The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is pursuing new regulations to make it easier for business travellers, tourists and academics to enter South Africa, but South African minors leaving the country will still need consent from both parents when leaving the country.

The announcement of the new regulations by Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba, on Tuesday, is in line with the new economic stimulus and recovery plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday.

As part of measures to ease entry for travellers into South Africa, the DHA is reviewing the visa requirements for African countries that are currently not exempt, as called for by the 2017 White Paper on International Migration and in line with the African free movement agenda.

For the country’s top ten African tourism markets, Nigeria is the only country with a visa requirement for ordinary passport holders.

For the country’s top ten overseas tourism markets, only India and China require visas.

Negotiations are being finalised to conclude visa waiver agreements for ordinary passport holders with a number of countries. In Africa, this encompasses Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Sao Tome and Principe, Tunisia, Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic and Ghana.

In the Middle East, this encompasses the State of Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

In Eastern Europe, it includes Belarus and Georgia; and in the Caribbean, Cuba. 

Following the visa waiver for all citizens of the Russian Federation and Angola last year, the number of tourists from those countries visiting South Africa has increased, enthused Gigaba.

EASE OF TRAVEL

The department is simplifying visa requirements for countries such as China and Nigeria to attract more tourists, business people and families.

This entails making provisions for taking biometrics on arrival in the country, allowing visa applications via courier and issuing five-year multiple entry visas; and is expected to begin next month.

To further ease the movement of travellers, for tourism, business and academic purposes, the department has implemented long-term multiple entry visas for frequent travellers – a three-year multiple entry visa for frequent trusted travellers to South Africa; and a ten-year long-term multiple entry visa for business people and academics from Africa.

To attract investors, businesspersons from China and India, are issued ten-year multiple entry visas, within five days of application.

CRITICAL SKILLS

Consultations are also being finalised with other government departments, academia, business and organised labour to implement a reviewed critical skills list by April next year, to attract and retain critical skills to advance the country, indicated Gigaba.

Foreign students who graduate at South African institutions of higher learning within the skills list can apply for permanent residency upon graduation, waiving other citizenship requirements, he noted.   

Those who do not opt for permanent residency may be issued with critical skills visas.

UNABRIDGED BIRTH CERTIFICATES

Gigaba, meanwhile, stressed the need for unabridged birth certificates for minors, stating that it remains a safeguard against dangers such as child trafficking

This will, however, gradually be phased out as new passports displaying both parents’ names are being issued.

However, Association of Southern African Travel Agents CEO Otto De Vries said the unabridged certificate requirement has stifled outbound tourism as it makes international travel difficult for local families. The continuation of this policy will, therefore, continue to impact on tourism growth.

Moreover, De Vries said the new child passport is an inadequate solution, owing to the different family makeups in modern South Africa, which makes it difficult for both parents to be present when applying for a child’s passport.

Further, with regard to foreign minors travelling to South Africa, they will be strongly advised to carry documentation providing parental consent, rather than being required to do so; to minimise disruption to legitimate travellers without compromising minors’ safety and rights of parents.

Immigration officials will only insist on documentation by exceptions – in high-risk situations – rather than for all travellers. Travellers will also be given an opportunity to prove parental consent, rather than being denied entrance.

The department will issue an international travel advisory before the end of October, after consultation with the Immigration Advisory Board. 

Both these changes are expected to be implemented in good time for the festive season, when many people would be travelling with children. Immigration officials will be trained on revised regulations to ensure smooth implementation, the DHA pointed out.

TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS

Meanwhile, the development of a new biometric movement control system is being finalised for piloting at Cape Town and Lanseria International Airports, to enhance efficiency in clearing international arrivals, the DHA announced.

The development of an e-visa is at an advanced stage, and will be piloted in New Zealand, by April next year, and advanced to other countries at a later stage, to enhance efficiency in issuing visas.

Piloting will begin for e-Gates at OR Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka international airports by next year, for returning South African travellers and certain trusted travellers to be processed electronically.

To implement these developments, there is a need to optimise border control operations and processes, through establishing an Integrated Border Management Authority. The Bill pertaining to this is currently at the National Council of Provinces for finalisation.