Six days after President Cyril Ramaphosa officially launched the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa is moving into a new phase of its electronic travel authorization rollout.
Since August 17, 2026, using the system now carries a 500 rand processing fee, or about $30, while initial tests conducted by VisasNews travel document experts show that the portal is also beginning to open to additional nationalities.
A 500 rand fee is now officially in effect
The new fee is now formally part of South African immigration regulations.
On August 17, 2026, the Department of Home Affairs published the final regulations amending fees under the Immigration Act in the Government Gazette.
Published as Government Notice R.7834 in Gazette No. 55209, the regulations introduce a 500 rand “electronic processing fee” specifically applicable to the ETA. The new rules took effect upon publication.
That wording is significant. The draft regulations published on July 27 initially presented the 500 rand charge more broadly as an electronic processing fee for visas and permits submitted online. The final version explicitly ties the fee to the Electronic Travel Authorisation.
For travelers who require a visa, the 500 rand charge covers electronic processing of the ETA. Where a separate visa fee also applies, that amount may be added to the cost of the application.
The portal is beginning to open beyond the four pilot countries
Until recently, the system was primarily associated with its pilot phase, launched for travelers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico.
The Department of Home Affairs had repeatedly said that this initial stage would be followed by a gradual expansion. During the initial presentation of the system, the department explained that once the platform had stabilized, the ETA was intended to become the digital gateway for tourist visas for other visa-required nationalities.
The official ETA portal, eta.dha.gov.za, now uses broader language. It states that the authorization allows travelers from eligible visa-required countries to visit South Africa for tourism or other visits without going through the traditional visa application process.
More importantly, the portal now explicitly states that visa-exempt travelers may also apply for an ETA, including to benefit from a more streamlined border processing experience.
An ETA successfully obtained with a French passport
VisasNews travel experts wanted to test this change in practice. On August 18, 2026, our teams completed a full application through the official portal using a French passport.
Because French citizens are visa-exempt for stays of up to 90 days, the test was designed to determine whether the announced opening to visa-exempt travelers was already operational.
The test was successful.
The entire application could be completed online, the new 500 rand fee was paid, and the Department of Home Affairs subsequently sent both a payment confirmation and an application submission confirmation.
About 30 minutes after payment, the outcome was available: the application showed as approved and the ETA could be downloaded from the applicant’s online account.
The authorization issued as part of the test allows multiple entries into South Africa, remains valid through August 2027 and reminds travelers that they must complete an online traveler declaration before departure.
The test therefore confirms that the portal is no longer technically limited to the four nationalities initially covered by the pilot program and that French, other European, US, Australian and Japanese travelers who qualify for visa-free entry can now voluntarily complete the ETA process.
For travelers who are exempt from a South African visa, however, the authorization remains optional. Their visa-free access for short stays has not been withdrawn.
Rollout remains partial for visa-required travelers
The portal’s broader availability does not yet mean that all visa-required nationalities can use the ETA.
VisasNews experts also conducted an eligibility test using a passport from a visa-required nationality.
In that case, the application could not proceed and the portal displayed the following message: “Unable to process your application due to program participation requirements.”
This test indicates that access to the ETA remains selective for visa-required nationalities and that their integration into the new system is clearly not yet complete.
That is consistent with announcements from the Department of Home Affairs, which has described the ETA expansion for several months as a gradual rollout.
In May 2026, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the technical work needed to expand the system was underway and that the ETA would soon be opened to tourists from more countries.
In July, the minister was still describing the system as operational for the four pilot countries while announcing a forthcoming expansion.
The tests carried out by VisasNews therefore suggest that this expansion phase is now underway, with access already available to some visa-exempt travelers while remaining restricted for certain visa-required nationalities.
Three airports currently listed for ETA entry
The rollout also remains gradual when it comes to ports of entry.
At the time of our test, the official portal indicated that the ETA could be used by ordinary passport holders arriving through:
- OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg;
- Cape Town International Airport, Cape Town;
- Lanseria International Airport, in the Johannesburg area.
Authorities have also announced that King Shaka International Airport, serving Durban, will be incorporated into the new system, although that option did not yet appear in the interface used during our test.
The ETA is expected to be gradually extended to additional ports of entry and, over the longer term, to other visa categories.
A rollout that is still evolving
The situation observed on August 18 shows that South Africa’s ETA is currently in a significant expansion phase.
The 500 rand processing fee is now officially in effect, visa-exempt travelers are beginning to gain practical access to the system, but not all visa-required nationalities appear to have access to the new platform yet.
Eligibility lists and available ports of entry may therefore change quickly as the Department of Home Affairs continues the technical rollout of the system.
VisasNews Take
The official launch of the ETA does not mean that the authorization has become mandatory for every traveler. French, other European and US travelers, in particular, continue to benefit from visa-free stays of up to 90 days. Our test nevertheless confirms that they can now voluntarily apply for an ETA and pay the 500 rand processing fee. Conversely, the block encountered with certain visa-required nationalities shows that access is still being rolled out gradually. During this transition phase, travelers should therefore check their eligibility directly on the official portal before starting an application.
