Chinese ordinary passport holders cannot enter South Africa visa-free and there is no visa on arrival. For a short visit you need a visitor’s visa before you travel, or an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) through the platform Home Affairs launched in August 2026. If you will actually work in South Africa, you must hold a work-type visa before you start.
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) handles all visas and permits. This page covers short visits, work, investment and family, with official fees, processing targets and common problems. The rules change often, so check the DHA website and the South African missions in China before you apply.
How Chinese citizens can enter South Africa
No visa exemption, no visa on arrival
Under the DHA visa exemption list issued on 9 December 2025, only Chinese diplomatic, official and service passports are exempt (30 days). Ordinary passports are not, and visa fees apply. In July 2026 the Chinese Embassy warned that online claims of “visa-free South Africa”, “get the visa after landing” or “pay and get a work visa with no requirements” are false. You must hold a visa or ETA before arrival.
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
Home Affairs formally launched the ETA platform (eta.dha.gov.za) on 12 August 2026. It is a digital visa for tourism and short visits and was piloted during South Africa’s 2025 G20 Presidency for travellers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico. Applicants register online, scan their passport, upload a selfie and pay; approved applicants normally receive the ETA within 24 hours. At first it applies to arrivals at OR Tambo, Cape Town, King Shaka and Lanseria airports. DHA says the ETA will progressively become compulsory for short visits by nationals who need visas. Stays are up to 90 days and can be extended once by up to 90 days through the ETA. The gazette of 17 August 2026 sets the ETA electronic processing fee at R500.
Tour groups: Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS)
Launched in February 2025, TTOS lets accredited Chinese and Indian tour operators submit visa applications for groups online, with outcomes usually returned digitally. Phase two in August 2025 expanded the scheme from 65 to 110 operators, and DHA publishes the list of accredited Chinese agencies. It is for tour groups only and cannot be used for work or long stays. For life on the ground, start with the South Africa guide for Chinese residents.
Applying through South African missions in China
Work, business, study and family visas are lodged with South African missions abroad and decided by Home Affairs. The MOFCOM guide notes that work visa applications must be lodged at a South African embassy or consulate and that most foreign companies use an immigration agent.
Main visa types at a glance
Fees below are the official DHA application fees updated in August 2026. They exclude visa centre service fees, translation, notarisation and medicals. Processing times are DHA’s targets, in working days, for applications lodged inside South Africa with Head Office; for applications in China, follow the mission’s guidance.
| Visa | Purpose | Validity | Official fee (rand) | In-country target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor’s visa / ETA | Tourism, family visits, business meetings; no work | Up to 90 days | Visitor’s visa 425; ETA 500 | Visitor’s visa 60 days; ETA usually 24 hours |
| Business visa | Investing in a new or existing business | Up to 3 years at a time | 1,520 | 8 weeks |
| General work visa | Employment with a specific employer | Contract term, max. 5 years | 1,520 | 4 weeks |
| Critical skills work visa | Occupation on the Critical Skills List | Up to 5 years | 1,520 | 4 weeks |
| Intra-company transfer work visa | Secondment within a multinational | Up to 4 years; no renewal or extension | 1,520 | Not listed |
| Corporate visa | Employer hiring several foreign workers | Up to 3 years | 1,520 | Not listed |
| Relative’s visa | Immediate family of a citizen or permanent resident | Up to 2 years at a time | 435 (different rules for spouses and minor children) | 120 days |
| Study visa | Study; part-time work up to 20 hours a week | Length of studies | 425 | 60 days |
Business visits versus work
Market visits, meetings and contract negotiations can be done on a visitor’s visa or ETA. Actual work in South Africa needs a work-type visa first, even if a Chinese company pays your salary. The Chinese Embassy’s July 2026 notice states that holders of accompanying, visitor, business and ETA status may not take up employment, and that activities must match the visa. South Africa stepped up enforcement against illegal entry, stay and work in 2026. A Chinese citizen has already been deported and banned for visa violations, and penalties include heavy fines, imprisonment and criminal charges. The embassy also tells employers to check their workers’ visa categories and status regularly. Employer obligations under labour law are covered in doing business in South Africa.
Work visas: general work, critical skills and transfers
General work visa
The general work visa is tied to one employer and position and lasts for the contract term, up to 5 years. Requirements include employer undertakings, qualifications evaluated by SAQA, police clearance and a medical report. The MOFCOM guide notes that under section 19 of the Immigration Act 2002 an employer may not hire a foreigner if a suitable South African is available, and that a change of employer or role must be reported to Home Affairs or a new visa obtained. According to Webber Wentzel, a ministerial waiver of 8 October 2024 removed the Department of Labour certificate for general work visas, and applicants with only proof of a pending SAQA evaluation can get a one-year visa.
Critical skills work visa
Introduced in 2014 to replace the old quota system, the critical skills visa follows the DHA Critical Skills List and runs for up to 5 years. DHA stresses that it is not a work-seeker’s visa: you need a job offer or contract when you apply. The immigration regulations amended in October 2024 introduced a points-based framework (100-point threshold) for general work and critical skills visas; confirm how it is applied with DHA or a registered immigration practitioner. Chinese business associations, listed under the Chinese community in South Africa, are another place to compare experiences.
Intra-company transfer and corporate visas
The intra-company transfer visa suits Chinese companies sending staff from head office. It requires transfer letters from both companies, a contract of at least six months and a skills-transfer plan, and lasts up to 4 years with no renewal or extension. The corporate visa is applied for by the company. It must show need, provide a Department of Labour certificate and registrations with SARS, UIF, COIDA and CIPC, and keep at least 60% of staff South African citizens or permanent residents.
Trusted Employer Scheme
DHA gazetted the Trusted Employer Scheme on 11 October 2023. Employers pre-vetted for tax and labour compliance get a simpler route for a set number of skilled foreign staff. DHA’s target for general work and critical skills visas, including the scheme, is 4 weeks.
Business visa: investing in your own company
If you set up and work in your own company, you need a business visa. Based on the 2025 checklist published by a South African mission, the main requirements are:
- A certificate from a South African registered accountant showing at least R5,000,000 in cash (or cash plus new machinery or equipment) from outside South Africa available for the business;
- An undertaking that within 12 months at least 60% of staff will be South African citizens or permanent residents employed permanently;
- Undertakings or proof of registration with SARS, UIF, COIDA and CIPC;
- A recommendation letter from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on feasibility and national interest;
- For existing businesses, the previous year’s financial statements and proof of investment.
A business visa is issued for up to 3 years at a time, allows only work related to that business, and requires proof of the investment within 24 months and every two years after. Businesses importing second-hand vehicles for re-export, the “exotic entertainment” industry and the security industry are excluded. The capital requirement can be reduced or waived for businesses in the national interest on DTIC’s recommendation. For company registration itself, see registering a company in South Africa.
Family and long-term residence
Immediate family of a business visa holder can get matching visas. Immediate relatives of South African citizens or permanent residents can apply for a relative’s visa (up to 2 years at a time). The permanent residence permit fee is R1,520; DHA’s target is 8 months for work and business permits and 240 days for family-based permits. Permanent residence and citizenship are a separate topic not yet covered on this site; see the “Permanent Residency” section of the DHA website. Neighbouring countries have different rules: see Zambia visas and work permits and the Southern Africa overview.
Common documents
- Passport valid for at least 30 days beyond your intended departure, with at least 2 blank pages;
- A completed application form (such as DHA-1738), in English;
- Recent photos (not older than 6 months);
- Police clearance from every country where you lived 12 months or more after age 18;
- Medical report (form BI-811) and radiological report (form BI-806), not older than 6 months;
- Marriage or birth certificates, with sworn English translations where needed;
- Yellow fever certificate if you come from or transit an endemic area;
- Proof of payment and category-specific documents (job contract, SAQA evaluation, accountant’s certificate, etc.).
Step-by-step process
- Choose the category that matches what you will actually do. Do not work on a visitor’s visa or ETA.
- Prepare and authenticate documents in China: police clearance, medicals, qualification evaluation, translations.
- Apply for short visits on the ETA platform; lodge other visas with South African missions in China or their designated visa centres and give biometrics.
- Wait for the DHA decision. The visa is affixed to your passport and becomes valid from your entry stamp.
- Work or do business within the visa conditions and plan renewals early.
Renewals, overstays and common problems
- Renew early: The Chinese Embassy advised in July 2026 that, under current policy, extensions should generally be lodged at least 60 days before expiry, and you must leave before your stay ends.
- Overstaying: Overstayers can be declared an “undesirable person” at the port and given Form 19, barring re-entry for a period. Appeals go in writing as set out on DHA’s Overstay Appeals page, with Form 19, passport pages and any application receipt.
- Intra-company transfers cannot be renewed: leave or apply for another category.
- Traveller declaration: From 1 July 2026 all travellers entering or leaving must complete an electronic declaration through SARS within 24 hours before departure (SARS traveller declaration).
- Agent traps: In January 2026 the embassy reported several people brought in through “labour agents” or acquaintances without contracts or work visas who then faced unpaid wages, confiscated passports and detention.
- ID checks: Carry copies or digital versions of your passport, visa and permit. If someone who is not a law enforcement officer demands an inspection, politely refuse and call the police.
If you are detained or defrauded during the process, contact the Chinese Embassy or consulates; see consular protection and assistance. For an expiring passport, see passport renewal in Africa. For staying safe, see South Africa safety guide, and for the overall picture, the South Africa guide for Chinese residents.
References
- Exempt Countries (visa exemption list) (Department of Home Affairs, issued 9 December 2025)
- Minister Leon Schreiber: Launch of South Africa’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (South African Government, 12 August 2026)
- DHA launches Electronic Travel Authorisation platform to boost tourism, curb corruption (Engineering News, 13 August 2026)
- Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (Department of Home Affairs, 2025)
- Schreiber launches phase two of the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (IOL Business Report, 9 August 2025)
- Types of Visas (Department of Home Affairs, accessed 2026)
- Tariffs / Fees (Department of Home Affairs, updated August 2026)
- Turnaround Times for Visas and Permits (Department of Home Affairs, accessed 2026)
- Critical Skills Visa (Department of Home Affairs, accessed 2026)
- Trusted Employer Scheme (Department of Home Affairs, gazetted 2023)
- Latest developments in South African immigration: point-based system, remote work visa, visa backlogs and extended concessions (Webber Wentzel via Mondaq, March 2025)
- Application for a Business Visa (checklist) (South African Embassy Copenhagen / DIRCO, 2025)
- Overstay Appeals (Department of Home Affairs, accessed 2026)
- Embassy reminder: comply with visa rules and employ workers lawfully (Chinese) (Chinese Embassy in South Africa, 29 July 2026)
- Embassy reminder: do not work illegally in South Africa (Chinese) (Chinese Embassy in South Africa, 19 January 2026)
- Embassy reminder: complete the traveller declaration before entering or leaving (Chinese) (Chinese Embassy in South Africa, 6 July 2026)
- Traveller Declaration (South African Revenue Service, 2026)
- Country Guide for Outward Investment and Cooperation: South Africa (2025 edition) (MOFCOM / CAITEC / Chinese Embassy Economic and Commercial Office, 2025)