Great news for anyone with a pending visa application in South Africa
The Department of Home Affairs has announced a further extension of its long-standing visa concession until 30 June 2027.
The concession, first introduced in 2022, has been extended many times before, though usually only in 6-month periods.
This marks a significant and generous shift by the DHA.
According to Xpatweb, the extension was unexpected but welcome, as it will allow anyone with a pending visa, waiver or appeal application to remain in the country for an additional 15 months.
The concession was introduced to protect lawfully present foreign nationals from falling into undesirable status or from overstaying their visa conditions while the DHA worked to clear the visa processing backlog.
The DHA announced the further extension on 30 March 2026, less than 24 hours before the current concession was set to end.
In his announcement, DHA minister Leon Schreiber said the department has made significant progress in addressing historic backlogs in its visa and permit regime.
He also indicated that the DHA’s focus is on developing and implementing the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, which has already been launched to a limited audience.
The system is expected to be expanded in the near future to enhance operational efficiencies. This has required a significant allocation of time and resources.
“The department recognises South Africa is a popular destination of choice for many,” he said.
“Given this high interest, and the DHA’s interventions to cleanse the stigma of corruption in this area, not all applications submitted to the department have been able to be finalised timeously.”
This includes waiver, visa and appeal applications, he said. A further extension was therefore granted.
Legal Status Protected Until 30 June 2027
According to Immigration Directive 7 of 2026, all affected parties will be able to stay in South Africa legally until 30 June 2027.
The following temporary measures will also apply with effect from 1 April 2026:
Waiver Applicants
- Waiver applicants can leave/re-enter South Africa without penalties to enable the department to process the applications.
This allows applicants to collect their outcomes and, if successful, subsequently submit applications for appropriate visas.
Applicants who wish to abandon their waiver applications may leave permanently on or before 30 June 2027, without being declared undesirable in terms of the Immigration Act.
Non-visa-exempt nationals will need a port-of-entry visa to return.
Visa Applicants
- Visa applicants (pending long-term visas) must stick to their existing visa conditions.
Those who need to travel while awaiting the outcome of their long-term visa application will be allowed to depart and re-enter South Africa up to and including 30 June 2027 without being declared undesirable.
Non-visa-exempt nationals will require a port of entry visa to return.
Appeal Applicants
- Appeal applicants (pending) are not allowed to engage in any activity other than what the current visa conditions provide for.
These applicants will be able to travel and return to South Africa without penalties.
However, they must carry proof of appeal (a rejection letter and a submission receipt) when travelling.
Non-visa-exempt nationals need a port-of-entry visa to return.
Xpatweb noted that the concession applies only to applicants who were legally admitted to South Africa and who submitted an application in South Africa through VFS Global.
It does not extend to applicants with Permanent Residence (PR) Permit applications, and affected parties still awaiting outcomes for their PR applications.
These applications must maintain their valid temporary residence status in South Africa at all times while awaiting their outcomes.
“While the extension provides the necessary relief, applicants and employers are encouraged to remain proactive and familiarise themselves with the updated conditions,” the group said.
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