On July 17, 2026, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) published Ministerial Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026 in the Government Gazette. The directive, effective immediately, introduces a waiver of the medical report requirement for visa and permanent residence applications.
The directive had been originally published on July 8, 2026 but was withdrawn and redrafted. The original version exempted only applications for temporary residence visas submitted within South Africa.
The new version is described as a blanket waiver exempting “all future applications” for “a visa to temporarily sojourn” in South Africa, without mentioning the place of application. The waiver also applies to applications already submitted and currently pending adjudication.
Both versions cover permanent residence applications. All other requirements remain in force.
Erickson Insights and Analysis
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