COVID-19 | Visa Extensions valid until End of October – South Africa

Announced by Aaron Motsoaledi, the Minister of Home Affairs, on the 22nd of July 2020, has stated a new visa extension for those stuck in South Africa or cannot renew their visa’s, has been extended to the end of October 2020

Originally, foreigners who are currently in South Africa, whose visa has expired since 15 March 2020, were able to stay legally in the country and would not be declared as undesirable when leaving the country until 31 July 2020. However, Motsoaledi has now stated that with this new extension, foreign nationals who have not yet managed to leave the country or renew their visas will not be declared undesirable when leaving the country until the 31 of October 2020.

This extension was stated as part of of budget vote speech in the National Assembly, which he gave yesterday, the 22nd of July 2020. His reasoning for this longer extension was by stating that the current Covid-19 situation has not changed and that they are still restrictions on movement and travel within and out of South Africa.

As stated by Motoaledi, “At the beginning of the lockdown we announced that all permits and visas that expire intra-lockdown will be deemed to have been extended up to the 31 July 2020.

I am happy to announce that the Department will review this extension from 31st July 2020 to 31st October 2020. I will be signing a Government Gazette to amend the Regulations to provide for this in a short while but definitely before the 31st July 2020.”

For more information on his budget vote speech, you can read it here.