A temporary residence permit in South Africa allows a foreign national to remain in the country for more than 90 days. For some individuals, this can be the first step toward permanent relocation.
Our law firm in South Africa specializes in a number of matters, including immigration and starting a business. We assist both entrepreneurs and individuals who come to the country in pursuit of employment.
Read below to find out more about the general process needed to apply for a temporary permit in South Africa.
We can help you throughout the process if you are interested in immigration to South Africa. Working with a local team of experts is advisable in order to make sure that the application process is straightforward. Our team will not only guide you through the main steps, we can also review the documents prior to their submission, so that your temporary residence permit application will be compliant with the requirements set forth by the South African authorities.
We also assist foreign nationals who are already in the country and wish to apply for a permanent residence permit in South Africa. Several eligibility criteria are notable and it is worth having complete information on these requirements before you apply. You can reach out to us if you are already in the country based on a temporary work visa, or another type of visa.
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Types of temporary residence permits in South Africa
Foreign nationals can apply for the following categories of temporary residence visas:
- Employment: under the general employment policy, when a foreign national has the needed skills and no nationals are available for appointment; a different category for this purpose is the critical skills work visa, subject to additional requirements for immigration to South Africa; intra-company transfer work visas are also available;
- Business: for foreign nationals who are able to start a business or invest in an existing South African company; requirements for the minimum investment amount apply; those who wish to start a business and need a temporary residence permit for South Africa can rely on our assistance;
- Study: for a foreign individual who is admitted to a school, education and training college or higher education institution;
- Others: included in this category are temporary residence permits for relatives, or those for retired individuals.
Our immigration lawyers in South Africa are able to give you details.
Our team can give you more details about all of the available types of residence permits, including the one awarded to foreigners who open a company in South Africa. Specific conditions apply in this case concerning the business, not in terms of its form, but regarding its minimum capital and the industry in which it will activate. Our team can give you more details and assist you during incorporation.
Conditions for the temporary permit South Africa
The temporary permit, or visa for South Africa is applied for with the Embassy or Consulate (a diplomatic mission) in the individual’s country of origin.
Those applying for a temporary residence permit for South Africa from countries where such a diplomatic mission is not available, can travel to the neighboring country and apply there.
Our South Africa lawyers recommend that those interested submit their file in advance and purchase the airline tickets or make the final arrangements for the trip only once the temporary permit for their purpose of stay has been approved.
The following documents are submitted with all applications for a temporary residence permit for South Africa:
- Identification documents: valid passport, recent passport-size photograph, birth certificate, divorce decree, if applicable.
- Police records: a police clearance, or clean criminal record, issued by the relevant authorities in the countries in which the applicant has resided for 12 months or more (since the age of 18);
- Medical records: reports that indicate the applicant’s good health; radiology reports can be required for some categories of the population;
- Documents for children (if applicable): these include the proof of custody or adoption or the consent of the minor child’s parent for travel.
Please keep in mind that this list of documents does not include the ones that are permit-specific and needed for each application for a temporary residence permit for South Africa. These can include those related to employment, business interests or investments, intra-company transfers, or study.
In addition to the documents, proof of fee payment is also required.
Some of the financial conditions when applying for a temporary residence permit for South Africa include the following:
- Minimum monthly income of R37,000 for the retirement visa;
- Amount per person, per month of R 8,500 for the relative’s visa;
- At least R 5,000,000 capital to invest in the case of the business visa.
Please keep in mind that these can be subject to change.
Our team can give you personalized details on the application for a temporary permit for South Africa, depending on your purpose of stay.
Contact our immigration lawyers in South Africa to find out more about the temporary residence visas, or, as needed, details about the permanent residence permits.