STEP ONE - CONFIRM IF YOU NEED A VISA
First, look at this page to see if you need to apply for a visa, or if you get one automatically, based on what passports you hold.
Take note if there are any special notes which pertain to your country, marked with a *, and are stated at the bottom of the webpage.
Find the countries you hold a passport for, look at the fourth column (titled “Ordinary”):
If it says 30 or 90 Days - then you automatically get a the 30 or 90 day tourist visa - skip to Step 9
If it says 90 Days P/A - then you automatically get a 90 day tourist visa, but its “per anum” - so you get 90 days in total per year - skip to Step 9
If it is blank, then you will need to apply for a tourist visa - proceed to Step 2
If your country is not listed, contact your local South African embassy to request further information.
STEP TWO - CONFIRM INFORMATION NEEDED
Find the closest South African Embassy to you, contact them to confirm all that is needed - you are applying for a “Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (Port of Entry Visa (Section 11(1)) for 90 days or less)”.
Note - this is a tourist visa, not a study or volunteer visa, so it is vital that you don’t mention that you are studying in any way, as this could actually get your visa rejected.
If you automatically get a the 30 or 90 day tourist visa, and your local embassy confirms that you do not need any further paperwork, skip to Step 8.
STEP THREE - GATHER PAPERWORK
Though every country has different requirements for visas, the following items are typically included:
Proof of Financial Means —
They want to see that can can pay for your living expenses while in South Africa in the form of bank statements, salary advances, undertakings by the host(s) in South Africa, bursary, medical cover or cash available (including credit cards and travelers’ cheques) There are a couple of methods or items to include to prove your financial means:
They just want to see the totals. You don’t need to print all the transactions.
Take your bank statements from your bank accounts from the last three months, copy them on to a Word doc (or similar app), black out account numbers (to protect your information), and print them as a PDF.
You can also ask your bank to write a letter of recommendation (Here’s an Example)
They are typically looking for at least R5000 per month. If you are in a tight financial position, here are some ways to do this :
You can supplement with wage advance slips, invoices you’ve sent for work, proof of credit card limits
Ask other people to loan you money to add to your account for the sake of proof, as soon as you paper work was accepted, transferred the money back to those people. Have them do this in different amounts on different days, so that when you print your statements there is not just one big amount that comes in (as this could be a red flag for them)
Have one or some people that can be a ‘garant’ for you— so they show that they have proof of sufficient financial means and a letter that states that they support you financially for the total amount of living costs here or something like that. Often people ask family members, friends or their church
Letter of Invitation from Our Visa Team —
We send the Invitation Letter no sooner than two weeks prior to your visa appointment (as there are additional identification documents we send along that often have to be re-certified so it doesn’t make sense to send them any earlier). This means that its best to just make your appointment first, and once you have confirmation of your appointment date, let us know so that we can put together the Letter of Invitation. We will also send with a final draft the additional certified identification documents of our organization and leaders (See Step Four)
Proof of Accommodation — This information is included in your Letter of Invitation.
Yellow Fever Certificate — Please check here to see if you will be required to include this document.
Passport Photos —
Download this app to take the photo for free and print at a local print shop
Round Trip Flight Booking / Itinerary —
You must book a ticket for the dates of your retreat, as we only provide housing and a visa for the dates of your school. Many guests plan on extending their stay, which we will need to know the details of to be able to include in the Letter of Invitation.
If you don’t have a round trip ticket yet, buy a ticket on Expedia, save the ticket, then cancel it within 24 hours for a full refund. Visatraveler.com has complete instructions.
Application Fees —
You may need to pay visa fees - so look at this page. Take note whether on the far right column if it says that you will have visa fees or not, and set aside money accordingly. The cost of applying for a visa depends on the country that you are applying from. Contact the embassy before giving money to any visa service.
A passport valid for no less than 30 days after you would depart from South Africa
Some embassies/consulates will require a repatriation fee that will be returned to you when you re-enter your home country.
Others that are often requested include : proof of medical coverage
STEP THREE - MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT
Find the closest South African Embassy to you and make an appointment - make sure to print a copy of your appointment confirmation
STEP FOUR - REQUEST VISA LETTER FROM US
Click below to request your Letter of Invitation, please include a copy of the identification page for the passports of everyone that will be traveling to South Africa :
STEP FIVE - PREPARE YOUR PAPERWORK
Print and make one set of copies of everything you turn in, because you just never know what you’ll need to be prepared for.
Copies have to be legible and pictures on passport copies crisp and not too dark.
Any document (e.g. medical report) that you can have someone put an “official stamp” on is good, especially if it is a photo-copy. In many countries you can get everything certified by stopping by a local post office or police station - you just need to bring the original with you.
STEP SIX - PREPARE FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT
On the day of your appointment plan to arrive 15 minutes early. Bring all your documents, and have a copy of your appointment letter (if your Embassy sent you one) and passport on hand.
STEP SEVEN - FOLLOW UP WITH THE EMBASSY
Please contact the embassy two days after you have submitted your application to make sure they have everything they need from you in order to process your application.
STEP EIGHT - OUTCOME RECEIVED!
First, double check what you have received.
If you are not approved:
Get in contact as soon as possible with Oasis Sanctuaries by email and we can discuss your options.
If you are approved:
If there are errors in dates or names, make sure to get this corrected in person rather than be held back at the border when you next travel.
Update our Visa Team about the outcome of your application so we can update your information and be prepared to comply with government regulations.
