South Africa will trial new e-visa system in November
On October 17, 2019 / Leave a comment
South Africa will trial a new e-visa system in November, making it easier for tourists to enter the country thanks to the online capture of visa applications and biometric information.
The introduction of e-visas will be good news for people who travel to countries that require them. The system would allow applicants to access their documents online, eliminating the need to visit South African missions abroad.
Department of Home Affairs spokesperson Siya Qoza says that the pilot aims to test the resilience of the system, with the department already holding successful trials in a controlled environment. The pilot will be conducted with Kenya first at the OR Tambo and Lanseria airports. At the end of the month, they will evaluate the project and look at which other countries to expand the e-visa system to. The system is quick and has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible.
It’s said that the estimated entire application process would take around 20 minutes, provided the applicant has all of the necessary supporting documents ready for submission. Should one of the required documents be missing, applicants can resume the process exactly where they left off at a later date.
Department of Home Affairs spokesperson also confirmed that Home Affairs was working with the Aiport Company South Africa (Acsa) to pilot e-gates at the country’s airports. The Home Affairs said in April that the e-gates would be introduced in a phased approach.
The broad objective of the project is the facilitation of movement of low-risk travellers through a self-service solution, hence freeing capacity for the assessment of high-risk categories by an immigration officer. In line with the risk-based approach to managing migration, the first phase will focus on South African passport holders (excluding minors).
With the e-gates pilot at Cape Town International Airport, South African passport holders travelling internationally will proceed to e-gates for self-service immigration clearance
If you are looking to obtain a visa for South Africa, it’s always easier when you use the help of an Immigration Consultant. Make sure you get in touch with one of our qualified Immigration Consultants today to make your move to South Africa a seamless one.
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