South Africa: Legal Documents Needed for Entry

First-time travelers may have a hard time figuring out all of the requirements and paperwork that it takes just to enter another country. In the United States, people can travel from state to state without interruption; however that luxury does not exist when traveling from country to country. South Africa requires certain legal documents as well as certain vaccinations. Entry requirements depend upon the country from which the traveler is arriving. Requirements can change any time, so it is best to keep up to date with the regulations by checking well in advance of your trip and a few months before you leave as well, to be certain nothing has changed that will effect your trip.

Let’s cut to the chase.
The U.S department of State recommends that the passports of all travelers to South Africa contain at least two completely blank (unstamped) visa pages each time entry is sought. It also says that these pages are in addition to the endorsement/amendment pages (as many as four) at the back of the passport. While South African statutes require only one completely blank visa page, this rule has been applied inconsistently by South African immigration officials.


The U.S department of State says that in addition, any trip to a neighboring country would necessitate another blank page upon return. Travelers lacking adequate blank pages in the passport may be refused entry into South Africa, fined, and returned to their point of origin at the traveler’s expense. South African authorities have denied diplomatic missions access to assist in these cases.

As a general precaution, all travelers are advised to carry a photocopy of the photo/bio information page of their passport and keep it in a location separate from the passport.

Short vs. Long Term Stays
Travelers do not require visas for stays of up to 90 days. If travelers overstay that period without a permit issued by the South African Dept. of Home Affairs, they may be fined up to 3000 rand (approximately 300 US dollars). All others (apart from travelers) including academics, students on educational trips, and volunteers, may need visas. Americans who want to work in South Africa must apply for work permits before arrival; or they can be refused and returned to point of origin.

Required Vaccinations and Proof
If you are traveling to South Africa, where yellow fever is endemic, you are often required to present the yellow International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV). If you are unable to do so, you must be inoculated at the airport in order to be permitted entry. That could be a great hassle considering you will need to spend extra money; and a planned great time in South Africa can turn into an unexpected stay at the airport!

You can get the yellow fever vaccination, as well as the internationally recognized Certificate of Vaccination as proof, all in about an hour with a visit to Passport Health.

Any questions?

Egypt: What documents do I need?

Before starting any trip overseas you should ask yourself some important questions.

• Do I have a valid passport?
• Do I need a visa?
• Did I get all recommended travel vaccinations? Can I prove it?
• Where can I get reliable information?
• How long will it take me to collect all documents?

The following information should help you with answering those questions.

All U.S. citizens need a passport and visa to enter Egypt.

Make sure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after you plan to return to the United States. You can apply for a passport at your local post office for a fee of about $100. Come prepared with all forms filled out and passport pictures ready to speed up process.

A renewable 30-Day tourist visa can be obtained upon arrival at an Egyptian airport for a $15 fee, payable in U.S. Dollars.

Visitors who enter Egypt overland or have previously experienced difficulties with their visa status in Egypt should obtain their visa prior to their travel.

A tourist visa can be obtained at the Egyptian Embassy in Washington. The embassy currently requires a minimum of 7-10 working days to process visa requests. It is suggested to submit your request as early as possible.

The Egyptian visa requirements are:

• Filled out visa application form (can be downloaded from the embassy’s website)
• One 2” by 2” recent photo
• Passport (still valid for at least 6 months) and has an empty page to stamp the visa.
• Fee (for U.S. citizens fees are $15, payments are in cash or money order only, money orders payable to the Consulate of Egypt)
• For Non-Americans, photocopy of green card or valid U.S. Visa and Photocopy of round-trip ticket or itinerary. Visit the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site at http://www.mfa.gov.eg/mfa_portal/en-gb/ for the most current visa information.

If arriving from an infected area, a proof of yellow fever immunization is required to enter the country.

Evidence of an AIDS test is required for everyone staying over thirty days, for the purpose of studying or working in Egypt.