A digital nomad visa in South Africa is not currently in this exact form, however, the authorities have expressed their willingness to adjust the current visa regime to suit the needs of those interested in a remote working visa for South Africa.
In many other countries, the digital nomad visa allows the holder to remain in the country for one year or more, based on income derived from a freelance contract or employed work that is not location-dependent.
Under a digital visa regime, remote work in South Africa could open new possibilities to many digital nomads, individuals who are engaged in activities that allow them to work from any location.
While an exact digital nomad visa in South Africa is not available at the moment, our team will guide you through the process of visa application that will suit your particular purpose of staying in the country.
Our immigration lawyers in South Africa can also answer your questions if you have a particular situation, such as needing to bring your family members with you to the country.
Our team can also answer any questions for those interested in company formation in South Africa. If you need a digital nomad visa in other countries, such as Malaysia, we can put you in touch with our local partners.
Entrepreneurs who are able to open a company in South Africa, not only work as digital nomads from this country, can rely on our assistance for company formation in the country. The general conditions for registering a business apply in this case, and, in addition to these, the company incorporated for residency purposes will also need a minimum capital, in addition to meeting other requirements.
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The digital nomad visa in South Africa
Lawmakers are taking into consideration the introduction of a remote work visa for South Africa that will attract skilled foreign nationals to the country.
While advantageous for the digital nomad who wishes to work remotely, a South Africa digital nomad visa would also mean that the county could enjoy a higher number of tourists.
African president Cyril Ramaphosa has recently stated that a digital nomad visa in South Africa is under discussion, and lawmakers are discussing changing the current work visa system.
In his statement, the president said that two visas could be introduced for foreign nationals: the start-up visa and the remote working visa for South Africa.
The start-up visa could be ideal for those interested in company formation in South Africa, as it may provide residency benefits and the ability to bring family members for investors, much in the same way as this type of visa is in place in other countries.
The potential advantages of a South Africa digital nomad visa
A digital nomad visa, or a remote work visa for South Africa, would allow professionals from around the world to reside in South Africa while engaging in their current activities, by maintaining their overseas clients.
The digital nomad visa in South Africa would offer the following advantages:
- Cultural diversity: the country is a blend of many different cultures, all worth exploring while taking time off work;
- Natural beauty: digital nomads would enjoy the beautiful beaches, forests, and mountain ranges; South Africa can truly be a dream destination for nature lovers;
- Lifestyle: good private healthcare and relatively low living costs compared to other large cities around the world, such as London;
- English is widely spoken: South Africa has 11 official languages and English is one of these.
Tourism is an important and developed industry:
- there were 10,288,593 international arrivals in in 2019;
- most tourist arrivals in 2020 were in Gauteng (52.1%) followed by Western Cape (25.1%);
- in 2019, tourists remained in the country for 11.4 nights on average.
If you are interested in immigration to South Africa, our team can give you more details about this option.
Types of visas in South Africa
Our lawyers in South Africa briefly list the types of temporary residence visas available to foreign nationals, until the introduction of the digital nomad visa in South Africa:
- Business visa: for those who wish to invest or open a company in South Africa; several conditions apply for the amount of investment;
- Work visa: issued for general work, individuals with critical skills, intra-company transfers and in other cases; commonly used for immigration to South Africa.
- Study visa: available to foreigners who wish to study in South Africa and were admitted by an educational institution;
- Retired person’s visa: for foreign nationals who wish to retire to the country, provided that they have sufficient income;
- Relative visa: for the spouse or other immediate family member of a citizen or a permanent resident.
Our immigration lawyers in South Africa can give you more details about the application requirements set forth by the Department of Home Affairs.
A digital nomad visa in South Africa could allow traveling professionals the ability to remain in the country for one year (as in many cases with this type of visa).
While a digital nomad will be interested in maintaining his nomadic lifestyle, for those who are interested in permanent residence in South Africa, our team can answer specific questions about their right to remain in the country. The work visa is one such route to permanent residency, however, digital nomads are not effectively employed in South Africa. Our team will analyse your case and help you explore your options.
Digital nomads who relocate to South Africa will need to meet the current requirements for lawful residence in the country, as well as the conditions to renew their residence permit if they plan on remaining in the country for remote work past its initial validity period. Our team specializing in immigration to South Africa can answer any questions if you plan to engage in remote work from Cape Town or another city.
You can contact our South Africa lawyers for more information on the types of visas that are currently available.