Port of Entry Procedures - South Africa

Overview

South Africa has 71 designated ports of entry through which persons may lawfully enter or depart the Republic. These comprise 52 land border posts, 10 airports, and 9 seaports. All ports of entry are managed by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the Border Management Authority (BMA), with support from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for customs and the National Department of Health for health screening. Entry and exit procedures are governed by the Immigration Act 13 of 2002, the Immigration Regulations, and various operational directives.

Key legislation:

• Immigration Act 13 of 2002, Sections 9-11 (entry, sojourn, and departure)
• Immigration Regulations, 2014
• Border Management Authority Act 2 of 2020
• International Health Regulations (WHO) - as applied by the National Department of Health

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PORTS OF ENTRY - OVERVIEW

Type	Number	Notes
Land border posts	52	Distributed across all land-neighbouring countries
Airports	10	International airports with immigration facilities
Seaports	9	Commercial and cruise terminals
Total	71

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MAJOR AIRPORTS

International Airports Table

Airport	IATA Code	Location	Key Features
OR Tambo International Airport	JNB	Johannesburg, Gauteng	Largest and busiest in Africa; primary international gateway; ETA system operational; full biometric processing
Cape Town International Airport	CPT	Cape Town, Western Cape	Second-busiest; e-gate trial operational; major tourism gateway
King Shaka International Airport	DUR	Durban, KwaZulu-Natal	Third-busiest; regional and international flights; growing route network
Lanseria International Airport	HLA	Johannesburg North, Gauteng	Secondary Johannesburg airport; ETA system operational; limited international routes
Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport	MQP	Nelspruit, Mpumalanga	Gateway to Kruger National Park; seasonal tourism traffic; limited international flights
Bram Fischer International Airport	BFN	Bloemfontein, Free State	Limited international traffic; primarily domestic
Port Elizabeth Airport	PLZ	Gqeberha, Eastern Cape	Renamed; limited international connections
Upington International Airport	UTN	Upington, Northern Cape	Primarily domestic; occasional international charters
Polokwane International Airport	PTG	Polokwane, Limpopo	Limited international services
Pilanesberg International Airport	NTY	North West Province	Tourism-focused; charter traffic to Sun City

Airport Processing

At international airports, the immigration process follows a standard flow:

1. Arrival: Passenger disembarks and proceeds to immigration hall
2. Queue allocation: Separate queues for SA citizens/permanent residents and foreign nationals
3. Document check: Passport, visa (if applicable), return ticket, proof of accommodation
4. Biometric capture: Fingerprints and/or facial recognition (where operational)
5. Entry stamp: Immigration officer stamps passport with date, port of entry, and conditions
6. Customs: Proceed to SARS customs for goods declaration
7. Health screening: If applicable (e.g., yellow fever certificate requirement from endemic countries)

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MAJOR LAND BORDER POSTS

Key Land Border Posts Table

Border Post	Neighbouring Country	Operating Hours	Province	Key Features
Beitbridge	Zimbabwe	24 hours	Limpopo	Largest land border crossing in Southern Africa; major commercial corridor; upgrade project underway
Lebombo / Ressano Garcia	Mozambique	06:00 - 24:00	Mpumalanga	Maputo Corridor; One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) pilot; heavy commercial traffic
Oshoek / Ngwenya	Eswatini	24 hours	Mpumalanga	~600 trucks daily; connects to Mbabane and Manzini
Maseru Bridge	Lesotho	24 hours	Free State	Main Lesotho crossing; high daily commuter traffic; 1 of 13 Lesotho border posts
Kopfontein / Tlokweng	Botswana	06:00 - 22:00	North West	Near Gaborone; high business and personal traffic
Vioolsdrif / Noordoewer	Namibia	24 hours	Northern Cape	Crosses the Orange River; connects to southern Namibia
Skilpadshek / Pioneer Gate	Botswana	06:00 - 22:00	North West	Trans-Kalahari Highway; commercial route
Nakop / Ariamsvlei	Namibia	24 hours	Northern Cape	Trans-Kalahari Corridor; commercial traffic
Groblersbrug / Martin's Drift	Botswana	06:00 - 22:00	Limpopo	Northern Botswana route
Ficksburg Bridge	Lesotho	06:00 - 22:00	Free State	Second-largest Lesotho crossing
Mahamba	Eswatini	07:00 - 22:00	Mpumalanga	Southern Eswatini route
Caledonspoort	Lesotho	06:00 - 22:00	Free State	Eastern Free State crossing

Land Border Processing

Land border processing differs from airports in several respects:

• Travellers may arrive by vehicle, bus, or on foot
• Vehicle documentation may be inspected (registration, insurance, cross-border permit)
• Commercial vehicles are subject to separate cargo processing lanes
• During peak periods (December/January festive season, Easter), extended operating hours may be gazetted
• One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) facilities (e.g., Lebombo) allow both countries' officials to process travellers in a single stop

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MARITIME PORTS

Key Seaports

Port	Location	Key Features
Durban	KwaZulu-Natal	Busiest port in Africa by cargo volume; cruise terminal at Durban Cruise Terminal
Cape Town	Western Cape	Major cruise ship destination (V&A Waterfront Terminal); gateway for Antarctic expeditions
Richards Bay	KwaZulu-Natal	Major coal export terminal; limited passenger traffic
Port Elizabeth (Ngqura)	Eastern Cape	Deep-water port; commercial focus
East London	Eastern Cape	Automotive export hub; limited passenger traffic
Saldanha Bay	Western Cape	Iron ore export; no regular passenger traffic
Mossel Bay	Western Cape	Oil and gas; limited immigration activity
Simon's Town	Western Cape	Naval base; limited civilian immigration
Port Nolloth	Northern Cape	Small port; minimal immigration activity

Maritime Immigration

• Crew members are processed under the crew visa provisions of the Immigration Act
• Cruise ship passengers may disembark for shore excursions (typically treated as transit)
• Crew list submitted to DHA in advance by the ship's agent
• Maritime immigration officers are stationed at major ports
• Small craft and yachts must report to a designated port of entry upon arrival

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ENTRY PROCEDURES

Standard Entry Requirements

All foreign nationals entering South Africa must comply with the following:

Requirement	Detail
Valid passport	Must be valid for at least 30 days beyond the intended departure date
Blank pages	Passport must have at least 2 blank pages (for entry/exit stamps)
Valid visa	If required for the applicant's nationality (unless visa-exempt)
Return/onward ticket	May be requested, especially for visitors
Proof of sufficient funds	May be requested to demonstrate ability to sustain stay
Proof of accommodation	May be requested, especially for visitor visa holders
Yellow fever certificate	Required if arriving from or transiting through a yellow fever endemic country

Entry Stamp

• Every foreign national admitted to South Africa receives an entry stamp in their passport
• The entry stamp records:
  • Date of entry
  • Port of entry
  • Duration of stay authorised (e.g., "30 days" or "90 days")
  • Visa category (if applicable)
• A visa is only valid once stamped at the port of entry - an unstamped visa does not authorise sojourn
• The immigration officer may impose conditions or reduce the authorised duration below the visa validity
• Entry may be refused if the immigration officer is not satisfied with the documentation or purpose of visit

Grounds for Refusal of Entry (Section 29)

An immigration officer may refuse entry if the person:

• Does not hold a valid passport or travel document
• Does not hold the required visa
• Is on the V-List (list of undesirable persons)
• Is flagged by Interpol or other law enforcement agencies
• Cannot demonstrate the purpose of their visit
• Cannot demonstrate sufficient means of support
• Has previously been deported from South Africa
• Poses a security or public health risk
• Has a passport with insufficient blank pages or validity

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ADVANCED PASSENGER PROCESSING (APP)

How APP Works

The Advanced Passenger Processing system is a pre-departure screening mechanism:

1. Data submission: Airlines electronically submit passenger information (API - Advance Passenger Information) to the DHA before departure
2. Information captured: Full name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, flight details, travel document details
3. Cross-referencing: DHA systems cross-reference the data against:
   • The V-List (list of undesirable persons prohibited from entering SA)
   • Interpol databases (stolen and lost travel documents, wanted persons)
   • Domestic watchlists (persons of interest to SA law enforcement)
4. Response: DHA sends a board/no-board response to the airline
5. Flagged persons: Persons flagged are denied boarding by the airline at the point of departure
6. Compliance: Airlines that board flagged passengers face penalties under the Immigration Act

APP Coverage

• Operational for all international flights arriving in South Africa
• Airlines are legally required to participate (Section 35 of the Immigration Act)
• Does not apply to land or sea arrivals (separate processing at border posts)
• Supplemented by the Passenger Name Record (PNR) system for enhanced risk profiling

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BIOMETRIC MOVEMENT CONTROL SYSTEM (BMCS)

Current Deployment

The DHA is in the process of deploying the Biometric Movement Control System at all 71 ports of entry:

Feature	Detail
Scope	All 71 ports of entry (airports, land, sea)
Technology	Fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, document verification
Purpose	Verify identity of travellers, detect fraudulent documents, track entries and exits
Status	Partially deployed; rollout ongoing

e-Gates Trial

• Location: Cape Town International Airport (CPT)
• Technology: Automated biometric gates (e-gates) using facial recognition and passport scanning
• Eligible users: Initially limited to SA citizens and permanent residents with biometric passports
• Benefit: Faster processing, reduced queuing, enhanced security
• Expansion: Plans to extend e-gates to OR Tambo International Airport and other major airports

Facial Recognition Expansion

• The DHA has piloted facial recognition technology at select airports
• Integration with the National Population Register for SA citizens
• Integration with the National Immigration Information System (NIIS) for foreign nationals
• Privacy concerns have been raised by civil society organisations regarding biometric data collection and storage
• The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) applies to all biometric data processing

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TRANSIT PROCEDURES

Airport Transit

Feature	Detail
Definition	Passing through a South African airport en route to a third country without formally entering SA
Maximum duration	24 hours
Transit area	Passengers must remain in the international transit area; may not clear immigration
Visa requirement	Visa-exempt for nationals of most countries; visa-requiring nationals must obtain a transit visa
Transit visa	Required for nationals of certain countries (listed in Immigration Regulations)
Baggage	If checked through to final destination, no need to clear customs
Connecting flights	Must be on the same booking or separate bookings with sufficient connection time

Land Transit

Feature	Detail
Definition	Transiting through South Africa overland to reach a third country
Maximum duration	48 hours
Visa requirement	Visa-requiring nationals must obtain a port-of-entry transit visa or apply in advance
Entry stamp	Transit travellers receive an entry stamp limiting stay to 48 hours
Exit	Must depart SA within 48 hours through a designated port of entry
Common routes	Zimbabwe to Mozambique via SA; Lesotho to other destinations (enclave country)

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EXIT PROCEDURES

Standard Departure Process

1. Check-in: Airline check-in (airports) or approach border post (land/sea)
2. Document presentation: Present passport and boarding pass (airports) or passport (land/sea)
3. Immigration check: Officer verifies:
   • Identity (passport photo and biometric comparison)
   • Immigration status (entry stamp, visa conditions)
   • Duration of stay (whether within authorised period)
4. Departure stamp: Immigration officer stamps passport with departure date and port
5. Overstay check: System automatically calculates days between entry stamp and departure stamp
6. Customs: SARS customs exit declaration (if applicable)

Travel Declaration Form

• South Africa introduced an online Travel Declaration form as part of its digital immigration reforms
• The form captures:
  • Personal details
  • Travel itinerary (origin, destination)
  • Accommodation details
  • Health declarations (where applicable)
  • Contact information in SA
• Initially introduced during COVID-19 and subsequently adapted for ongoing use as a digital entry/exit form
• Can be completed online before travel: https://www.dha.gov.za

Documents Required at Exit

Document	Required	Notes
Valid passport	Yes	Must be the same passport used for entry
Boarding pass	Yes (airports)	Not applicable for land/sea departures
Departure stamp	Applied by officer	Recorded in passport and on the BMCS
Travel Declaration	Recommended	Where system is operational
Customs declaration	If applicable	For goods exceeding duty-free allowances

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OVERSTAY DETECTION AT EXIT

Automated Overstay Calculation

When a person departs South Africa, the immigration system automatically calculates the number of days stayed by comparing the entry stamp date with the departure date:

Overstay Duration	Consequence
No overstay	Normal departure; no adverse action
Up to 30 days	Form 19 issued; entry on V-List; 1-year ban from entering SA
More than 30 days	Form 19 issued; entry on V-List; 5-year ban from entering SA

Form 19 (Notice of Undesirable Person)

• Issued to the foreign national at the port of exit
• Records the overstay details, the person's particulars, and the ban duration
• The person's details are entered on the V-List (list of undesirable persons)
• The V-List is shared with airlines (via APP) and all ports of entry
• The person is permitted to depart but may not re-enter during the ban period

Challenging an Overstay Ban

• A person on the V-List may apply to the Director-General of Home Affairs for removal
• Must provide compelling reasons (e.g., medical emergency, DHA error, humanitarian circumstances)
• An attorney may be required to submit representations
• Processing time for V-List removal applications: 3-12 months (no guaranteed timeline)
• Judicial review is available under PAJA if the DG refuses the application

Common Causes of Overstay

• Unawareness of visa conditions or expiry date
• DHA processing delays (e.g., waiting for visa renewal decision while previous visa expired)
• Incorrect entry stamp duration (officer error)
• Confusion between calendar days and working days
• Reliance on unregistered immigration practitioners who failed to file renewals on time
• Medical emergencies or force majeure

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BORDER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY (BMA)

Establishment and Mandate

The Border Management Authority was established under the BMA Act 2 of 2020 to provide an integrated, coordinated approach to border management:

Feature	Detail
Legislation	Border Management Authority Act 2 of 2020
Parent department	Department of Home Affairs
Commissioner	Appointed by the Minister of Home Affairs
Mandate	Overall coordination and management of all ports of entry and borders
Objective	Single point of authority for border law enforcement and facilitation

BMA Strategic Plan 2025-2030

Key priorities include:

• Technology modernisation: Full deployment of BMCS at all 71 ports of entry
• Infrastructure upgrade: Physical infrastructure improvements at land border posts (especially Beitbridge, Lebombo)
• One-Stop Border Post (OSBP): Expansion of OSBP model to reduce dual processing at land borders
• Risk-based approach: Shift from blanket checks to intelligence-led, risk-based screening
• Inter-agency coordination: Unified command at each port of entry integrating DHA, SARS, SAPS, and Health
• Maritime domain awareness: Enhanced monitoring of coastal borders and small craft arrivals
• Anti-corruption: Internal integrity measures to combat bribery and corruption at ports of entry
• Capacity building: Training and professionalisation of BMA officials
• Digital borders: Integration with the ETA system and biometric databases for real-time verification

BMA and Immigration Officers

• Immigration officers at ports of entry are now functionally under the BMA
• The BMA does not replace the DHA's policy and adjudication functions (visa decisions remain with DHA)
• The BMA focuses on operational border management: entry/exit processing, enforcement, interdiction
• BMA officials have powers of arrest, search, and seizure under the BMA Act

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MULTIPLE AGENCIES AT PORTS OF ENTRY

Agency Roles

At each port of entry, several government agencies operate alongside each other:

Agency	Function	Key Activities
DHA / BMA	Immigration	Passport control, visa verification, entry/exit stamps, overstay detection, V-List checks
SARS	Customs and excise	Goods declarations, duty collection, smuggling detection, vehicle searches
Port Health (NDoH)	Health screening	Yellow fever certificate verification, disease surveillance, quarantine (if applicable)
SAPS	Law enforcement	Criminal checks, warrant execution, security, cross-border crime
DALRRD	Agriculture	Agricultural product inspection, biosecurity, phytosanitary control
SANDF	Border security	Military patrols along the borderline (not at ports of entry but in border areas)

Yellow Fever Certificate Requirements

• Required for travellers arriving from or transiting through yellow fever endemic countries
• The certificate must be an International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV) showing yellow fever vaccination
• The vaccination must have been administered at least 10 days before arrival
• The certificate is valid for the lifetime of the holder (WHO amended this from 10-year validity)
• Failure to produce a valid certificate may result in quarantine or refusal of entry
• Endemic countries include parts of Central and West Africa, and South America

Coordination Challenges

• Different agencies may have different operating hours or staffing levels
• Integration under the BMA is intended to address coordination inefficiencies
• Technology systems are not fully integrated across agencies (each operates its own database)
• The BMA Strategic Plan 2025-2030 prioritises single-window processing where all agencies share a unified platform

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KEY SOURCES

• Immigration Act 13 of 2002: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/a13-020.pdf
• Immigration Regulations 2014: https://www.dha.gov.za
• Border Management Authority Act 2 of 2020: https://www.gov.za/documents/border-management-authority-act-2-2020
• BMA Strategic Plan: https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/border-management-authority
• DHA - Ports of Entry: https://www.dha.gov.za
• ACSA (Airports Company South Africa): https://www.airports.co.za
• Transnet National Ports Authority: https://www.transnetnationalportsauthority.net
• WHO - International Health Regulations: https://www.who.int/health-topics/international-health-regulations
• VFS Global South Africa: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/zaf/en/zaf
• DHA ePermits Portal: https://ehome.dha.gov.za/epermit/home
• Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative: https://www.mcli.co.za