South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has introduced a R500 (roughly $31) processing fee for its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, effective August 17, 2026. The charge was formalised through amendments to the country's visa regulations, gazetted on the same day, just five days after President Cyril Ramaphosa officially launched the digital platform at OR Tambo International Airport on August 12.
Pilot Phase and Fee Waiver
The ETA had been running in pilot form since October 2025 for nationals of selected countries, offering digital applications with decisions delivered within 24 hours, according to Business Insider. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber explained that fees were initially waived because the platform lacked an integrated online payment system during the pilot phase.
Now that online payments are functional, the R500 charge applies to each ETA application submitted. Schreiber noted that the new fee structure actually lowers the overall cost of travelling to South Africa compared to the old visa system.
Cost Comparison with Old Visa System
Previously, applicants paid a R425 visa fee plus a R1,550 charge collected by outsourced visa-processing companies, bringing the total to R1,975. Under the ETA arrangement, the R1,550 outsourced fee is replaced by the R500 processing charge, while the R425 visa fee remains in place, bringing the combined cost to R925. This represents a saving of R1,050 per application.
Mandatory ETA for Visa-Required Travellers
The department intends to make the ETA compulsory for travellers from countries that currently require a visa to enter South Africa. For visitors from visa-exempt nations, the system will remain optional at first, though Schreiber said the department expects voluntary uptake because of the platform's faster processing times and security features.
President Ramaphosa has stated that the government plans to extend the ETA to additional countries and eventually bring other immigration services, including work and study visas, into the digital system. This initiative is part of the Home Affairs department's digital transformation programme, which aims to cut paperwork and speed up immigration processing across the board.
For now, the R500 fee applies to ETA applications from participating countries, with further country inclusions and service expansions expected to be announced as the platform grows beyond its initial pilot phase.
