Home Affairs announces new visa amendments in a bid to boost tourism

[schumi]

In a bid to boost tourism to the country, South Africa is finalising a number of visa waiver agreements with other countries, allowing travellers to enter the country without a visa.

This announcement was made by Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba on Tuesday in Pretoria.

Citizens from countries which will now no longer require a visa to travel to SA include Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran, Lebanon, the State of Palestine, Belarus, Georgia and Cuba.

These countries join the UK, US, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Brazil and Canada whose citizens already have visa waiver agreements.

More at: https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/...amendments-in-a-bid-to-boost-tourism-20180925

 

[The_Librarian]

But who will come over only to have the joyful experience of being robbed after leaving ORTIA?

 

[R13...]

Should have included China, they're a rich emerging source of tourists to many parts of the world. Interesting they include Palestine but not Israel - doubt Palestine have an economy capable of sustaining any amount of people with enough to take overseas trips. More likely to attract refugees than tourists.

 

[bwana]

Get rid of the stupid birth certificate requirements for minors.

 

[Eniigma]

Should have included China, they're a rich emerging source of tourists to many parts of the world. Interesting they include Palestine but not Israel - doubt Palestine have an economy capable of sustaining any amount of people with enough to take overseas trips. More likely to attract refugees than tourists.

SA Gov is very pro Palestine anti-Isreal. Not surprising at all.

 

[genetic]

But who will come over only to have the joyful experience of being robbed after leaving ORTIA?

The 16 million odd who visit SA each year?

 

[mm001]

It would be interesting to see if any countries would reciprocate and allow us visa-free travel. I think that the UAE would be a good start. Their policy is "Visa policies are based on the principle of reciprocity".

 

[BlackMamba]

I am worried that most of the so called "terrorist" countries like morroco, Iran and Algeria are given a visa free entry . I not all citizens from this counties are terrorist but they could do will some little scrutiny

 

[Milano]

What would Gigaba need to do to get fired? Even if we ignore the Gupta-capture accusations, then we still have a minister who cost this country R7.5 billion in lost tourism revenue through poor visa regulations, thousands of lost tourism jobs, and stood by unconstitutional visa regulations which the constitutional court ruled illegal.

We should now continue to trust his judgment and fitness for office?

He should have gone the same way as Hlaudi.

 

[Polymathic]

Will parents still need to provide an unabridged birth certificate ?

 

[surface]

Will parents still need to provide an unabridged birth certificate ?

Get rid of the stupid birth certificate requirements for minors.

https://mg.co.za/article/2018-09-25...tificates-scrapped-in-time-for-festive-season

"As the festive season approaches, the department of home affairs will scrap regulations requiring parents travelling with minors to present an unabridged birth certificate at ports of entry."

but birth certificates still needed.

But wait - there is more - Malusi still seems to be on nyope + coke + every other known drug

https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/so...isations-on-gigabas-travel-docs-announcement/

“Gigaba said on Tuesday that instead of requiring all foreign minors to carry documentation proving parental consent for travel‚ the department would instead strongly recommend that travellers carried this documentation.

Our immigration officials will only insist on documentation by exception – in high-risk situations – rather than for all travellers‚ in line with practice by several other countries‚” he said.

 

[Visser]

The 16 million odd who visit SA each year?

The 16 million odd you are referring to are not really tourists boosting the tourism industry or government coffers. If they were, the tourism industry would not have been in shambles. Nor would government have been placed in this position to 'relax' restrictions.

Unfortunately, I agree that the tourism industry is dead in South Africa. Relaxing the Visa requirements will not miraculously increase number of visitors or save the industry. There are many more factors that contributed to the decline in tourism and Visa restrictions were only a very small part of it.

 

[Visser]

Will parents still need to provide an unabridged birth certificate ?

I totally stand corrected, but from what I read earlier, apparently they will no longer stop and check everyone. For international tourists visiting the country, the documents will not be a requirement any longer to enter the country or leave the country. But, they may, in certain instances, stop a person and conduct an investigation. They will now be allowed to prove their parental status in other ways - without such documents. But, HA still recommend that they bring the documents along just in case needed.

But, for us locals, we will still need an unabridged birth certificate, or the new passports for children with both parents information recorded inside the passport to leave the country.

 

[ForceFate]

SA Gov is very pro Palestine anti-Isreal. Not surprising at all.

Israel is already on the list of countries with Visa waivers

 

[AdrianH]

Nice, I can't even get a ID Card online even though I'm an SA citizen. Why not fix that first you twats.

 

[TheChamp]

Nice, I can't even get a ID Card online even though I'm an SA citizen. Why not fix that first you twats.

How is that a priority in this troubled country? Can't you survive a little longer with your green ID book like everybody else?

 

[Knyro]

How is that a priority in this troubled country? Can't you survive a little longer with your green ID book like everybody else?

He said online, nothing is stopping him from writing off a day and going to a home affairs branch like the majority do all the time. I did and have been rocking the card for around a year.

 

[TheChamp]

He said online, nothing is stopping him from writing off a day and going to a home affairs branch like the majority do all the time. I did and have been rocking the card for around a year.

I have issues parting with my green ID book, it was such a big deal getting one, it will feel like I am losing my baby.
I had grand plans for it, one being to have something written in the vuurwapen lisensie section.

 

[vigras rojara]

The 16 million odd you are referring to are not really tourists boosting the tourism industry or government coffers. If they were, the tourism industry would not have been in shambles. Nor would government have been placed in this position to 'relax' restrictions.

Unfortunately, I agree that the tourism industry is dead in South Africa. Relaxing the Visa requirements will not miraculously increase number of visitors or save the industry. There are many more factors that contributed to the decline in tourism and Visa restrictions were only a very small part of it.

How on earth can you claim that the tourism industry is dead in South Africa?

That's patently absurd.

 

[ForceFate]

How on earth can you claim that the tourism industry is dead in South Africa?

That's patently absurd.

Clue: non-local™

/runs