South Africa’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) could soon come with a fee.
Under draft regulations published in the Government Gazette on July 27, 2026, the South African Department of Home Affairs is proposing a 500-rand electronic processing fee, equivalent to about $30, for each ETA application.
The change would accompany the next phase of the system’s rollout, which authorities plan to gradually expand to travelers from all countries whose citizens require a visa to enter South Africa.
A 500-rand electronic processing fee
The first version of the ETA was launched in October 2025, initially in connection with the G20 meetings hosted by South Africa. Since then, the platform has operated without a specific processing fee, partly because the system did not include an integrated online payment solution.
The Department of Home Affairs now says that a fully government-funded model is not sustainable over the long term. The department is ready to introduce an online payment module and is therefore proposing a processing fee of 500 rand for each ETA application.
However, the draft regulations cover more than the electronic travel authorization alone. The proposed fee schedule would apply a 500-rand charge to all visa and permit applications “submitted and processed online.”
This electronic processing fee could therefore be added to existing visa charges, depending on the category requested and the traveler’s nationality.
Fees would vary by visa status
For citizens who are both required to obtain a visa and pay the applicable visa fee, the total cost would be 925 rand. This would include the 500-rand electronic processing fee and the current 425-rand fee for a visitor’s visa.
Travelers who require a visa but are exempt from paying the visa fee would only be charged the 500-rand cost of processing their application through the ETA platform.
The department has compared the proposed pricing with the current outsourced application process. According to its estimates, some applicants currently pay a 1,550-rand service fee to the provider responsible for receiving applications, in addition to the 425-rand visa fee, bringing the total to 1,975 rand.
Using the ETA would reduce their total cost to 925 rand.
The ETA would remain optional for visa-exempt travelers
The proposal also provides an important clarification for nationalities that already enjoy visa-free entry to South Africa.
During the initial phase, these travelers would not be required to obtain an ETA. They could continue entering South Africa under the existing visa exemption at no cost, while also having the option to apply voluntarily for an electronic travel authorization.
According to the authorities, using the ETA could provide a faster and smoother border clearance process.
Travelers who choose this option would also have to pay the 500-rand processing fee. The department says this approach would encourage the use of the new system without changing existing visa exemption arrangements.
No new mandatory travel requirement has therefore been announced at this stage for American and European visitors covered by South Africa’s visa exemption policy. They can continue traveling visa-free for stays of up to 90 days and would only pay the fee if they voluntarily choose to use the ETA once that option becomes available to them.
Rollout remains limited to four nationalities
South Africa’s ETA platform, available at eta.dha.gov.za, is currently open to adult holders of ordinary passports from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico.
Travelers must also arrive through OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, Cape Town International Airport or Lanseria International Airport. Entries through other border checkpoints remain subject to the usual procedures.
When the system was presented in September 2025, the Department of Home Affairs said these four countries would form the first stage of the rollout.
The ETA is then expected to gradually become the main application channel for tourist visas for citizens of all countries subject to South Africa’s visa requirements.
However, authorities have not yet released a detailed implementation schedule or announced which nationalities will be added next.
The draft regulations state that the new fees would take effect on August 17, 2026. However, the government is accepting public comments until August 11, meaning the text could still be amended before it is formally adopted.
VisasNews Take
The 500-rand fee appears in an official government document, but it remains part of draft regulations. For visa-exempt travelers, including French and other eligible European visitors, the ETA would initially remain optional, and visa-free travel would continue without a fee. The proposed August 17, 2026, effective date will need to be confirmed through publication of the final regulations after the public consultation period closes.
