How to Apply for South Africa Visit Visa in Nigeria
This guide shares tips to help you apply for South Africa visit visa in Nigeria. South Africa is a popular tourist destination in Africa which is greatly cherished by both African and non-African tourists.
The country is people’s favourite because you can visit wonderful tourist attractions (such as Table Mountains and Cape of Good Hope). Watch the wildlife and lodge at world class hotels without spending too much.
If you have made up your mind to visit South Africa, going through the South Africa visa application process is one of the first things to do. This article shares details on the requirements, process and the submission centre for South African visa application.
Also, you would discover answers to frequently asked questions on how to apply for South Africa visit visa in Nigeria when you read through.
What is South Africa Visit Visas?
The South African embassy in Nigeria issues the visit visa to help you travel to the country and spend less than three months.
When you need to visit for tourism, vacation, family get-together, or for a business meeting, the South Africa visit visa is best for you. You can take a short educational program or attend a conference with this visa. But, the visa cannot help you stay within South African for longer than 90 days.
If you would like to take a Bachelor’s Degree course or any educational program which demands more than three months in South Africa, you must get the study permit. So also should you get a work permit if you would prefer to work in South Africa.
However, you cannot reside permanently in South Africa with the visit visa. In fact, the South African immigration authorities would ban an individual for 5 years (or more) if caught overstaying their visit visa.
What are the requirements of South Africa visit visa in Nigeria?
Before applying for South Africa visit visa in Nigeria, it pays to consider the requirements. These are documents that you must submit to the embassy for you to get an approval for your visa request. The following are the requirements:
1- International Passport
2- Visa application form
completed and signed with black ink or pen only.
3- Three copies of current passport data pages.
4- Statement of account
Recently collected from your bank. Signed and stamped, showing transactions for the past six months.
5- Yellow vaccination card.
6- Payslip for 6 months.
7- Introduction letter from employer addressed to South African Embassy.
8- Self-introduction letter addressed to South African Embassy.
9- Proof of social ties to Nigeria
Marriage certificate and birth certificate of children, if applicable.
10- Proof of property ownership
if applicable.
11- Flight reservation:
Read our Hotel Reservation + Flight Reservation for visa application post. Click HERE to order for your flight reservation for free (terms and conditions apply)
12- Hotel booking:
Bookings from third party agents such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Expedia.com etc will not be accepted by the embassy. VFS agents will not bother to collect your application from you. Your hotel booking should be valid and should be verifiable if the embassy calls the hotel.
Many hotels will cancel your booking once payment is not received within 24 hours after booking, this could lead to visa refusal. Also, we would not encourage spending lots of money to book hotel when you have not received your visa. We have a solution for the hotel booking which you should see in order not to fall victim. Read our Hotel Reservation + Flight Reservation for visa application post.
13- Invitation letter:
This is applicable to applicants who are attending a seminar, conference or visiting a friend or family member in South Africa. If you do not have any contacts in South Africa, click HERE to order for your valid, verifiable hotel reservation.
How to Apply for South Africa Visit Visas in Nigeria: Step by step
When applying for South Africa visit visa in Nigeria, you should take the following steps:
1- Gather supporting documents
Make three clear copies of your passport data page and clear photocopies of all original documents; previous UK visa, US visa, Canada visa, Japan visa and Schengen visa.
Then endeavor to get all the required documents for the application. Afterwards, click HERE to download application form and fill completely. You can only fill your application form with a black pen.
2- Submit your application
South Africa visa applications are handled by VFS Global. VFS is an agency authorised by the South African authority to handle South Africa visa applications. You can visit their office in Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM, Monday to Friday, for your application submission.
Lagos:
Plot 110, Admiral Ayinla way, opposite treasure garden estate, third roundabout, Lekki Phase I, Lagos.
Abuja:
Sterling Bank Plaza, 3rd Floor, Plot 1083 Mohammadu Buhari Way, Central Business District, Abuja.
Port Harcourt:
Vineyard Shopping Centre, 88 Woji Road, GRA, Port Harcourt.
Mode of payment varies at the different visa application centres (VAC). To pay at the Lagos or Abuja branch, visit the VAC in person and pay by cash at the bank counter. To pay at the Port Harcourt branch, pay at the GTBank branch located at Tombia Road, GRA, Port Harcourt.
Go to the VAC early in the day to submit your application as they will accept the applications on the basis of first come first serve.
If you do not go to retrieve your passport at the VAC after 30 working days, it will be sent to the South Africa Embassy and transferred to the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS). You can find out if your passport is ready for pick-up, by tracking the application online.
3- Collect your passport
Visit VFS with the receipt you got during your visa application submission. This will help you collect your passport when it is ready..You can visit the VFS between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM, Monday to Friday to get the passport.
FAQs on How to Apply for South Africa Visit Visa in Nigeria
The following are answers to some of the frequently asked questions about South Africa visit visa application in Nigeria:
How much is South African visa fee in Nigeria?
When applying for the South Africa visit visa in Nigeria, you would need to pay the visa fee in cash. The visa fee costs N34,315. Click HERE to discover the visa fee for other South Africa visa types.
How can I download the South Africa visa application form in PDF?
You can click HERE to download the South Africa visa application form in Nigeria.
Tell me about South Africa visa application tracking in Nigeria
You have the opportunity to track your South Africa visa application in Nigeria. A page on the VFS website is dedicated for this purpose. Whether you submitted your application in Lagos or Abuja, you can track your application. To do this, you need the reference number on your receipt/proof of submission. Click HERE to track the South Africa visa application tracking in Nigeria.
What is South Africa visa processing time in Nigeria?
South Africa visa processing time in Nigeria is five working days. But it could take up to three weeks depending on the schedule of the South African embassy.
Conclusion
If you have not taken our free visa eligibility test, we advise you take the test now in order to properly plan your application.
