On August 17, 2026, the Department of Home Affairs published amendments to the regulation on fees under the Immigration Act. The amendments took effect upon publication.
The amendments introduce a new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) fee of ZAR 500, which is significantly less than the ZAR 1550 processing fee charged by the government’s chosen outsourced visa service provider for in-person applications.
The existing government visa fee of ZAR 425 is unchanged and still applies to visa-required nationals who are not visa fee exempt.
Neither the visa fee nor the new ETA fee apply to visa-exempt nationals. However, visa-exempt travelers can optionally apply for an ETA that will facilitate more efficient processing at the border, at the usual cost of ZAR 500.
The Minister of Home Affairs recently posted a video introducing the Electronic Travel Authorization via social media.
Erickson Insights and Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.