Visa · South Africa
South Africa visa
A physical sticker pasted into your passport. The passport is submitted to a visa centre and returned — so plan around the days it is out of your hands.
Read this first
South Africa issues Indian nationals a sticker visa through VFS Global; there is no visa on arrival. Processing is normally ten to fifteen working days but stretches in the June school-holiday rush, so we file a month before departure. Watch the transit rule: an itinerary connecting through Nairobi or Addis Ababa may trigger the yellow fever certificate requirement even though South Africa itself does not, and airlines check it at boarding.
Visa at a glance
- Visa type
- Sticker visa
- Entry
- Single entry
- Stay up to
- 30 days
- Processing
- 15 working days
What actually happens
The processing timeline
- 1
Day 0
Documents in
You send us the checklist below. We check every page before anything is submitted — a rejected file usually fails on formatting, not on merit.
- 2
Day 1
Filed at the visa centre
Your passport goes to the centre and stays there until the decision. Do not book anything that needs the physical passport during this window.
- 3
Days 1–15
Under assessment
Working days only, and the destination’s public holidays do not count. Peak season adds to this — plan for longer, not shorter.
- 4
Day 15
Outcome to you
The passport comes back with the sticker inside. We check the spelling, the dates and the entry type before it reaches you.
Tick them off
Documents you need
Work through this list before you send anything. Most refusals are a missing page or a mismatched name, not a rejected traveller.
0 of 6 ready
Common questions
Is the South Africa fee shown here guaranteed?
No. It is a researched, current estimate. Consular fees move with exchange rates and with policy notices published at short notice, and Dreamvacaa confirms the exact payable amount in writing before filing.
How long does the South Africa visa take?
15 working days is the current published guide. Add a week of buffer, and two in peak season.
How long can I stay?
Up to 30 days, on a single entry. The permitted stay is what the immigration stamp says, not what your ticket says.