EU to relax visa laws for South Africans

FLIGHT Centre Travel Group this week said it welcomed reports that South Africans may soon not need visas to travel to Europe.

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba announced on Tuesday that he had held talks with the European Union regarding the relaxation or elimination of its visa requirements for South African passport holders

The new visa requirements for Europe may come into effect as early as March next year.

Andrew Stark, managing director of Flight Centre Travel Group, South Africa s largest travel company, says this is a significant development for all South African travellers.

This move is a step in the right direction for South Africans, making overseas travel far more accessible and affordable. It is fantastic news. Visas are a tedious process, adding significant administration costs to a trip or holiday,” he says.

This move will make South African passports more prestigious and will open up the world for those who want to tour. Europe and the UK remain one of the biggest outbound destinations for SA travellers and this amendment will certainly make travel to Europe far easier despite our weak currency. We welcome this step by the Home Affairs Ministry and applaud the minister.”

South African passport holders currently need a Schengen visa to enter Europe.

The Schengen visa allows access to all the 22 European Union member states as well as four members of the European Free Trade Association, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Hungary and Sweden.

South African passport holders do not require a visa for Ireland, but need a visa to enter the UK.

A short-term Schengen visa currently costs R1 023, while a six-month UK visa costs R1 740 and a US visa R2 480. A visa for Australia costs R2 281 while entry to Canada is R1 060.

Processing UK, Australian, Canadian and Schengen visas also incur administrative costs, which are included in the visa fee, and visa applicants often need to produce lots of supporting documents such as three months worth of bank statements to prove that they can afford to finance their stay in the foreign destination including attending an interview, if necessary.