South Africa Work Visa Options

South Africa's main routes for taking a job with a South African employer are the general work visa and the critical skills work visa, both under section 19 of the Immigration Act. Since Oct. 9, 2024, both use a points system: applicants need 100 points (Government Notice 5448).

• Status: active
• Points needed: 100
• Length: up to 5 years at a time
• DHA fee: ZAR 1,520
• Family: Yes

Remote workers employed abroad use the Remote Work visa instead. The South Africa guide compares all the routes.

An offer of employment is mandatory. The points notice then scores:

• Salary: an offer above ZAR 976,194 a year gross earns the most points; one between ZAR 650,976 and ZAR 976,194 earns fewer.
• Critical skills: an occupation on the critical skills list scores the full 100 points on its own.
• Other criteria: qualifications at NQF level 7 or above, work experience, an offer from a trusted employer and proficiency in at least one official language.

Reaching 100 points through the critical skills list leads to a critical skills work visa; reaching it through other criteria leads to a general work visa. The salary bands are points, not a minimum salary. Applicants also meet the other rules, such as police clearance and a medical report.

The DHA general work visa checklist asks for:

1. A completed and signed application form and proof of payment of the fee.
2. A passport that expires at least 30 days after the intended departure date.
3. A medical report signed by a medical practitioner, no older than six months.
4. A police clearance certificate from each country where the applicant lived for longer than 12 months in the last five years, no older than six months.
5. A yellow fever vaccination certificate, where the travel history calls for one.
6. A written undertaking by the employer to keep the employee's passport valid, cover deportation costs if needed and tell the Director-General if the employee breaks the visa conditions or leaves the job.
7. The SAQA evaluation of foreign qualifications, translated by a sworn translator into an official language, or proof that the evaluation was applied for.
8. Full details of the employer, including company registration with CIPC where applicable.

Critical skills applicants also show that the occupation is on the critical skills list. DHA publishes a separate checklist for that visa.

• DHA fee: ZAR 1,520 for general work and critical skills visas lodged through VFS in South Africa (VFS).
• VFS service fee: a private charge on top.
• Missions abroad: the fee is charged in local currency and differs by mission.

Other costs: the SAQA evaluation, sworn translations, the medical report and police certificates.

Where to apply: South African mission abroad, or a VFS Global visa facilitation center inside South Africa

1. Check the points against the points notice.
2. Get the employer's undertaking and start the SAQA evaluation early, since it can hold up the full term.
3. Submit the application with the documents and pay the fee.
4. Wait for the decision. No official processing time could be confirmed.

Extensions are submitted in person at least 60 days before the visa expires, or no later than seven working days before expiry for a visa issued for less than 30 days (DHA).

• Length: up to 5 years at a time. Where the SAQA outcome is still pending, the general work visa is first issued for a shorter period and extended to the full term once a positive outcome is filed.
• Extension: filed in person before expiry, with the deadlines above.
• Permanent residence: Work visa holders can apply for permanent residence under section 26(a) after five years on a work visa with an offer of permanent employment.

Work visas come with no special tax treatment. Pay for work done in South Africa is generally South African-source income, so it's taxable whether or not the holder is tax resident.

Tax residence follows the Income Tax Act, not the visa. People ordinarily resident in South Africa are tax resident whatever their day count. Everyone else becomes resident under the physical presence test: more than 91 days in the current tax year and in each of the five previous tax years, plus more than 915 days in total over those five years (SARS Interpretation Note 4).

Residents are taxed on worldwide income, subject to certain exclusions; non-residents are taxed only on income from a South African source. The tax year starts March 1.

Workers who keep income or tax residence elsewhere should check any tax treaty between South Africa and that country.