How long can I stay in South Africa?

Up to 90 days per visit. The officer at the border sets the actual length and writes it in your passport.

South Africa

Pretoria · South African rand (ZAR) · Afrikaans, English

Photo: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Russia passport South Africa

Do Russians need a visa for South Africa?

Q: How long does a South Africa visa take?

60 days. The published turnaround for a Visitor's Visa under Section 11(1) is 60 days. The electronic port-of-entry visa is listed at 10 days.

No visa needed.

Visa free 90d

You can board a flight to South Africa on a passport from Russia with no visa. You may stay up to 90 days per visit. Immigration will still want to see a return ticket, somewhere to stay, and enough money for the trip.

Status: Visa free
Stay permitted: 90 days
Government fee: Nothing to pay
Typical decision: No application

There is nothing to apply for and nothing to pay.

Book your flight. Any site offering to sell you a South Africa visa, permit or "travel authorisation" for this trip is selling you something you do not need.

If you are travelling on a different passport, South Africa's official entry rules are at dha.gov.za.

Before you fly

Passport validity: 30 days after intended date of departure, with 2 blank pages. dha.gov.za · read 4 Oct 2026
Changing planes: a passport from Russia needs a visa even to stay airside in United Kingdom, unless you hold an exempting document. Transit rules legislation.gov.uk · read 4 Oct 2026

What South Africa asks for

Passport valid for at least 30 days after your visit ends. Home Affairs' visa page asks for at least one unused page; the Immigration Regulations say two, so carry two to be safe
Completed application form BI-84
Payment of the prescribed fee
A yellow fever vaccination certificate, if one is required for where you have travelled
Documentation confirming the purpose and duration of your visit
Proof of funds for your stay
Return or onward ticket

Worth knowing

We do not publish a South African visitor visa fee because the Department of Home Affairs does not publish one centrally. Ask the mission you are applying to, and get the amount in writing.
South Africa has no single national application tracker. Anyone claiming to check your file for a fee is not working with Home Affairs.

How long it takes

The published turnaround for a Visitor's Visa under Section 11(1) is 60 days. The electronic port-of-entry visa is listed at 10 days.