South Africa Visa Guide for Chinese Citizens: Types, Documents and Process

Do Chinese citizens need a visa for South Africa? Yes. Holders of a PRC ordinary passport need a visa before departure, whether for tourism, business or visiting family, and South Africa does not issue visas on arrival. The good news is that in August 2026 the Department of Home Affairs officially launched the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), with China among the first pilot countries. A short visit no longer means a trip to the visa centre and a one- to two-week wait: you can apply online and get approval in as little as 24 hours.

Long-stay visas still have to be submitted in China through South Africa’s missions and visa centres. This guide covers South African visa types, documents, fees, processing times and where to apply from China, plus the long-term routes for work, study, family and retirement, and the path from a visa to permanent residence.

Do Chinese citizens need a visa for South Africa?

Yes. South Africa has no visa exemption for PRC ordinary passports and does not issue visas at the port of entry. There have been three main changes in the past two years:

• 2025: Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS). Piloted in 2024, it began welcoming its first Chinese tour groups in 2025: approved operators submit visa applications for whole groups. EWN reported that by July 2026 more than 77,000 tourists from China and India had received visas this way. In March 2026 Home Affairs said the scheme will be absorbed into the ETA.
• Late 2025: ETA pilot. During its G20 presidency, South Africa ran a small ETA pilot for travellers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico.
• 12 August 2026: ETA launch. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the system had processed more than 216,000 applications and rejected 6,126 fraudulent ones. Approved travellers receive their authorisation within 24 hours in a smartphone digital wallet, and dedicated lanes opened first at OR Tambo (Johannesburg), Cape Town International, King Shaka (Durban) and Lanseria airports.

The ETA currently covers only short visits such as tourism and visiting friends; it does not allow work. The government says study, spousal and work visas will move onto the same platform over the coming months.

Visa types at a glance

Fees below are the standard amounts published by VFS Global’s China site, excluding courier and optional services. The “service fee” goes to VFS; the “visa fee” goes to the South African government.

How to apply for a short-stay visa

Chinese citizens applying for a South African tourist or business visit visa currently have two options: apply online through the ETA, or submit paper documents at a VFS visa centre. The ETA process is:

1. RegisterCreate a profile on the Home Affairs ETA website and verify your phone number and email
2. Scan your passport and upload a selfieThe system checks your passport data and face automatically
3. Enter your trip and payPay online after submitting the application
4. Wait for approvalApproved applicants usually receive the authorisation within 24 hours and can store it in a phone wallet
5. ArriveEnter through an ETA-enabled airport and use the dedicated facial-recognition lane

Through a visa centre, the steps are: book an appointment on the VFS website, submit all originals and copies in person and give fingerprints, pay, wait for the embassy or consulate to decide, then collect your passport or have it couriered.

Document checklist

Based on VFS China’s visitor visa checklist (visiting family and friends) updated in March 2026, the basic documents for tourist and business visit visas are much the same:

• Valid passport, valid for at least 30 days beyond your planned departure from South Africa, with at least two blank visa pages; copy of the passport’s information page.
• Application form: DHA-84 for stays of 90 days or less, DHA-1738 for longer stays, completed in English in black ink.
• One colour passport photo with a white background.
• Return flight reservation.
• Proof of funds: bank statements for the last three months stamped by the bank; salary or pension accounts are preferred.
• English invitation letter (family/friends), or a company letter and South African invitation (business visits).
• Proof of relationship (family visits): copies of marriage certificate, birth certificate, household register (hukou), etc., with formal English translations.
• Yellow fever certificate, only if you come from or travel through a yellow fever country.

For stays over 90 days, applicants aged 18 and over also need police clearance certificates (for every country lived in for a year or more, issued within the last six months) and a medical report on the Home Affairs form. Minors need a birth certificate, notarised consent from any non-travelling parent and more. Every Chinese-language document needs an English translation. Note that on 8 July 2026 the Minister of Home Affairs issued Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026 (Government Gazette No. 55016, 17 July 2026), waiving the regulatory medical report for all temporary visa and permanent residence applicants; as of October 2026, however, VFS China’s long-stay checklists still list a medical certificate, so check with VFS before you submit. For how to get a Chinese police certificate, see our police clearance certificate guide.

Fees and processing times

Applying through VFS in China, a short-stay visa costs RMB 172 in visa fees plus a RMB 343 service fee; general work, critical skills and business visas cost RMB 616 plus the same RMB 343 service fee. VFS’s published processing times are 5–10 working days from the day after submission for short-stay visas of up to 90 days, about 8 weeks for long-stay visas, and case-by-case for the remote work visitor visa.

ETA fees are charged in rand. Home Affairs’ amended fee regulations under the Immigration Act (published in draft on 27 July 2026 and gazetted in Government Gazette No. 55209 on 17 August 2026) add an “electronic processing fee” of R500 per application, payable on all visas and permits submitted online. Chinese citizens are visa-required, so they pay the R425 visitor visa fee on top of the R500, R925 in total; the visa fee for work and business visas is R1,520. Check the exact amount on the ETA payment page.

Work and long-stay visas

Since October 2024, the general work visa and critical skills visa use a points system with a 100-point threshold. According to the Home Affairs Points-Based System notice of October 2024 (Government Notice 5448), the main criteria are: an occupation on the Critical Skills List, 100 points; a master’s or doctorate, 50, or a bachelor’s degree, 30; more than 10 years’ experience, 30, or 5–10 years, 20; salary above R976,194 a year, 50, or between R650,976 and R976,194, 20; a job offer from a Trusted Employer, 30; and proficiency in one official South African language, 10.

• Critical skills visa: An occupation on the list scores full marks and is fast-tracked. Suited to engineers, IT and health professionals.
• General work visa: Reach 100 points through qualifications, salary and experience; no fast track.
• Intra-company transfer visa: The usual route when a Chinese company posts staff to a South African subsidiary or branch.
• Remote work visa: For people working for an employer outside South Africa, with annual income of at least R650,976, for up to 36 months.

Long-stay visas generally have to be submitted in China, with a police certificate, a medical report and a qualification evaluation (SAQA). Chinese degrees, police certificates and other documents for use in South Africa can now be apostilled, with no embassy legalisation needed; see our apostille guide. For job hunting and labour law, see our guide to working in South Africa.

Study visas

To study in South Africa you first need an offer from a South African institution, then apply for a study visa through VFS. Besides the standard documents, you usually need proof of funds for fees and living costs, a medical report, a police certificate and medical cover renewed annually for the whole period of study (Immigration Regulations, reg. 12). The study visa fee is RMB 172 and long-stay visas take about 8 weeks, so start at least three months ahead.

Family reunion

Spouses, children and other close relatives of South African citizens or permanent residents can apply for a relative’s or spousal visa, mainly with proof of relationship (translated into English) and financial support from the South African sponsor. Spouses and children of foreign work visa holders usually apply as accompanying dependants. The immigration White Paper under discussion would change the scope of relative’s visas, but as of October 2026 nothing has been legislated.

Investment, digital nomad and retirement visas

• Business visa: For foreigners starting or investing in a South African business, with a required capital contribution and a business plan. A proposed “investment visa” would replace it, but no capital threshold has been published.
• Remote work (digital nomad) visa: See above; income of at least R650,976 a year.
• Retired person visa: No minimum age; you must show at least R37,000 a month from a pension, annuity or equivalent income. The White Paper proposes a minimum age of 55, which is still only a proposal.
• Financially independent permanent residence: Net worth of at least R12 million and a R120,000 fee, leading directly to permanent residence.

Where to apply in China

Visa applications in China are decided by the South African Embassy in Beijing and the Consulate-General in Shanghai, and documents are submitted through VFS visa centres. According to VFS China, applications at centres in Chengdu, Shenyang, Wuhan, Xi’an, Chongqing and Kunming go to the embassy in Beijing, while those in Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Jinan go to the consulate in Shanghai; Shanghai also has its own South Africa visa application centre. The VFS China page does not list a separate Beijing centre, so applicants in the Beijing district should confirm where to submit in the VFS booking system.

Note that only applicants with valid residence in China can apply at South Africa’s missions in China. Long-stay applicants must be in China when they submit and provide a residence declaration, an entry-exit record with a verification number and a copy of their ID card. If your passport is about to expire, renew it first; see our passport application and renewal guide.

Common reasons for refusal and tips

• Insufficient proof of funds: Balances that don’t match the trip, or large last-minute deposits. Provide three consecutive months of salary statements.
• Untranslated or informal translations: Every Chinese document needs a formal English translation.
• Passport validity or blank pages: South Africa requires at least two blank visa pages, a common reason for returned applications.
• Purpose doesn’t match visa type: Working or running a shop on a visitor visa or ETA is illegal and will hurt every future application.
• Expired police certificate or medical report: Neither may be older than six months.

From visa to permanent residence and citizenship

South African permanent residence falls into two broad groups: applications based on work visas and a permanent job offer, critical skills or a spousal relationship, and applications based on financial independence or investment. The most common work route (section 26(a) of the Immigration Act) requires five continuous years on a work visa plus a permanent job offer (Immigration Regulations, reg. 23(5)). Once you have permanent residence and meet the residence period, you can apply for citizenship. For the conditions and documents of each category, see our South Africa residency and permanent residence guide.

Important: the Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China does not recognise dual nationality. A Chinese citizen who settles abroad and voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality automatically loses Chinese nationality. Think through your hukou, property and pension before naturalising; see dual nationality and China’s Nationality Law. For an overview of life in South Africa, go back to our guide to moving to South Africa.

FAQ

Do Chinese citizens need a visa to visit South Africa?

Yes. PRC ordinary passport holders need a visa in advance; there is no visa on arrival. Since August 2026 you can apply for an ETA on the Home Affairs website or get a paper visa through a VFS visa centre.

What documents do I need for a South African tourist visa?

A passport with two blank pages, the DHA-84 form, a photo, a return flight reservation, three months of bank statements and an itinerary or invitation letter. For the ETA, you mainly upload your passport and a selfie online.

How long does a South African visa take?

ETA approvals usually come within 24 hours; paper short-stay visas through VFS take 5–10 working days; long-stay visas such as work and study visas take about 8 weeks.

Can I look for work in South Africa on a visitor visa?

No. Both visitor visas and the ETA prohibit work. Once you have a job offer you must apply for a work visa, usually from China.

Sources

1. South African Department of Home Affairs – Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) portal (accessed October 2026)
2. SA Government – Minister Leon Schreiber: Launch of South Africa’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (12 Aug 2026) (accessed October 2026)
3. Polity – SA’s Electronic Travel Authorisation gathers pace (1 Oct 2026) (accessed October 2026)
4. SAnews – SA rolls out Electronic Travel Authorisation (May 2026) (accessed October 2026)
5. VFS Global – South Africa Visa Application Centre, China (Chinese) (accessed October 2026)
6. VFS Global – Checklist for Visitor’s Visa (Visit Family and Friends), Beijing, March 2026 (accessed October 2026)
7. ATTA – South Africa plans to phase out Trusted Tour Operator Scheme in shift to digital visa processing (27 Mar 2026) (accessed October 2026)
8. EWN – Home Affairs ETA system enables airport clearance in under a minute (31 Jul 2026) (accessed October 2026)
9. VisaVerge – South Africa sets R500 eTA fee effective 17 August 2026 (accessed October 2026)
10. EY Tax Alert – South Africa introduces points-based system for certain work visas, amends remote worker requirements (2024) (accessed October 2026)
11. Visa Immigration SA (law firm) – New South African visa rules 2026: what’s law vs proposed (accessed October 2026)
12. Embassy of the PRC in South Africa (accessed October 2026)
13. Government Gazette No. 55072 – Draft First Amendment of the Regulations on Fees under the Immigration Act (27 Jul 2026) (accessed October 2026)
14. BusinessTech (media) – New R500 visa fee officially introduced in South Africa (Gazette No. 55209, 17 Aug 2026) (accessed October 2026)
15. Government Notice 5448 of 2024 – Immigration Act, 2002: Points-Based System (Oct 2024) (accessed October 2026)
16. Government Gazette No. 55016 – Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026 (medical report waiver, 17 Jul 2026) (accessed October 2026)
17. Immigration Regulations, 2014 (GN R413, version of 20 May 2024) (accessed October 2026)
18. HCCH – Status table: Apostille Convention (accessed October 2026)