New rules for South African passport holders travelling to Europe
South African passport holders travelling to the European Union will face new Entry/Exit System (EES) requirements, which will digitally capture and keep their biometric data on file.
The EES is an automated IT system for non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of 29 European countries using the system.
From 12 October 2025, 29 European countries have started introducing the EES gradually or in full at their external borders. This rollout will take place over six months.
By 10 April 2026, EES will replace the current system of manual stamping of passports, which does not allow for the automatic detection of overstayers (travellers who have exceeded the maximum duration of their authorised stay).
From mid-October, travellers on non-EU/Schengen passports, including South Africa, will be required to register their personal details, travel document data and biometric data (fingerprints and facial scans) on the system where it is in effect.
Travellers will have to provide their personal data at the checkpoints, and passport control officers will take a photo of their face and/or scan their fingerprints.
Once this is done, a traveller’s details remain on the system, and future trips will not require the process to be repeated. The passport control officers will only verify fingerprints and photos, which will take less time.
In rare cases, it may be necessary to collect and record the data again.
According to the EU’s Home Affairs office, the EES is being put in place to prevent irregular migration and to help protect EU citizens and anyone else travelling in Europe.
“The new system also helps non-EU nationals to travel more easily while also identifying more efficiently overstayers as well as cases of document and identity fraud,” it said.
“In addition to this, the system allows a wider use of automated border control and self-service systems, which are quicker and more comfortable for the traveller.”
The new EES checks are applicable to all travellers, except:
- Nationals of the European countries using the EES, as well as Cyprus and Ireland
- Non-EU nationals who hold a residence card and are immediately related to an EU national
- Non-EU nationals who hold a residence card or a residence permit and are immediately related to a non-EU national who can travel throughout Europe like an EU citizen
- Non-EU nationals travelling to Europe as part of an intra-corporate transfer or for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au-pairing
- Holders of residence permits and long-stay visas
- Nationals of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino and holders of a passport issued by the Vatican City State or the Holy See
People exempt from border checks, such as heads of state, accredited diplomats, cross-border workers, etc, are also exempt.
This also applies to members of the armed forces travelling on NATO or Partnership for Peace business.
South Africa’s passport weakens
The new EES changes are expected to work against travellers who are making their way into Europe on fraudulent identities and passports.
Notably, South Africa has gained a reputation over the past few years of having one of the weakest and most insecure passports and identity regimes, open to fraudulent activity.
This was a huge issue between 2022 and 2024, where several cases of Pakistani or Indian nationals were caught travelling on fake South African passports.
It got so bad that, in 2022, Irish airline Ryanair imposed a controversial test in Afrikaans to identify passengers using fake South African passports.
While the Irish government did not sanction this, and Ryanair quickly dropped it, the security issues around the South African passport persisted.
In 2024, Ireland—one of the few EU destinations South Africans could travel to visa-free at the time—was left with no choice but to close open access to South Africa because of the fraud.
The South African Department of Home Affairs has since clamped down on fraud and corruption, rooting out internal syndicates issuing these fake documents.
However, this has not done anything to reverse the mistrust and restore faith in the security of the local passport.
In the latest Henley & Partners Passport Index, South Africa crashed out of the top 50 ranking after Somalia introduced an e-Visa system, cutting visa-free access for local travellers.
According to the Index, South Africans can travel to 102 countries visa-free or with a visa on arrival.
While this is still considered a strong passport (ranking 53rd out of 106), the South African travel book does not give access to any prominent European destinations.
The only European countries with visa-free travel for South Africans are Georgia, Kosovo and the Russian Federation.
Loading ...