South Africa dropped its Covid-19 entry restrictions several months ago.
But the rainbow nation still requires the traveler to bring several documents in order to enter the territory.
From visa to passport, overview of what you should not forget.
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With which travel documents can one go to South Africa?
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As with many other countries, whether or not you need to bring certain documents depends on the duration of your vacation there.
Thus, any stay of less than 90 days in South Africa does not require a prior visa application.
Small South African particularity: a 90-day residence permit is systematically issued upon entry into the territory.
Do you plan to stay longer?
A request for a tourist visa must be made.
You can also extend your stay beyond these 90 days for an additional three months… Only if you have requested an extension of your visa at least 60 days before it expires.
On the other hand, do not ignore the passport - no matter the duration of your stay.
To travel to South Africa, your passport must necessarily have two blank pages and be valid for 30 days after the planned date of the end of your stay.
If these conditions are not met, expect to be turned away upon arrival.
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What health measures are in place to deal with Covid?
It is not necessary to present a negative test or a vaccination certificate when entering the country.
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Since June 23, 2022, it is no longer necessary to present a negative PCR test or proof of a complete vaccination schedule to enter South African soil.
Wearing a mask is also no longer compulsory.
Europe had for a time closed its borders to South Africa due to the emergence of the Omicron variant in the territory.
Today, the number of daily new cases in the country has largely decreased.
It is nevertheless advisable, during your stay there, to continue to keep yourself informed of the evolution of the health situation - via the website of the French Embassy in South Africa.
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Which airlines fly to South Africa?
To reach South Africa from France by air, count, non-stop, between 10 and 11 hours of flight.
With a stopover (most flights have at least one), plan something to occupy yourself: 14 to 15 hours of flight await you.
On the other hand, the time difference is slight with 1 hour in advance on the spot.
Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Rennes, Strasbourg or Toulouse... Several French airports send flights to South Africa every day.
On arrival, the choice is more restricted, since only Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban have an airport.
On the airline side, you can take advantage of the services of Air France, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines or SWISS.
