PassportSouth Africa

Trip checklist: United States

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

Visa requirement

South Africans need to apply for a visa before travel to the United States.

Permitted stay

You can stay up to 180 days per visit, and you can apply to extend.

Before you go

  • Purpose of visit

    B-2 tourism, visiting family, medical treatment; B-1 business meetings, conferences, contract negotiation. No work or study.

  • Passport validity

    South Africa is on CBP's 'Six-Month Club' exemption list: passport need only be valid for the intended period of stay (no extra six months).

  • How to apply

    Complete DS-160 online (ceac.state.gov), pay the USD 185 MRV fee and book an interview through the official scheduling site ais.usvisa-info.com/en-za, attend interview. South Africans receive B-1/B-2 visas valid 120 months, multiple entry, with no reciprocity issuance fee. Fee receipts valid 365 days. A USD 250 'visa integrity fee' (H.R. 1, July 2025) is collected at issuance at some posts but is not on the State Department fee schedule; confirm with the post. South Africa is NOT on the visa bond list and NOT under Proclamation 10998 entry restrictions.

  • Where South Africans apply

    Applicants must apply in their country of nationality or residence (rule effective 15 July 2026). From 1 August 2026 routine visa processing for South Africa is at the regional hubs: US Consulate General Johannesburg (1 Sandton Drive, Sandhurst) and US Consulate General Cape Town. Durban offers only American Citizen Services and limited NIV services; KZN residents must go to Johannesburg or Cape Town. The Embassy in Pretoria does not process routine visitor visas. Published next-available B1/B2 waits (State Dept, retrieved 2026-10-05): Johannesburg about 1 month, Cape Town about 1.5 months; these are estimates only.

  • Extending your stay and overstaying

    Extensions via USCIS (Form I-539) before the I-94 date. Overstaying puts the visitor out of status and the visa is automatically voided; future visa ineligibility may follow (statutory 3-year/10-year unlawful-presence bars apply for 180+ days / 1+ year).

  • Confirm with the embassy

    Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

Research sources

  1. 1. US Department of State (Official, travel.state.gov) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/fees-visa-services.html
  2. 2. US Department of State (reciprocity, South Africa) (Official, travel.state.gov) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/SouthAfrica.html
  3. 3. US Department of State (Official, travel.state.gov) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/countries-subject-to-visa-bonds.html
  4. 4. US Department of State official appointment service (South Africa) (Official, ais.usvisa-info.com) https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-za/niv/information/announcements
  5. 5. US Department of State (Official, travel.state.gov) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/adjudicating-niv-applicants-in-their-country-of-residence.html
  6. 6. US Embassy & Consulates in South Africa (Official, za.usembassy.gov) https://za.usembassy.gov/realignment-of-u-s-visa-services-in-africa-to-regional-hubs/
  7. 7. US Department of State (Official, travel.state.gov) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/global-visa-wait-times.html
  8. 8. US Department of State (Official, travel.state.gov) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html
  9. 9. Ellis (commercial) (Commercial, ellis.com) https://www.ellis.com/resources/visa-integrity-fee
  10. 10. Immiva (commercial) (Commercial, immiva.com) https://immiva.com/blog/us-six-month-passport-validity-rule-six-month-club
  11. 11. Boston University ISSO (News and guides, bu.edu) https://www.bu.edu/isso/2026/05/19/visa-integrity-fee/

From doineedavisa.co.za/united-states. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.