Do I need a visitor visa for the UK?
March 15, 2016 – SA Migration

The United Kingdom is still one of the most popular tourist
destinations for South Africans. With the large South African
community in the UK, there is also a very large number of South
Africans who visit the UK to spend some time with their families.
Others need to travel there for business purposes.
The most important thing for South Africans to keep in mind is that
they need to apply for a UK Visitor Visa before they travel to the UK
because South Africa is a visa-national country.
The standard UK Visitor Visa is granted for six months. It is also
possible to apply for long-term visit visas if you travel to the UK
regularly. These visas are valid for 1, 2, 5 or 10 years, but you are
only allowed to stay a maximum of 6 months during any given year.
Below we have compiled some answers to the most frequently asked
questions on the UK Visitor Visa.
I will be visiting Europe later this year. Will I be able to use my
Schengen Visa to enter the UK?
No, it is very important to remember that you need to apply for your
UK visitor visa before travelling to the UK. The Schengen visa is only
valid to travel to countries part of the Schengen agreement. The
United Kingdom is not a member of the Schengen agreement.
Do I need to do a TB test for the UK visitor visa?
Fortunately, there is not a Tuberculosis (TB) testing requirement for
the UK visitor visa. The TB testing requirement is only required for
South Africans applying for UK visas that allow them to remain in the
UK for more than 6 months at a time.
My daughter has established herself in the UK, and we are planning to
visit her often. Are there options for long term visit visas?
Yes, it is possible to apply for long-term visit visas, if you travel
to the UK regularly. These visas are valid for 1, 2, 5 or 10 years,
but you are

only allowed to stay a maximum of 6 months during any
given year.
I have successfully applied for a 2-year visit visa to the UK. Will I
be able to stay for the entire duration the visa has been granted?
Unfortunately not, even though the Visitor Visa is granted for two
years, you are still only allowed to say in the UK for six months
during any given year.
I am planning to visit a friend of mine who lives in London, and in
between my stay in the UK want to do some sight-seeing in France and
Italy. Will I be able to do that on my same UK Visitor Visa?
You will be allowed to enter and leave the UK on multiple occasions,
provided that your UK visitor visa is still valid. You must also
inform your BIC consultant that you will be leaving the UK, for them
to apply for a dual entry visa. If your UK visitor visa is endorsed as
a single entry, you will only be allowed to enter the UK once. Please
also keep in mind that South African citizens who travel to European
countries such as France and Italy need to apply for a Schengen visa.
I am a South African citizen currently visiting my British partner on
a Visitor Visa in the UK and would like to apply for my settlement
visa while I am in the UK without needing to return to SA.
Unfortunately, South Africans can only apply for a visa in the UK if
they have a type of residence permit. The visitor visa only gives a
person tourist status, and therefore, they will have to return to
their country of residence and apply for entry clearance under a new
category.
I will be applying for my UK Visitor Visa. Am I also liable to pay the
new UK Immigration Health Surcharge?
Fortunately, the UK Immigration Health Surcharge is not payable by
persons applying for the UK Visitor Visa. V.1593

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
Click here for full article

One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
Click here for full article

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
Click here for full article

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
Click here for full article

A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
Click here for full article

On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
Click here for full article

The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
Click here for full article

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
Click here for full article

1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
Click here for full article

Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
Click here for full article