United Arab Emirates passport → South Africa

South Africa visa for Emirati citizens

Visa-free

90 days visa-free

Emirati citizens can visit South Africa without a visa for up to 90 days. Visas are never issued at the border: if you need one, get it before travel. South Africa is moving short-stay visas to the online Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), launched in August 2026 and being extended country by country.

Official details are shown in English.

Status
Visa-free
Max stay
90 days
Last checked
30 October 2026

What it means in practice

90 days is about three months. If you arrive on 1 November 2026, your last legal day is 29 January 2027, because the arrival day is day one. Use the stay calculator for your own dates.

How South Africa counts your stay: The permitted period is written on the entry stamp or visa label; overstaying can lead to a ban on re-entry.

Before you go

Official details are shown in English.

  • Documents for travelling children (optional) — Before departure. Visa-exempt foreign children need a valid passport; officers may still ask for supporting documents, so carry the child's unabridged birth certificate (listing both parents) and, if a parent is not travelling, that parent's consent letter, no older than 6 months. Children who need a visa submit these documents with the visa application and do not have to show them again at the border. Official site

At the border

Official details are shown in English.

  • Passport valid at least 30 days beyond your intended departure, with at least one unused page for stamps (bring more if you plan to cross into neighbouring countries)
  • Return or onward ticket if arriving by air
  • Enough funds for the stay (bank statements, cards or cash)
  • Yellow fever vaccination certificate if you are travelling from, or transited through, a yellow fever risk country
  • Enter and leave only through a designated port of entry

How to avoid overstaying

  • Go by your stamp or visa. The date the officer gives you is the one that counts, even if it is shorter than the maximum.
  • Plan to leave a day or two early. With 90 days, book your exit before the last legal day so a cancelled flight doesn't push you over.
  • Extend before you run out. Apply to the Department of Home Affairs before your permitted stay ends. Through the ETA system, visitors admitted for up to 90 days can request up to 90 more days.
  • What overstaying costs. The permitted period is written on the entry stamp or visa label; overstaying can lead to a ban on re-entry.

Good to know

Official details are shown in English.

  • Home Affairs plans to let visa-exempt travellers use the ETA voluntarily, for a faster arrival queue and online stay extensions.

Staying longer

Visa-free days are for visits. For months or years in South Africa, these are the long-stay routes in Bordr's guide (checked against official sources):

Official details are shown in English.

Costs, income thresholds and how to apply are in the Bordr guide.

Questions

Do Emirati citizens need a visa for South Africa?

Emirati citizens can visit South Africa without a visa for up to 90 days.

How long can Emirati citizens stay in South Africa?

Up to 90 days, according to Bordr's data. The permitted period is written on the entry stamp or visa label; overstaying can lead to a ban on re-entry.

Can I extend my stay in South Africa?

Apply to the Department of Home Affairs before your permitted stay ends. Through the ETA system, visitors admitted for up to 90 days can request up to 90 more days.

What do I need at the border in South Africa?

Passport valid at least 30 days beyond your intended departure, with at least one unused page for stamps (bring more if you plan to cross into neighbouring countries); Return or onward ticket if arriving by air; Enough funds for the stay (bank statements, cards or cash).

When was this checked?

Bordr last checked the entry rules for South Africa against official sources on 30 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the official source before you travel.

Sources and last check

Entry rules for this destination were last checked against official sources on 30 October 2026. Visa-free days come from the passport matrix in the Bordr app, corrected where the official rules differ.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Entry rules change and border officers have the final say. Check the official government source for your destination before you travel.

Includes visa data from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), retrieved 1 November 2026; Bordr's official-source checks take precedence.

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