You’ll now need a travel pass before departing or entering South Africa

[Drifter]

What if I travel overseas next week and only return in November?

 

[dualmeister]

So before you could bring in 1 Ltr alcohol and not declare it.
But now you must declare anything you purchase?

Can't just get someone to hand carry a bottle for you.
They must now first list it?

Ball ache.

 

[G'Wobblez]

I actually support this. Nail those who are dodging tax. I pay my fair share and so should they.

Don’t be nasty, some of us is just a bit more resourceful in screwing the ANC.

 

[dualmeister]

12 October 2022 – South Africa will be introducing an online traveller declaration system to simplify passenger movement at South African airports. The new system requires all travellers, including South African citizens and residents, children and infants, leaving or entering South Africa by air to complete and submit an online traveller declaration, as well as receive a traveller pass before they travel.

Infant ...

 

["D"]

What if I travel overseas next week and only return in November?

Then it is one form only, you lucky fish!

 

["D"]

No problems then.. Just take a bit of a road trip to a different country and fly from there.

You are willing to risk life and limb on Air Zim?!

 

[ToxicBunny]

You are willing to risk life and limb on Air Zim?!

I don't think Air Zim operates anymore does it?

 

[lkswan747]

Starting to sound like .....your papers please! (In German accent)

Don't mention the war!

 

["D"]

I don't think Air Zim operates anymore does it?

Only in Hell ...

 

[MrGray]

A customs declaration form is not an issue. But a "travel pass" is a whole different ball game as this effectively gives the state a mechanism to restrict your travel.

And before you say: "yes, but we've been having it with passports, anyway" - it is NOT the same thing. Provided you have a valid passport and are not a criminal evading justice, the state has no grounds to prevent you from leaving and that would invariably involve a court-level issue.

With this, some system or faceless official gets to decide if you can have a "travel pass" based on what unknown future criteria? The potential abuse of having this precedent is huge.

Requiring permission from the state for a "travel pass" is a primary characteristic of every despotic regime in history.

 

[requiem]

not well enough, as the CCP also has cameras everywhere tracking people along with social credit system in place,
to further segregate people.
we have yet to see the ANC doing that.

you need electricity to achieve this

 

[ISP cash cow]

If it just the customs declaration being done online before you travel them I am all for it. The last two times when I have travelled to the UK in the last couple of months was absolute ridiculous trying to declare anything at O R Tambo. first time both the customs office in international was completely shuttered up and a sign to use the customs office by the national flight counters. Went there and nobody was in the booth waited for about half an hour, asking people around there who just couldn't give a flying pig.

Eventually stripped my cool, leaned over the counter, tore one of the sheets off the pad, filled it out and then climbed over the counter found their stamp and stamped my document.

Next time (which was a couple of weeks ago, get to the international one just as the lady is ready packing her bags ready to leave. say to her I need some items declared. She claims - how old are they... Me to her "what the hell has the age of the item got to do with anything. Told her you guys want us to declare items, just bloody do your job.. She was not happy with me and me with her.

So if they fire those useless twats and let us make the declarations online I am all good for that

 

[wingnut771]

If it just the customs declaration being done online before you travel them I am all for it. The last two times when I have travelled to the UK in the last couple of months was absolute ridiculous trying to declare anything at O R Tambo. first time both the customs office in international was completely shuttered up and a sign to use the customs office by the national flight counters. Went there and nobody was in the booth waited for about half an hour, asking people around there who just couldn't give a flying pig.

Eventually stripped my cool, leaned over the counter, tore one of the sheets off the pad, filled it out and then climbed over the counter found their stamp and stamped my document.

Next time (which was a couple of weeks ago, get to the international one just as the lady is ready packing her bags ready to leave. say to her I need some items declared. She claims - how old are they... Me to her "what the hell has the age of the item got to do with anything. Told her you guys want us to declare items, just bloody do your job.. She was not happy with me and me with her.

So if they fire those useless twats and let us make the declarations online I am all good for that

Why just not declare anything and walk out?

 

[ISP cash cow]

Why just not declare anything and walk out?

Cause It just takes an arsehole when you land back in south Africa wanting to see the declaration of your laptops and since you have no form charging you customs vat on a "new import"

Both my laptop and sons are +40K each.

I am also very much an anxious person and not doing something as "per requirement" shoots my anxiety through the roof

 

[PaulMurkin]

The writing was on the wall that SA was heading down the communist route a while back.
I feel sorry for you all that are stuck there, but the ANC has been busy, very busy, with new laws and schitt like this to prevent people leaving. Communism 101. I am sure you all know this.

So SARS wants to have access to more personal info, and at the same time there's this.
Oh boy... as others said... Xi Jinping has been giving CR and the rest of the ANC some lessons.

 

[Kelerei]

Not sure if any details can be made out because this is a screenshot of the form.
Correction, the form will be based off of this one.

This looks to be along the lines of the Australian and New Zealand passenger arrival cards: you get given one on the incoming flight to fill out, Immigration checks them, then Customs screens you based on your answers and retains the card. Since SARS is responsible for customs in South Africa, this would appear to be purely for Customs purposes, nothing less, nothing more. Calling it a "travel pass" isn't a very clever idea, since this implies something else entirely (as all of the "sky is falling" posts earlier in this thread demonstrate).

Looks like Customs are going to start becoming a lot stricter going forward. Not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion: the last few times I've flown into Jan Smuts International, I could have carried a metric fsckton of cocaine with me through the green channel and no-one would have batted an eyelid: that airport seems to run on an honesty system.

 

[Cosmik Debris]

It's probably not to detect individuals who make money overseas but rather those who are declaring an income of say R5000 per month but globe trotting with undisclosed income.

I actually support this. Nail those who are dodging tax. I pay my fair share and so should they.

The passport scan already goes straight to SARs. How do I know? I was audited four years in a row to see if I spend more than 183 days outside SA. I never had to submit my passport to SARS. They knew already.

 

[Cosmik Debris]

Exactly. When I was doing fly in, fly out overseas I had to submit a complete photocopy of my passport to SARS (including front and back cover) and I'd summarise the trips in and out in a spreadsheet.

I never had to do that for an audit. They knew as the passport info at the airport goes straight to SARS.

 

[Cosmik Debris]

SA passports are recorded by home affairs.

And SARS. That's why you even see the SARS logo at immigration.

 

[Cosmik Debris]

Its probably SARS trying to do us a favour because home affairs let people enter via the back door at the airport.

That way SARS can track how many illegal people in SA as well.

illegal immigrants don't fly into international airports...