Cape Town — South Africa’s department of home affairs has announced the extension of the blanket concession for long-term visa or waiver applicants who are awaiting outcomes of their applications to the end of December 2023.
The decision means that long term visa or waiver applicants are permitted to legally remain in the country until 31 December 2023, pending the finalisation of their applications. Those that are travelling on passports issued by countries that are not visa exempted are required to apply for a visitor’s visa to return to South Africa until their applications have been finalised.
This concession is only for applicants who have submitted an application via visa facilitation centres before or on 31 March 2023.
All visitors on short term visas whose validity was issued for less than 90 days are excluded from the concession, and are required to depart before or on the date of expiry of the validity period of their visas, the home affairs statement said.
