Moving to South Africa 2026: Visas and Tax for Americans
Americans can visit South Africa without a visa for up to 90 days. Living there means choosing a temporary residence visa, such as a work, remote work, retired person's or relative's visa, and understanding when the South African Revenue Service (SARS) treats you as a tax resident. This guide sets out the routes, the income figures, the processing times and the tax tests, as published by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and SARS and read on 14 October 2026.
Quick answer
US ordinary passport holders are exempt from a visa for 90 days. To stay longer, pick a route: a work visa (100 points, R1 520 fee), a remote work visa for a foreign employer (salary of at least R650 796, 00 a year, from 3 months to 3 years), a retired person's visa (R37 000,00 a month) or a relative's visa. For tax, SARS treats you as resident if you are ordinarily resident, or if you pass the physical presence test of more than 91 days a year and 915 days over five years. Residents are taxed on worldwide income.
Moving to South Africa as an American: entry rules
- Visa-free visits: the DHA exemption list, issued on 09 December 2025, exempts ordinary US passport holders for 90 days.
- Passport: valid for no less than 30 days after the end of your intended visit, with at least one unused page.
- At the border: a return or onward ticket, enough funds for your stay, and a yellow fever certificate if your journey starts in or passes through the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America.
- No visas on arrival: the DHA says visas are not issued at South African ports of entry, so arrange any visa before you fly.
Visa routes for living in South Africa
| Route | Key condition | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Critical skills or general work visa | A job offer and 100 points under the points-based system | Up to 5 years |
| Remote work visitor's visa | A contract with a foreign employer and a gross salary of no less than the equivalent of R650 796, 00 per annum, shown in three months of bank statements. You may not take up employment in South Africa. | Exceeding 3 months to 3 years |
| Retired person's visa | A minimum payment per month, currently set at R37 000,00, plus proof of medical cover | As issued by the DHA |
| Relative's visa | Immediate family of a South African citizen or permanent resident, who must show R8 500.00 per person per month, except for a spouse or dependent child. Holders may not work. | Up to two years at a time |
| Business visa | Investing in or starting a business, with a chartered accountant's certificate and an undertaking that at least 60% of staff will be South African citizens or permanent residents | As issued by the DHA |
The full points table, documents and fees for working are in our South Africa work visa guide. The remote work visa is a visitor's visa, and the DHA says holders may not change their visa status while in South Africa except under the exceptional circumstances set for visitor's visas.
What applications cost and how long they take
| Application | DHA fee | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Critical skills or general work visa | R1 520, 00 | 4 weeks |
| Retired person visa | R425,00 | 120 days |
| Relative's visa (family member other than a spouse or minor child) | R435,00 | 120 days |
| Permanent residence, financially independent | R1520,00 | 240 days |
The turnaround times are in working days and apply to applications submitted within South Africa for processing at the Home Affairs Head Office. Fees were updated as per gazette 55209 published on 17 August 2026. Since July 2026, Ministerial Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026 has waived the medical report for visa and permanent residence applications.
Moving to South Africa: tax
SARS explains that residents are taxed on their worldwide income, while non-residents are taxed on income from a source within South Africa. You become a resident in one of two ways.
- Ordinarily resident: South Africa is, in the words SARS quotes from the courts, your real home. SARS says this test supersedes the physical presence test.
- Physical presence test: you are present for more than 91 days in aggregate in the current tax year, more than 91 days in each of the five preceding tax years, and more than 915 days in aggregate over those five years. A part of a day counts as a day, but days in transit without formally entering the country do not.
- Ending residence: a person who is resident under the physical presence test stops being resident after being outside South Africa for a continuous period of at least 330 full days.
For remote work visa holders, the DHA adds two notes. If you are tax resident in a country that has a double taxation agreement with South Africa, you must register with SARS if you are present for longer than an aggregate of 183 days in any 12-month period. If your country has no such agreement, you must register with SARS.
Moving to South Africa as a Black American
The DHA visa rules apply in the same way to every US passport holder. The DHA pages we read list no visa or residence route based on ancestry or heritage, so the routes above are the ones available. If you have a family link to a South African citizen or permanent resident, the relative's visa may apply.
Your first weeks
For the setup steps after you land, see our first steps after moving to South Africa, and for a reality check on the process, is it hard to move to South Africa?
Frequently asked questions
Can an American move to South Africa?
Yes, with a temporary residence visa such as a work, remote work, retired person's or relative's visa. Visits of up to 90 days need no visa.
Can I live in South Africa while working remotely for a US company?
Yes, on a remote work visitor's visa, with a gross salary of no less than the equivalent of R650 796, 00 per annum. You may not take up employment in South Africa.
When do I become a tax resident in South Africa?
When you are ordinarily resident, or when you pass the physical presence test of more than 91 days a year and 915 days over five years.
Does South Africa tax worldwide income?
Yes, for residents. Non-residents are taxed on income from a source within South Africa.
How much income do I need to retire in South Africa?
The DHA sets a minimum payment per month, currently R37 000,00, for the retired person's visa.
Do I need a medical report for a South African visa?
No longer. Ministerial Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026 waived it for visa and permanent residence applications.
Can I get a visa on arrival in South Africa?
No. The DHA says visas are not issued at South African ports of entry.
Official sources
- Department of Home Affairs — South African visas
- Department of Home Affairs — Exempt countries
- Department of Home Affairs — Remote work visa requirements
- Department of Home Affairs — Fees
- Department of Home Affairs — Turnaround times
- Government Gazette 55016 — Ministerial Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026
- SARS — Interpretation Note 3, ordinarily resident
- SARS — Interpretation Note 4, physical presence test
All rules, figures and time frames verified against the official sources above on 14 October 2026. Information, not legal or tax advice.