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South Africa Business Visa For Indians | In-Depth Guide

Last Updated : 04-Sept-2023

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30-Second Summary

Indian nationals planning to invest or establish a South Africa business must apply for a South Africa business visa for Indians.

    You can apply for this visa at an embassy.

    You will need to submit your passport to the embassy.

    Once your visa gets approved, you can collect it along with your passport from the embassy.

    Be sure to apply for your business visa 6 months before your travels.

* Atlys does not provide this visa.

Important Information

Is a Visa Required?

 Yes, Indians need a business visa to invest in South Africa.

Where To Apply?

You can apply for your business visa at the embassy.

Visa Stay Period

The business visa allows you to stay for 3 to 5 years.

Business Visa Cost

The South African business visa fee is about ₹7900.

Processing Time

The business visa takes about 3 months to be processed.

Planning on visiting South Africa for business purposes? Well, look no further because this guide will discuss all the information you need to know about obtaining a South Africa business visa for Indian nationals.

Note that there are two types of business visas for Indians, the business meeting visa and the long-term business visa. 

This blog will focus on the long-term business visa, but I will refer to it as the “business visa”.

Let’s dive into the details!

Do Indians Require A Business Visa For South Africa?

Yes, Indian citizens travelling to South Africa for business reasons must apply for a South Africa Business visa for Indians.

The 2 types of business visas for South Africa are a business meeting visa and a long-term business visa.

    Business Meeting Visa: It allows you to attend business meetings and conferences in South Africa. This visa is similar to a South Africa tourist visa, where you can stay in the country for up to 90 days, and the processing time is quicker than the long-term visa. 

    Long-term Business Visa: With this visa, Indians can travel to South Africa to establish a business or to invest in a current business.

What is South Africa's Long-term Business Visa?

The Long-term business visa for South Africa is also known as a temporary resident visa.

With this visa, Indians can work and invest in their South African company or invest in an existing company.

You will require a minimum of R5 million in your bank to start your own South African business or have an investment capital of R5 million if you wish to invest in an existing South African business.

Side note: R5 million is approximately ₹22 million.

South Africa Business Visa Requirements For Indian Citizens

Sometimes applying for a visa can be difficult, but starting with the right documents can help simplify the process.

Here is a list of what documents you will need to apply for the business visa for South Africa from India:

    Passport: A passport valid for at least 30 more days after departing from South Africa.

    Passport-Sized Photos: 1x Passport-sized photos that meet the visa photo requirements.

    Application Form: The business visa application form can be downloaded and completed before applying for your business visa. 

    Covering Letter: The covering letter must be signed by you and state the address where you will be staying and all your contact details.

    Proof Of Funds: You must provide bank statements for the last 3 months.

    Medical Report: Your medical report must be completed within 6 months before your application. The medical examination must be completed on the Bl-811 form by a registered medical practitioner.

    X-ray report: This report must be completed no more than 6 months before your application. A registered radiologist must do the examination while using the Bl-806 form.

    Police Clearance: You must provide a letter to the police of every country where you have lived for over 12 months after age 18. You can obtain this letter at the regional passport office from the countries where you have lived.

Steps To Apply For Your Business Visa

Applying for your South Africa business visa for Indians can be challenging. Luckily we have put together this step-by-step guide to assist you in your visa application:

Step 1: Get A Registered Business

Before applying for a business visa, you must meet all the South Africa business visa requirements, including investing in an existing company or creating your own registered company in South Africa.

Step 2: Gather Your Documents

Next, you must gather all your required documents. To help you with this, create a checklist to simplify this process.

This part might be hard, but you’ve taken a big step forward when you finish it.

Step 3: Schedule Your Appointment

Book an appointment for your visa application; you can contact a visa application centre near you. Book an appointment as early as possible since the appointment availability might be limited.

Step 4: Go To Your Appointment

When attending the visa centre for your appointment, you must bring all your travel documents, including the application form. You might also get asked to provide your biometrics and do a quick interview.

Step 5: Pay The South Africa Business Visa Fees

Once you submit your visa application, you must pay the visa fees. The fee for the business visa is approximately ₹7892.

These fees are non-refundable, even if your visa gets rejected.

Please note that these are the fees when applying at an application centre. These fees are based on the current exchange (AUG 2023) rate and can change anytime.

Step 6: Visa Outcome

Once you have paid your South Africa business visa fees, your visa will start to be processed. Once your south africa visa application gets approved, you will get notified, and you can then go and collect your visa at the embassy or application centre.

If your visa gets denied, you will get informed about the reasons for the denial, which you can then correct these reasons and reapply for your visa.

Key Points about The South Africa Business Visa

Now that you know what you require and how to apply for the South Africa business visa for Indians, here is an overall look at the business visa for South Africa.

The business visa fee is about ₹7892 if you apply at an application centre.

There are additional visa logistic charges from the visa application centre, depending on where you apply between ₹2040 and ₹2301.

Please Note: The business visa fees are based on the current exchange rate (AUG 2023). It can change anytime, so contacting the embassy for the fee before applying is important.

The processing time for the business visa takes about 90 days; however, note that it may take longer.

Any delays or missing documents can cause this time to be even longer. Ensure that you apply for your business visa 6 months before your travels.

You’re Good To Go

Well Done; you have gone through the whole blog on the business visa. You now know that you can start your own business or invest in a South African business with a business visa. You can also easily apply for your business visa with the steps provided.

Good luck with your South African business quest!

Government Sources

Atlys aims to provide you with the most accurate and detailed information. You can trust all the information from this blog, as it has been gathered from trusted government sources, including

Frequently Asked Questions

The requirement for the employees when starting a business in South Africa are that 60% of your employees must be local South Africans.

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