Trip checklist: Marshall Islands

For South African passport holders. Last checked 5 October 2026.

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Visa requirement

South Africans can get a visa on arrival in the Marshall Islands.

Permitted stay

You can stay up to 90 days per visit, and you can apply to extend.

Before you go

• Purpose of visit

  Visiting (tourism). Work, study and investment need separate permits from the Division of Immigration.

• Passport validity

  At least 6 months from your departure date, with one blank page for the entry stamp.

• How to apply

  No advance application for South Africans: the visa is issued on arrival. The official list says the fee is waived for visa-on-arrival nationals (the USD 100 visitor visa fee applies only to nationals who must apply in advance). The GSA quotes USD 25 for a 3-month tourist visa, so carry some US dollars in cash in case.

• Where South Africans apply

  On arrival in Majuro or Kwajalein. No Marshall Islands mission in South Africa. Division of Immigration, Mako Building, Delap, Majuro; rmi_majuro@rmiimmigration.org; phone +692 625 8633.

• Return or onward ticket

  Confirmed return or onward ticket required.

• Proof of funds

  Proof of sufficient funds. No amount published.

• Accommodation or invitation

  Letter of invitation only if applicable. Visiting Kwajalein Atoll needs an entry authorization from the US military.

• Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

  The UK FCDO notes that children aged 4 and under must show proof of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination. South Africa's rule: you need a yellow fever certificate to enter South Africa only if you arrive from or transited a yellow-fever-risk country. The Marshall Islands is not a risk country, so a direct return needs none, but a routing through a risk country in Africa or South America would trigger it.

• Arrival forms

  USD 20 departure tax in cash on international flights. Cash over USD 10,000 must be declared.

• Extending your stay and overstaying

  Apply for an extension before your permit expires. Overstaying breaks immigration law; penalties not published.

• Transit

  Many routes go via Honolulu or Guam (US entry rules apply), or via Nadi, Brisbane or Nauru. Hub rules: via Australia, South Africans may use Transit Without Visa (air arrival, onward flight to a third country within 8 hours, stay airside); otherwise an Australian Transit (771) or Visitor visa is needed. Via Auckland, South Africans need a New Zealand Transit Visa (from NZD 235, up to 24 hours airside) unless they already hold a NZ visa.

• Travelling with children

  Children aged 4 and under must show proof of MMR vaccination (UK FCDO).

• Confirm with the embassy

  Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

• RMI Division of Immigration (Summary of countries entitled for visa exemption/waiver or visa on arrival, as of March 2024) https://rmiimmigration.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/voa-202403.pdf
• RMI Division of Immigration https://rmiimmigration.org/visit-rmi-visa-entry/

Research sources

1. 1. RMI Division of Immigration (Summary of countries entitled for visa exemption/waiver or visa on arrival, as of March 2024) (Official, rmiimmigration.org) https://rmiimmigration.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/voa-202403.pdf
2. 2. RMI Division of Immigration (Official, rmiimmigration.org) https://rmiimmigration.org/visit-rmi-visa-entry/
3. 3. Australian Department of Home Affairs (Official, immi.homeaffairs.gov.au) https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/transit-771/travellers-eligible-to-transit-without-visa
4. 4. Immigration New Zealand (Official, immigration.govt.nz) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/transit-visa
5. 5. UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Other government, gov.uk) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/marshall-islands/entry-requirements
6. 6. US Department of State (Other government, travel.state.gov) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/MarshallIslands.html
7. 7. Australian Government Smartraveller (Other government, smartraveller.gov.au) https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/south-africa
8. 8. The GSA (South African visa agency) (Commercial, thegsa.co.za) https://www.thegsa.co.za/visa-and-country-info/2628-marshall-islands-country-guide

From doineedavisa.co.za/marshall-islands. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.