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South Africa Visa Processing Times For Indians

Last Updated : 04-Sept-2023

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30-Second Summary

When applying for your South Africa visa, the processing time will vary depending on the visa type. Here are some of the South Africa visa processing times:

    South African E-Visa: 5 Days to 4 Weeks

    South African Tourist Visa (Visitor Visa): 3-5 Days

    South African Business Visa: 2-3 Months

    South African Study Visa: 2-3 Months

    South African Work Visa: 2-3 Months

    And more.

Source: Department of Home Affairs South Africa

*Please note that visa times can change without warning due to different reasons like current visa applications and new rules.

South Africa Visa Types and Factors Affecting Processing Time

Indian travellers can apply for and receive their visas online thanks to the South African e-visa system. Thanks to the e-visa, there is no need to go to embassies or consulates in person for your visa.

The South Africa e-visa processing time is from 5 days to 4 weeks. The processing of your e-visa can be affected by peak travel seasons, document verification, and the offices' workload.

Due to a number of problems, one of which is a backlog in visa applications, the South Africa e-visa processing time may take much longer

The South Africa tourist visa, also known as a South African visitor visa, allows you to visit South Africa and perform multiple activities such as tourism, business, or visiting a family member. With the South Africa visitor visa, you can stay up to 90 days in the country. 

The South Africa visa processing time from India is only 3-5 days. Still, many factors can affect the processing time, like peak travel seasons, the purpose of your visit and the workload of the immigration offices or embassies.

You can apply for your South African visa at a visa application centre.

If you are an Indian planning to go to South Africa to expand your business or start a new one, you will need a business visa. The South African Business visa allows you to start or invest in South African businesses. 

The South Africa business visa processing time is 1 to 2 months, but it can easily take longer if there are any delays. Applying well before your planned travel dates will be a good idea. Document verification, category complexity, and the offices' workload affect the South Africa business visa processing time.

If you are an Indian who wants to continue your studies in South Africa, you'll need to apply for a South Africa study visa. If you are learning at a specific learning institute, then the study visa allows you to stay in the country for the duration of your studies.

If you use the study visa for school purposes, you can stay in the country for eight years if you are in a primary school or 6 years at a secondary school.

The South Africa study visa processing time takes about 1-2 months, but delays can increase the processing time. Applying well before your intended travel dates is recommended. It will allow sufficient time for the visa application to be processed and approved. 

Factors affecting the South African study visa processing time are incomplete documents, document verification, and the number of applications.

Suppose you are an Indian seeking employment opportunities in South Africa. Then you will need a South Africa work visa. With a work visa, you can work in South Africa until your work contract gets completed or until a period that is at most 5 years.

The South Africa work visa processing time can take between 2 and 3 months. But even with this time frame, any delays can cause the processing time to be longer.

Various factors affect the processing time, such as incorrect documents, the workload of immigration offices, and the complexity of the application.

Indian citizens with specific skills and abilities needed in South Africa can apply for the South African critical skill work visa. With the help of this visa type, talented professionals can boost the South African economy with their knowledge.

You can stay up to 12 months in the country with a CSWV, but only if you get an offer from an employer. You can extend the visa for up to 5 years. 

The South Africa critical skills visa processing time can take 1 to 3 months. Multiple factors affect the South Africa critical skills visa processing time, such as document verification, insufficient documents, and the complexity of the application.

Indian nationals dependent on someone with a valid South African visa are eligible for the South Africa Dependent Visa. Spouses, kids, and other qualifying dependents are welcome to visit their relatives in South Africa under this type of visa.

You will use this visa for dependents who will stay for an extended time. This visa gets issued for a maximum of 2 years at a time.

The South Africa Dependent visa processing time can be from 1 week to 3 months. Multiple factors can affect this visa processing time, like incomplete documents, insufficient funds, and the workload of embassies.

Step-by-Step Visa Application Timeline

While the steps for visa applications may vary depending on the visa type, we have put together a general overview of how the South Africa visa processing time in India will run.

It is the first step in applying for your visa. You will need first to decide what visa type you need, and then you will need to gather all the required documents for the application. Gathering and organising the required documents in advance can help expedite the processing time.

Providing additional supporting documents or evidence may also expedite the South Africa visa processing time. Failure to provide all the necessary documents during the initial submission can cause delays.

Next up, it's time to make the actual application. You can apply on the South African government portal or at a visa application centre. Key steps in completing a visa application include filling out the application form, attaching supporting documents, and paying the required fees.

Errors or incomplete information in the application form can lead to processing delays. Online applications may have different processing times compared to in-person applications.

The application process is quite straightforward when you apply for a basic visitor visa. But for the more complicated visas, such as skilled worker and student visas, hiring a visa consultant can be helpful.

Checking Visa Status

While your South African visa gets processed, you can perform a South Africa visa tracking in India. You can check your visa status through the visa application centre.

To track your visa, you can take the following steps:

    Go to the visa application portal.

    Provide the details of where you are applying from and where you are travelling to.

    Once you supplied those details, choose “Take me to the website”.

    At the top menu section, choose “Track your application” on the right-hand side.

    From there, you will provide your visa application reference number and date of birth.

    The last step is to submit, and you can see your visa status.

Expedited Visa Application

At Atlys, we offer expedited visa application services for specific visa categories. 

We make sure you submit all the required documents and ensure that you complete all the correct details.

Applying on Atlys will help you experience a stress-free application process, allowing you to have limited delays in your South Africa e-visa processing time.

Trusted Sources

We get our information from trusted government sources to ensure you have the most up-to-date and accurate information to limit any delays in your South Africa visa processing time. 

Here are two trusted sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

The South African visa processing times are taking longer than normal due to a massive backlog of visa applications.

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