South African visa for U.S. citizens

A visa is NOT required for U.S. passport holders visiting South Africa for a short-term stay: 90 days.

Visa requirements:

Visa type Purposes Visa requirements Allowed stay
Tourist visa For U.S. citizens to enter South Africa for a short-term tourism purpose. Not required 90 days
Evisa South Africa e-visa for U.S. citizens Not Available
Visa on arrival South Africa visa on arrival for U.S. citizens Not Available

South Africa tourist visa requirements:

  • Holding U.S. passport that is valid for six months beyond the period of the intended stay in South Africa.
  • Proof of onward travel (departure) from South Africa.

If you are looking for South Africa visa information, such as available types of visas, or how to apply from United States, we recommend you visit or contact the embassy or consulate of South Africa nearest your place of residence.

  • Washington: The Embassy of South Africa in Washington, United States (Working hours: Open now. Close in 7 hours 48 minutes)
  • Chicago: The Consulate General of South Africa in Chicago, United States (Working hours: Open now. Close in 5 hours 48 minutes)
  • Los Angeles: The Consulate General of South Africa in Los Angeles, United States (Working hours: Open now. Close in 7 hours 48 minutes)
  • New York: The Consulate General of South Africa in New York, United States (Working hours: Close now Lunch time )

South Africa visa applications & requirements (For reference purposes only, please visit the nearest South Africa diplomatic mission offices to United States for guidance)

Tourism Statistics Chart

The line chart shows the number of visitors from United States traveling to South Africa from 2008 to 2018.

Year Number of visitors (United States) estimated Change (%)
2008 369,957 N/A
2009 366,220 -1.01%
2010 358,746 -2.04%
2011 392,378 9.37%
2012 388,641 -0.95%
2013 392,378 0.96%
2014 309,255 -21.18%
2015 297,226 -3.89%
2016 345,013 16.08%
2017 370,747 7.46%
2018 376,892 1.66%
2019 373,694 -0.85%

References: UNWTO.org, World Bank and multiple sources. (This data is for informational purposes only. Please see our disclaimer page for more information.)

South Africa & United States comparison

South Africa's area is approximately 1,213,090 km2 (468,376 sq mi), while the area of United States is approximately 9,147,420 km2 (3,531,837 sq mi). This means United States is 7.54 times bigger than South Africa.

As of March 2024, South Africa's population is ~62.3 million people - 276,469,019 fewer people than the population of United States.

We have highlighted South Africa & United States’s relative positions on world's map for your reference.

South Africa United States Difference
Population (est 2024) 62,345,294 338,814,313 276.5 million fewer people live in South Africa than United States
Number of diplomatic missions abroad (est) 124 273 South Africa has 149 fewer diplomatic representations abroad compared with United States.
Travel freedom (2024) 67 134 South Africa passport holders visit 67 fewer countries and territories without a visa.
Number of foreign missions hosted 197 1147 South African hosts 950 fewer foreign missions than United States.

Frequently asked questions, answered

How many visitors from United States travel to South Africa in one year?

The number of visitors from United States visiting South Africa in 2019 was approximately 373,694.

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