You're heading abroad on
holiday and you need a
visa. How do you get one,
what does it cost and what
countries require you to
have one?
The easiest way to find out
whether you need a visa for
a specific country is to phone
that country's embassy or
consulate in South Africa. The
visa issue is quite complicated.
For instance, South Africans
do not need a visa to enter
the United Kingdom (if you do
not intend to stay for longer
than six months), but must
have one to visit Angola. You
also need a visa for a business
trip to Namibia, but not if you
go there on holiday. South
Africans need a special visa to
enter France but Switzerland
does not require one.
Different countries also
require different documents
before they issue a visa. These
could vary from your air ticket
to foreign currency (in the
currency of the particular
country) and medical
insurance. You can obtain
this information from the
consulate or embassy.
Thirdly, the price of visas
varies dramatically from just
R150 to a little more than
R1 000. An American visa
costs about US$100.
If you do not feel like
phoning around yourself you
could ask your travel agent to
do this for you. Travel agents
charge a standard service
fee of between R140 and
R300 depending on whose
services you use. The travel
agent's fee is a one-off charge
and you pay the same amount
irrespective of whether you
need one or five visas.
The process can be time-
consuming, so apply well
in advance at least a
month before your intended
departure date.
Click here for an efficient Visa acquisition service
Image: Mouton van Zyl/ Die Burger