{"id":866333,"date":"2026-07-15T09:11:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T07:11:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=866333"},"modified":"2026-07-15T09:11:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T07:11:28","slug":"bad-news-for-south-african-passport-holders-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/866333\/bad-news-for-south-african-passport-holders-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Bad news for South African passport holders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Spain has recently expanded its list of African countries eligible for visa-free access for up to 90 days. However, South Africa is not included on this list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that South African citizens will still need to apply for a regular Schengen visa at an embassy to travel to Spain.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spain&#8217;s decision to grant visa-free access to these eight African countries marks a significant step toward facilitating smoother travel and cultural exchange.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The list of countries includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rwanda<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mauritius<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Botswana<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eswatini<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seychelles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lesotho<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cape Verde<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Namibia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These countries can now enjoy short stays in Spain without having to undergo the visa application process, which often involves extensive paperwork, waiting times, and fees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This newfound freedom is expected to encourage tourism, business travel, and cultural connections, benefiting both Spain and the African nations involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite being a major player on the continent, South Africa is notably absent from the list of countries that enjoy visa-free access to Spain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The primary reasons for this exclusion lie in diplomatic and immigration considerations that Spain continues to evaluate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Visa policies often reflect a complex balance of factors, including migration flows, security concerns, diplomatic relations, and reciprocity agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>South Africa&#8217;s visa requirements remain in place because Spain maintains a cautious approach to visa liberalisation with the country.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This could be due to concerns regarding irregular migration or other diplomatic factors that necessitate more detailed agreements or assurances before granting visa-free access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>South African citizens still need to apply for a Schengen visa to visit Spain, which involves submitting documentation, attending appointments, and waiting for approvals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While this process may seem cumbersome, it is a necessary step until further negotiations between Spain and South Africa take place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The inclusion of these eight African countries in Spain&#8217;s visa-free list is a hopeful sign of increasing openness and cooperation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It highlights Spain&#8217;s recognition of the importance of fostering stronger ties with Africa through easier travel, tourism, and business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">South Africa is strengthening ties with Spain <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ramaphosa-23.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ramaphosa-23-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-866348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ramaphosa-23-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ramaphosa-23-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ramaphosa-23-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ramaphosa-23-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ramaphosa-23.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For South Africans, the visa requirement serves as a reminder of the ongoing diplomatic processes that shape international travel policies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier this year, President Ramaphosa travelled to Spain for a working visit. This visit followed an official visit to South Africa in 2022 by Spain\u2019s President S\u00e1nchez, during which he extended an invitation for President Ramaphosa to make a reciprocal visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSouth Africa and Spain maintain close and friendly bilateral relations, underpinned by strong and significant political ties,\u201d said the Presidency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Presidency stated that South Africa and Spain maintain strong relations based on unity and dialogue, with South Africa firmly defending multilateralism during a period when these principles are increasingly under threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSpain\u2019s commitment to cooperation, respect for international law, and constructive engagement on global challenges reflects values that resonate deeply with South Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following President Ramaphosa\u2019s visit to Spain, the Presidency announced that Spain recognises South Africa as a strategic partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The statement highlighted Spain&#8217;s intention to strengthen its political, economic, and cultural cooperation with the African continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite this engagement, South Africa was not included in the newly updated list of visa-free African countries.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bilateral trade between South Africa and Spain increased by 8.3%, rising from US$2.9 billion in 2024 to US$3.1 billion in 2025. This significant growth indicates the strengthening economic partnership between the two nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the past decade, more than 150 Spanish companies have invested in South Africa, creating over 20,000 jobs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A popular European country has granted visa-free access to 8 African countries for up to 90 days, but South Africa has been excluded. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":851208,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"posted","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"2077290073767170455","_sma_x_attempts":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9876],"tags":[8865,853,6705],"class_list":["post-866333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-passport","tag-south-africa","tag-spain"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=866333"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":866351,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866333\/revisions\/866351"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/851208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=866333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=866333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=866333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}