How to prepare applications:

1. Medical certificate and radiological report shall not be older than six months at the time of its submission. Only certificates issued in South Africa and Korea are acceptable.
2. Police clearance certificates shall not be older than six months at the time of its submission.
3. Proof of sufficient financial means shall be recent one (not older than three months) at the time of its submission.
4. Passport shall be machine readable with at least two (2) unused visa pages. A foreigner may be admitted into or depart from South Africa with a non-machine readable passport, provided that a foreigner from a state that it is issuing machine readable passports and has not completely phased out the non-machine readable passports; and the passport was issued after 24 November 2005 and its date of expiry is before 24 November 2015.
5. Applicants must prove that permanent homosexual or heterosexual relationship has existed as a spouse for at least two years before the date of application for a relevant visa or permanent residence permit.
6. Where parents are travelling with a child (under 18 years), Please see the FAQ for information. Regarding a visa application for a child under 18 years old, the application should be accompanied by consent in the form of an affidavit from both parents. It can be signed at a notary office. Valid passports of both parents must be attached to the affidavit.
7. Applications shall be made in person at any SA mission in the country of the applicant’s normal residence which includes permanent residence, long-term temporary residence, and in the country of which the applicant holds a valid passport.
8. The documents shall be
   • Originals or copies authenticated by the issuing authority of the country of origin; and
   • Translated into English, where applicable, and certified as a correct translation by a sworn translator at the expense of the applicant.
   • Certified copies are valid for 3 months from the date of certification.
9. A foreigner who is in South Africa and applies for a change of status or terms and conditions relating to his or her visa shall- (a) submit application no less than 60 days prior to the expiry date of his/her visa; and (b) provided proof that he/she has been admitted lawfully into South Africa. Provided that no person holding a visitor’s or medical treatment visa may apply for a change of status to his or her visa while South Africa. Please visit VFS website to read the procedures and information.
10. An application for an extension shall be submitted in person no less than 60 days prior to the expiry date of the current visa and if the visa was issued for less than 30 days, not later than 7 working days before the expiry of the visa. Please visit VFS website to read the procedures and information.
11. A person, other than a resident from a country with which South Africa shares a border, who is in possession of a visa issued on the basis of an exemption, shall on upon readmission to South Africa be admitted on the same visa, and where such a visa has expired, may be admitted on a new visa valid for a period not exceeding seven days: Provided that where that foreigner arrives at a port of entry from the country of residence, the new visa may be issued for a period not exceeding the period attached to the visa exemption.