ZA
South Africa · Remote Work Visitor Visa · Formal dn visa · apply embassy
Remote Work Visitor Visa under section 11(1)(b)(iv) of the Immigration Act: one visitor's visa for remote work for a foreign employer, for any period of more than three months up to three years. It is not a 12-month visa renewed up to 36 months, and the Act does not provide a renewal that extends it past three years. Regulation 11(4)(b)(i), substituted by Government Notice 5398 in Gazette 51366 on 9 October 2024, requires gross income of at least the equivalent of ZAR 650,976 a year. The Department of Home Affairs checklist still prints ZAR 650,796. Prove the income with three months of bank statements and a contract of employment with the foreign employer. Freelancers are not covered, and the holder may not take up employment in South Africa. A spouse or child may apply for their own visitor's visa to accompany the holder. No extra income amount is published for them. The statutory fee for a section 11 visitor's visa is ZAR 425 where a fee is payable (Gazette 55209 of 17 August 2026). Some nationalities are fee-exempt, and missions publish their own currency amount: the Embassy in Washington lists USD 55. VFS Global's service fee is separate. USD figures use ZAR 16.53 per USD on 9 October 2026, rounded to the nearest dollar. There is no nomad tax rate. A South African tax resident is taxed on worldwide income. Tax residence is ordinary residence or the physical-presence test, not 183 days. The 183-day figure is only when a tax resident of a double-tax-agreement country must register with SARS. Someone who is not tax resident in such a country must register with SARS. A police clearance is required for a visitor's visa of more than three months. The regulations do not say whether the visa allows more than one entry. The national checklist does not require health insurance or proof of accommodation. Yellow fever vaccination is required only where the itinerary calls for it. The visa has to be lodged at a mission abroad; a holder may not change status from inside South Africa except in the exceptional cases listed for visitor's visas.
South Africa also offers these long-term residency programs
Last verified Oct 9, 2026 Last changed Oct 10, 2026 Source
official and source links now point to the DHA requirements notice and Gazette 51366. Processing time removed because missions do not publish one national time.
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