South Africa waives BI-811 medical report for residence visa applications

South Africa stopped requiring doctor-completed medical reports for most temporary and permanent residence applications on July 8, removing a document that applicants previously had to obtain before filing.

The BI-811 requirement is waived

Ministerial Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026 grants a blanket waiver from the medical report requirements for temporary residence visas and permanent residence permits. Immigration Minister Leon Schreiber signed the directive on July 8 and it was published in the Government Gazette on July 17.

Covered applicants no longer need to submit the BI-811 medical report, which required completion by a doctor. The waiver has no stated expiration date, so it remains in force unless the Department of Home Affairs withdraws or replaces it.

Pending applications are covered

The published directive applies to applications filed since July 8, future filings and cases already awaiting a decision on that date. That means pending applicants don't need to refile solely to benefit from the waiver.

An earlier version limited part of the waiver to temporary residence applications lodged inside South Africa. That version was withdrawn and replaced with the broader Gazette-published text, though some consulates and VFS centers abroad may take time to update their document checklists. Applicants with pending cases or appointments should confirm local practice before paying for a medical examination or removing the report from an existing file.

Long-stay applicants benefit, not tourists

The change covers temporary residence categories such as work, business, study, retirement and dependent visas, along with permanent residence applications. Remote workers using one of those routes can drop the medical report from their application packet, reducing one step in the process of settling in South Africa.

Ordinary short-stay tourists are unaffected because brief visitor visas and visa-exempt entries generally didn't require the report. The waiver changes documentation for long-term applicants, not the entry rules for a standard holiday or business trip.