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ABROAD MOBILITY

South Africa Passport:
Visa-Free Countries & Entry Rules

Abroad Travel Guide – 126 destinations open to South Africa passport holders without a visa arranged in advance.

South Africa passport holders can currently enter 64 destinations visa-free (including simple eTA authorisations), receive a visa on arrival in 33 countries and apply online for an e-Visa in 29. An embassy visa is still required for 71 destinations. The full breakdown by category is below, based on our dataset dated 2026-10-26. Select another passport to compare, and wherever a second citizenship or residency could strengthen your passport, we will show you the way.

How It Works

Select the passport you actually travel with – your citizenship, or the country of your current residence permit. Your passport check will instantly sort every destination into five entry categories. Countries marked with the green icon have citizenship or residency programs available through Abroad Mobility.

126Countries you can travel to
without arranging
a visa in advance
64
Visa-free
Angola30 days
Antigua and Barbuda180 daysPrograms
Argentina90 daysPrograms
Bahamas90 daysPrograms
Barbados180 days
Belize
Benin90 days
Botswana90 days
Brazil90 daysPrograms
Chile90 daysPrograms
Costa Rica180 daysPrograms
Dominica180 daysPrograms
Dominican RepublicPrograms
Ecuador90 daysPrograms
El Salvador180 daysPrograms
Fiji120 daysPrograms
Gabon30 days
Gambia90 days
Georgia360 daysPrograms
Ghana90 days
Grenada90 daysPrograms
Guatemala90 days
Guyana30 days
Haiti90 days
Honduras90 daysPrograms
Hong Kong30 daysPrograms
Israel90 days
Ivory CoasteTA
Jamaica
KenyaeTAPrograms
Kiribati90 days
Lesotho
Macao30 days
Malawi90 days
Malaysia90 days
Mauritius90 daysPrograms
Micronesia30 days
Mozambique
Namibia90 daysPrograms
Nicaragua90 daysPrograms
PakistaneTAPrograms
Panama90 daysPrograms
Papua New GuineaeTA
Paraguay90 daysPrograms
Peru180 days
Philippines30 daysPrograms
Russia90 daysPrograms
Rwanda30 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis90 daysPrograms
Saint Lucia42 daysPrograms
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines90 days
Seychelles90 daysPrograms
Singapore30 daysPrograms
South KoreaeTAPrograms
Swaziland30 days
Tanzania90 days
Thailand30 days
Trinidad and Tobago90 days
Tunisia90 days
Uruguay90 daysPrograms
Vanuatu120 daysPrograms
Venezuela90 daysPrograms
Zambia90 days
Zimbabwe90 days

Enter with just your passport, no visa needed. Some destinations require a simple electronic travel authorization (eTA). Permitted stay length is shown for each country.

33
Visa on arrival
ArmeniaPrograms
Bolivia
Burundi
CambodiaPrograms
Cape VerdePrograms
Comoros
Djibouti
EgyptPrograms
Ethiopia
Guinea-Bissau
Indonesia
Iran
JordanPrograms
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Madagascar
Maldives
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Nepal
Nigeria
Oman
Palau
Qatar
SamoaPrograms
Saudi ArabiaPrograms
Senegal
Sierra LeonePrograms
Somalia
Sri Lanka
Tajikistan
Timor-Leste
Tuvalu

A visa is issued when you land, usually a short form and a fee right at the border. Check the fee and permitted stay before you fly.

29
e-Visa
Albania
AustraliaPrograms
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bhutan
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
ColombiaPrograms
Cuba
DR Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Guinea
India
Iraq
JapanPrograms
Kazakhstan
Libya
Moldova
Mongolia
Myanmar
Sao Tome and PrincipePrograms
South Sudan
Suriname
Syria
Togo
TurkeyPrograms
Uganda
United Arab EmiratesPrograms
Vietnam

Apply online before you travel; approval usually arrives within a few days by email. No embassy visit needed, you land with the document ready.

71
Visa required
Afghanistan
Algeria
Andorra
AustriaPrograms
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brunei
BulgariaPrograms
CanadaPrograms
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Congo
Croatia
CyprusPrograms
Czech Republic
Denmark
Eritrea
Estonia
Finland
FrancePrograms
GermanyPrograms
GreecePrograms
HungaryPrograms
Iceland
IrelandPrograms
ItalyPrograms
Kosovo
Kuwait
LatviaPrograms
Lebanon
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
LuxembourgPrograms
Mali
MaltaPrograms
MexicoPrograms
MonacoPrograms
MontenegroPrograms
Morocco
NauruPrograms
NetherlandsPrograms
New ZealandPrograms
Niger
North Korea
North MacedoniaPrograms
Norway
Poland
PortugalPrograms
Romania
San Marino
SerbiaPrograms
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
SpainPrograms
Sudan
Sweden
Switzerland
TaiwanPrograms
Tonga
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United KingdomPrograms
United StatesPrograms
UzbekistanPrograms
Vatican
Yemen

A visa must be obtained before travelling, via an embassy or consulate of the destination country.

0
No entry

No destinations in this category.

Entry is currently not permitted for holders of this passport. Rules change; always verify before planning a trip.

Data basis: aggregated open dataset, progressively verified against official government sources (weekly review). Visa rules change frequently and may depend on your residence, travel purpose and documents; always confirm the requirements for your specific trip before travelling. Dataset date: 2026-10-26.

About the South Africa Passport

#36Passport rank
126Mobility score
64Visa-free
64%Of world destinations

The South Africa passport ranks 36th, a mid-table position. Holders can travel to 64 destinations visa-free, and adding eTA, visa on arrival and e-Visa access lifts total mobility to 126.

Africa is the strongest region with 20 visa-free destinations, and Europe is the weakest with only one. Singapore and Brazil admit South Africans without a visa, while Japan, Australia and the United Arab Emirates offer e-Visas. France and the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and China all require a visa arranged beforehand. That leaves the main Western markets and China behind an application process. Africa remains the easiest region to move through, and the Americas are also reasonably open. Travelers who need frictionless access to those places may look further afield, and a second citizenship such as Malta Citizenship by Merit could add up to 56 destinations.

Visa-Free Access by Region

South Africa passport holders can enter 64 destinations visa-free or with a simple eTA. Destinations with a green outline have residency or citizenship programs you can explore.

Europe 1

Russia

Asia 10

GeorgiaHong KongIsraelMacaoMalaysiaPakistaneTAPhilippinesSingaporeSouth KoreaeTAThailand

Africa 20

AngolaBeninBotswanaGabonGambiaGhanaIvory CoasteTAKenyaeTALesothoMalawiMauritiusMozambiqueNamibiaRwandaSeychellesSwazilandTanzaniaTunisiaZambiaZimbabwe

North America 19

Antigua and BarbudaBahamasBarbadosBelizeCosta RicaDominicaDominican RepublicEl SalvadorGrenadaGuatemalaHaitiHondurasJamaicaNicaraguaPanamaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesTrinidad and Tobago

South America 9

ArgentinaBrazilChileEcuadorGuyanaParaguayPeruUruguayVenezuela

Oceania 5

FijiKiribatiMicronesiaPapua New GuineaeTAVanuatu

How South Africa Compares

PassportRankMobilityVisa-free
Moldova#3114476
Turkey#3213774
Russia#3313583
Timor-Leste#3413157
Qatar#3512974
South Africa#3612664
Belize#3712462
Jamaica#3812258
Kuwait#3912161
Fiji#4012051
Ecuador#4111950

The top-ranked Denmark passport (#1) opens 183 destinations, 57 more destinations than the South Africa passport.

Upgrade Your Mobility

Citizenship by investment programs whose passports open the most destinations that South Africa passport holders cannot enter today without an embassy visa.

Malta

Malta Citizenship by Merit

+56 destinations

From USD $1,430,000

Processing about 24 months

Get details
Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts & Nevis CIP

+49 destinations

From USD $272,000

Processing about 6 months

Get details
Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua & Barbuda CIP

+48 destinations

From USD $265,000

Processing about 6 months

Get details

Frequently Asked Questions

How many countries can South Africa passport holders visit without a visa?

South Africa passport holders can visit 64 destinations visa-free (including destinations that only ask for an eTA), plus 33 with a visa on arrival and 29 with an e-Visa. That gives a mobility score of 126 out of 197 destinations, based on our dataset dated 2026-10-26.

What is the South Africa passport ranking?

The South Africa passport ranks #36 in the Abroad Mobility passport ranking, with a mobility score of 126. The ranking covers 198 passports on 77 positions: passports with the same score share a position and the next score takes the next number. It counts destinations open visa-free, with an eTA, with a visa on arrival or with an e-Visa. The top-ranked passport is Denmark with 183 destinations.

Do South Africa passport holders need a visa for the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada?

Schengen area (checked against France): visa required, apply at an embassy or consulate. United Kingdom: visa required, apply at an embassy or consulate. United States: visa required, apply at an embassy or consulate. Canada: visa required, apply at an embassy or consulate. Always confirm the current rules with the official government source before you travel.

Which countries offer visa on arrival to South Africa passport holders?

33 destinations issue a visa on arrival to South Africa passport holders: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Armenia, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti and 23 more. Check the fee and permitted stay before you fly.

Which countries require a visa for South Africa passport holders?

South Africa passport holders need a visa arranged in advance for 71 destinations, including United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, China, New Zealand, Mexico and 63 more.

How can a South Africa passport holder get a stronger second passport?

Citizenship by investment programs grant a second passport in return for an approved investment. For South Africa passport holders, the programs in our database that add the most destinations are Malta Citizenship by Merit (+56 destinations, from USD $1,430,000, about 24 months), Saint Kitts & Nevis CIP (+49 destinations, from USD $272,000, about 6 months) and Antigua & Barbuda CIP (+48 destinations, from USD $265,000, about 6 months). Abroad Mobility can help you compare eligibility, timelines and the full process.

Check Another Passport

Every passport has its own page with the full visa-free, visa on arrival, e-Visa and visa required breakdown - open one and share the link.

AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongoCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicDR CongoEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVaticanVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabwe

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