordan
    Visa on arrival
  • Kenya
    Visa on arrival
  • Kyrgyzstan
    Visa on arrival
  • Laos
    Visa on arrival
  • Madagascar
    Visa on arrival
  • Maldives
    Visa on arrival
  • Marshall Islands
    Visa on arrival
  • Mauritania
    Visa on arrival
  • Nepal
    Visa on arrival
  • Nigeria
    Visa on arrival
  • Oman
    Visa on arrival
  • Pakistan
    Visa on arrival
  • Palau
    Visa on arrival
  • Papua New Guinea
    Visa on arrival
  • Qatar
    Visa on arrival
  • Samoa
    Visa on arrival
  • Saudi Arabia
    Visa on arrival
  • Senegal
    Visa on arrival
  • Sierra Leone
    Visa on arrival
  • Somalia
    Visa on arrival
  • South Korea
    Visa on arrival
  • Sri Lanka
    Visa on arrival
  • Tajikistan
    Visa on arrival
  • Timor-Leste
    Visa on arrival
  • Tuvalu
    Visa on arrival

e-Visa destinations

Apply online before you travel. Usually approved within a few days, cheaper and faster than an embassy visa.

  • Albania
    e-Visa
  • Australia
    e-Visa
  • Azerbaijan
    e-Visa
  • Bahrain
    e-Visa
  • Bhutan
    e-Visa
  • Burkina Faso
    e-Visa
  • Cameroon
    e-Visa
  • Colombia
    e-Visa
  • Cuba
    e-Visa
  • DR Congo
    e-Visa
  • Equatorial Guinea
    e-Visa
  • Guinea
    e-Visa
  • India
    e-Visa
  • Iraq
    e-Visa
  • Japan
    e-Visa
  • Kazakhstan
    e-Visa
  • Libya
    e-Visa
  • Moldova
    e-Visa
  • Mongolia
    e-Visa
  • Myanmar
    e-Visa
  • Sao Tome and Principe
    e-Visa
  • South Sudan
    e-Visa
  • Suriname
    e-Visa
  • Syria
    e-Visa
  • Togo
    e-Visa
  • Turkey
    e-Visa
  • Uganda
    e-Visa
  • United Arab Emirates
    e-Visa
  • Vietnam
    e-Visa

Visa required — 71 destinations

embassy visa needed · click to expand

These destinations require a full visa from an embassy or consulate in advance. Entries marked have been re-verified against an official government source.

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

Expand your access with a residence permit

If your South African passport has limited reach, a residence permit can unlock many additional destinations. Pairing your passport with one of the permits below typically adds 5–15 new visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries:

Frequently asked questions

How many countries can South African passport holders visit visa-free?
South African passport holders have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 98 countries — 60 visa-free and 38 visa-on-arrival. Notable visa-free destinations include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados.
Is the South African passport strong?
The South African passport is moderately powerful, covering 98 destinations for easy entry. Pairing it with a residence permit (UAE, Schengen, US Green Card) significantly expands access.
Do I need an ETA or e-visa for some countries?
Yes. 29 destinations require an e-visa (online application before arrival) for South African passport holders. These are typically quicker than embassy visas but still need to be arranged before travel.
Which countries require a full visa in advance?
71 countries require South African passport holders to obtain a visa from an embassy before travelling. Check the destination embassy's website for specific requirements and processing times.
Can a residence permit or second visa unlock extra countries?
Yes — several residence permits grant bonus visa-free access regardless of your South African passport. See our guides for UAE residence, US Green Card, and Schengen residence permit to learn which countries unlock for each.
How accurate is this list?
Entries marked with a badge have been re-verified against an official government source (embassy, ministry, or visa portal) and link to that source. Entries without the badge come from the community-maintained open-source Passport Index Dataset — a reasonable starting point but not individually verified. Rules change frequently. Always confirm with the destination embassy before booking travel.