Trip checklist: Venezuela

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

Print this checklist

Visa requirement

South Africans don't need a visa for Venezuela.

Permitted stay

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

Before you go

• Purpose of visit

  Tourism only. FCDO says work, NGO work, journalism, volunteering and study need visas in advance.

• Passport validity

  FCDO: at least 6 months beyond your planned departure date.

• How to apply

  If visa-free: a tourist card is issued on arrival by air. FCDO says land and sea arrivals may need a visa in advance. If a visa is needed, Venezuela runs e-visas through mppre.gob.ve (Cancillería Digital).

• Where South Africans apply

  Embassy of Venezuela in Pretoria (its website did not resolve). Details not verified.

• Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

  Venezuela: FCDO says a yellow fever certificate is required when entering from Brazil. WHO lists no general certificate requirement and recommends vaccination for most areas. South Africa's own rule on return: South Africa requires a valid yellow fever certificate from all travellers over 1 year of age, South African citizens included, arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country or after more than 12 hours' airport transit in one; Venezuela is on South Africa's risk list. Without it you can be refused entry or quarantined for up to 6 days. The certificate is valid for life and only counts 10 days after vaccination.

• Arrival forms

  Tourist card issued on arrival by air (FCDO).

• Extending your stay and overstaying

  One extension of up to 90 days is possible via SAIME (per Wikipedia). Not confirmed officially.

• Travelling with children

  FCDO: children travelling unaccompanied, with a guardian or with one parent need a travel permit from the non-travelling parent(s).

• Confirm with the embassy

  Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

• UK FCDO: Venezuela entry requirements https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/venezuela/entry-requirements

Research sources

1. 1. UK FCDO: Venezuela entry requirements (Other government, gov.uk) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/venezuela/entry-requirements
2. 2. US Department of State: Venezuela Travel Advisory (27 Jun 2026) (Other government, travel.state.gov) https://www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/venezuela-travel-advisory.html
3. 3. DIRCO (South African High Commission, Canberra) (Other government, dirco.gov.za) https://dirco.gov.za/canberra/yellow-fever/
4. 4. South African National Department of Health (Other government, health.gov.za) https://www.health.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DOH-Yellow-Fever-Pamphlet-1.pdf
5. 5. World Health Organization, International Travel and Health country list (Other government, cdn.who.int) https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/emergencies/travel-advice/yellow-fever-country-list-ith-travel.pdf
6. 6. Wikipedia (Reference, en.wikipedia.org) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_South_African_citizens
7. 7. Wikipedia: Visa policy of Venezuela (Reference, en.wikipedia.org) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Venezuela
8. 8. The GSA (SA visa service), Venezuela guide (Commercial, thegsa.co.za) https://www.thegsa.co.za/visa-and-country-info/2756-venezuela-country-guide

From doineedavisa.co.za/venezuela. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.