South African eVisa roll-out set to commence

Source: Tourism Update, 21/03/2018

The roll-out programme for eVisas in South Africa will commence in
the last quarter of the next financial year, by March 31, 2019,
according to a written statement by the Department of Home Affairs,
to Shadow Minister of Tourism, James Vos.
The statement indicated that “the roll-out programme will be gradual
starting with Phase 1, Release 1, which entails applications for
temporary residence visas, adjudication of temporary residence visas,
applications for waivers, notifications to the applicant via email
and biometrics captured at the Mission. The ePermit will be piloted
at one Mission or local office in the last quarter of the next
financial year by 31st March 2019. This is to ensure system
stability. Once stable, more offices locally and abroad can then be
gradually brought online.
”Vos says he had been calling for an eVisa system to facilitate
easier access for tourists to South Africa, as well as the scrapping
of the unabridged birth certificate requirement, which have both
hampered tourist access to the country and seen a resultant decline
in international tourist arrivals. “South Africa’s tourism industry
is still recovering from the disastrous visa regulations debacle
which, according to the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association,
resulted in an estimated R7.5bn (€506.5m) loss to the tourism economy
and a decrease of about 600 000 tourists.”
With the rand being at its lowest point in 14 years, South Africa
should be thriving as a tourist destination for foreign travellers,
says Vos. “But in spite of this, the government’s visa regulations
continue to make it difficult for tourists to select South Africa as
a destination due its cumbersome visa application processes.”
An eVisa system could mean a greater tourist influx, as well as local
job creation. Vos concludes: “We need to streamline tourist
facilitation to our country to make it easier for travellers to
select South Africa as a country of choice when it comes to travel
and trade. Ultimately government should cut the red tape and roll out
the red carpet.”
The eVisa system will operate as follows, according to the written
statement by the Department of Home Affairs:
“eVisa introduces online capture of visa and permit applications and
capturing of applicant’s biometrics in South Africa and abroad. An
application will be captured and submitted online together with the
required supporting documents that will be scanned and attached to
the application. The applicant will then present himself/herself
before a DHA Official for biometric enrolment and verification of the
submitted supporting documents is conducted at this stage. The
application form together with supporting documents and biometrics
are then electronically routed to DHA Head Office in Pretoria for
adjudication. The applicant is electronically notified of the outcome
via email as well as via the application portal. For an approved
visa/permit, a secure QR-Code is generated for print on the
notification notice/letter sent to the applicant. This QR-Code
contains the approved visa/permit detail and is maintained and
managed by DHA at a secure web-storage facility. The same QR-Code
will be scanned to view and validate the issued virtual visa/permit
upon arrival of the applicant within the Republic. The same QR-Code
is also pre-loaded into Biometric Movement Control System upon
approval of the application and the virtual visa/permit
(eVisa/ePermit) will be further validated at the Port of Entry upon
arrival of the applicant.”