South Africa entry requirements for Australian citizens

Cape Town's waterfront with Table Mountain behind
Photo: scapin / Pixabay

Short answerAustralian citizens can visit South Africa without a visa. Up to 90 days per visit.

How long you can stay
Up to 90 days per visit.
What you need
  • Valid passport
Good to know
South Africa's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) launched 12 Aug 2026 at OR Tambo International Airport (per DHA's own press release). Secondary reporting indicates it is initially optional for nationalities already on the visa-exemption list, expanding more broadly in September 2026 — DHA's own press release does not state eligibility or mandatory/optional status, so this could not be confirmed against a primary source in this pass. Re-verify before relying on this long-term (see data/UNVERIFIED/TODO.md).

Source Department of Home Affairs — Visa Exemption List (Immigration Act 13 of 2002)Checked against the source on 2026-10-19

Check your trip, including what you can bring →Full South Africa guide →

South Africa for other passports

Other destinations for Australian citizens

Informational only — not legal advice. Entry rules change; confirm with the official source above before you travel. See update history