New mandatory travel rules for anyone entering or leaving South Africa
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has warned that from Wednesday, 1 July 2026, any travellers entering or leaving South Africa must submit an online traveller declaration before they travel.
The new travel rules form part of the digital ‘travel pass’ piloted at airports in South Africa back in 2022.
As part of a modernisation programme, SARS implemented the South African Traveller Management System (SATMS) on a pilot basis at select airports that year. It was later expanded to sea and land ports.
During the pilot phase, the system operated on a voluntary basis, but it has now become a mandatory process.
All travellers must now submit the online declaration no more than 24 hours before departure from the country from which they are travelling.
“The declaration forms part of the Customs process and helps travellers meet their legal obligation to declare goods, currency and other relevant items in their possession,” the revenue service said.
“The system makes it easier for travellers to comply with Customs formalities before arriving at a port of entry or exit.”
SARS said that, in general, any person entering or leaving South Africa by air, land or sea and rail must submit a traveller declaration.
This includes South African citizens, residents and foreign travellers.
A parent, legal guardian, caretaker or another assisting person must complete the declaration on behalf of a minor or a person who cannot complete it themselves.
However, there are exemptions. Those who qualify for limited paper-based exceptions need not submit online.
Air and sea travellers who are only transiting through South Africa are also exempt, as long as they do not leave designated transit areas, SARS said.
Everyone else will have to submit their details to the online platform.
For those travelling to South Africa on a multi-stop journey, the declaration must be submitted no more than 24 hours before departure on the last leg of their journey to South Africa.
To complete the forms, SARS said that travellers need to submit:
- Their passport or travel document details;
- Travel details;
- Contact details;
- Details of any travelling companions, if applicable;
- Declarations of any goods, currency or bearer negotiable instruments—and if prompted by the system, provide further details about those items.
What you need to declare
Regarding declarations, SARS said that travellers do not need to declare ordinary personal effects for their own use.
However, they must declare goods, currency or other items that exceed their traveller allowance or require Customs attention.
For clarity, the revenue service outlined the duty-free limits—per traveller—for declarations. These include:
- Goods up to R5,000 per person may be imported without paying duty or VAT.
- Additional goods up to R20,000 may be allowed but may be subject to duty and VAT.
- If the total value exceeds R25,000, normal Customs duties and VAT will apply.
“This allowance is only valid once per person during a 30-day period and does not apply to goods imported by persons returning after an absence of less than 48 hours,” it said.
“After you submit the declaration, SARS will send a confirmation with instructions on what you must do when you arrive at the relevant port of entry or exit,” it said.
“You should keep that confirmation available on your phone or in printed form and follow the instructions and signage at the port.”
If a traveller cannot submit electronically because of a system failure, a lack of internet access, or another reasonable ground, they may be assisted at the port by an officer or at a self-service terminal, where available.
In limited cases, a paper declaration may still be used, SARS said, though it stressed that this would only be in exceptional circumstances.
The revenue service warned that travellers are legally required to make a proper and true declaration.
“Failure to declare goods, currency or other relevant items, or making a false declaration, may lead to delays, the detention or forfeiture of goods, penalties, or other enforcement actions,” it said.
Additional declarations
On top of the online declaration becoming mandatory, President Cyril Ramaphosa has also made a proclamation commencing section 30 of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act.
This activates the requirement for domestic and foreign travellers to declare cash in their possession above the threshold of R100,000, when crossing the country’s land and seaports.
Also activated is the responsibility for Customs and Excise of SARS to receive such declarations made by travellers and make them available to the Financial Intelligence Centre.
From 1 July 2026, travellers crossing any of the country’s air, land or sea borders and who have in their possession cash, goods, currency and/or bearer negotiable instruments above the threshold of R100,000 will be required to declare this via the Customs and Excise traveller management system.
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