Have no visa, will travel

May 2, 2013

The thought of seemingly endless queuing and bureaucratic delays is enough to dampen anyone’s wanderlust, but there are some countries you can visit without having to endure the ordeal of applying for a visa.The following countries will accept South African citizens with no visa:

Australasia: New Zealand Image

Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, US Virgin Islands.

Europe: Andorra, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Turkey

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Indian Ocean: Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles

South Pacific: Fiji, Micronesia, Nauru, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Americas: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

There are some nice vacation spots amongst this lot, but before you plan on jetting off for the weekend or immigrating unobserved, you will have to arrange a visa on arrival in order to leave the airport in most cases and you will still need a passport.  All of these places have their own regulations with regard to allowing you access and it is best to make sure what the requirements are before you travel.  Your travel agent will be able to assist you with this or you can do some online investigating.

Visa-free access does not entitle you to barge, willy-nilly, into a foreign country so bear in mind that the Emigration Officials at the other end have the final say as to who stays and who goes.  If you are not travelling as a bona fide tourist you may still require a visa.  Any type of business-related visit, even unpaid work, will require a visa.

Business aside, the types of visa that may be required are spouse visa, student visa, working holiday visa, diplomatic visa, courtesy visa, journalist visa, marriage visa and pensioner visa.

Always check with the relevant embassy before you travel as visa requirements are constantly revised and changed.

Image Panama City