South Africa visa document checklist (printable)

Whether your South African visa is approved depends largely on whether your documents are complete. This checklist sorts the documents Chinese passport holders most often need into core documents for every visa and extras for each visa type, and explains how to notarise, apostille and translate Chinese documents. Print it and tick off each item. The checklist published by the place where you apply (visa centre, mission or VFS in South Africa) always takes priority. (Updated 22 October 2026.)

South Africa visa documents: a 5-step checklist infographic (South Africa visa documents) — South Africa visa documents: a 5-step checklist. Data checked October 2026; sources: Government Gazette 55209, DIRCO visa checklists, Chinese Consulate-General in Johannesburg. Click to enlarge.

First: which visa are you applying for?

For short tourism, family or business trips (up to 90 days) you can apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or take the traditional visitor’s visa route. Work, study and family visas are long-term visas with much longer lists. If you are unsure, start with our visa section and the ETA guide. For renewals or a change of category inside South Africa, see renewing your visa in South Africa.

Core documents for every visa

Document	Requirement (as of October 2026)	Tip for Chinese applicants
Passport	Valid for at least 30 days after you leave South Africa; at least 2 blank pages for the visa (some missions ask for 3); handwritten or non-machine-readable passports are not accepted	Renew first in China or through the China Consular app if it is close to expiry or short of pages
Application form	Visitor’s visas applied for abroad normally use form DHA-84, completed in English, signed and dated	Pinyin name and place of birth exactly as in your passport
Photos	2 photos taken within the last 6 months, professionally printed; home prints are rejected	Bring spares
Proof of fee payment	Visitor’s, study, relative’s and retired person’s visas R425; work and business visas R1,520 (same for renewals)	About RMB 170 and RMB 610, plus the visa centre’s service fee
Proof of funds	Payslips and bank statements for the last 3 months, up to the week you apply, stamped by the bank	One mission states at least R3,000 per person per month; statements must be in English or translated
Return ticket	Return or onward flight booking; a provisional booking is enough	A one-way ticket is normally not accepted for entry
Itinerary and accommodation	Signed, dated letter explaining the purpose of your visit; hotel booking or host’s invitation letter	A host should add a copy of their ID and a utility bill
Yellow fever certificate	Required if you come from or travel through a yellow fever area (direct transit excepted)	Watch this when connecting via other African countries
Translations	Documents not in English need an English translation by a sworn translator	Includes household registers, notarial certificates and bank statements

Extra documents by visa type

Tourism and family visits (visitor’s visa)

A letter explaining the purpose of your visit (dates must match your flights)
Hotel booking, or your South African host’s invitation letter, ID copy and proof of address
An employment letter or business licence showing you will return (common practice)
Some missions require travel medical insurance covering the whole stay

Business visits

A letter from the South African host company (letterhead, signed, with your name, passport number, purpose and duration)
A letter in English from your employer in China (position, purpose, duration, who pays)
A short CV; if you need to do short-term work during the visit, apply for a section 11(2) work authorisation with letters from both companies

Neither a visitor’s visa nor an ETA lets you work in South Africa. See our tourist visa guide.

Work, study and other long-term visas

Police clearance: from every country where you lived for 12 months or more after turning 18, during the 5 years before you apply
Work visas: employment contract or offer, qualifications and other category documents; see the work visa guide
Study visas: a letter of acceptance from the institution and proof of funds; follow the study visa checklist

Spouses, family members and children

Spouses: a certified copy of your notarised marriage certificate (apostilled and translated)
Parents travelling with a child: a full (unabridged) birth certificate showing both parents (in China this is usually a notarised birth certificate)
Only one parent travelling: the other parent’s affidavit of consent (no older than 6 months), a court order granting full parental responsibilities, or a death certificate
Unaccompanied minors: consent from both parents, the child’s full birth certificate and copies of the parents’ passport photo pages

Chinese documents: notarisation, apostille and translation

The Apostille Convention has applied between China and South Africa since 7 November 2023. For a Chinese document to be used in South Africa, get a notarial certificate first and then an apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a provincial foreign affairs office. Legalisation by South African missions in China is no longer needed, and the Chinese Consulate-General in Johannesburg stopped its legalisation service on the same date.

Get your certificate of no criminal record from the public security bureau where you are registered or live; get notarial certificates for birth, marriage or qualifications from a notary office
Have each notarial certificate apostilled; apostilles can be verified on China’s consular service website
Have a sworn translator translate them into English and submit originals with the translations

Requirements dropped or relaxed

Medical report: Home Affairs Immigration Directive 10 of 2026, issued in July 2026, waives the medical report. According to EY and Fragomen, the waiver covers temporary visa applications lodged inside South Africa and permanent residence applications lodged in South Africa or abroad. If you apply from China, check the visa centre’s current checklist
Radiological (chest X-ray) report: an April 2023 Home Affairs directive waived it for long-term visa and permanent residence applicants, and limited police clearances to the last 5 years

Common mistakes

Only one blank page left, or counting passport validity from your arrival date instead of your departure date
Bank statements without a bank stamp, or not covering the week before you apply
Notarial certificates without an apostille, or translations not done by a sworn translator
Home-printed photos, or photos older than 6 months
Assuming Chinese passports are visa-exempt and being refused boarding

Printable checklist

☐ Passport (valid 30+ days after departure, 2+ blank pages) and copies of previous visas
☐ Application form (signed and dated)
☐ 2 professional photos taken within 6 months
☐ Proof of fee payment
☐ Last 3 months of bank statements (stamped) and payslips
☐ Return flight booking
☐ Hotel booking or invitation letter (with host ID and proof of address)
☐ Purpose-of-visit letter / host company letter / employer letter
☐ Yellow fever certificate (if applicable)
☐ Police clearance (long-term visas; notarised and apostilled)
☐ Birth, marriage and other notarial certificates (if applicable; apostilled)
☐ Sworn English translations of every non-English document
☐ One full set of copies

For where to apply and contact details, see Chinese Embassy and consulates in South Africa.

FAQ

How long must my passport be valid?

At least 30 days after the date you plan to leave South Africa, with at least 2 blank pages. Leaving a margin of 6 months or more is safer.

Do Chinese notarial certificates still need legalisation by the South African embassy?

No. Since 7 November 2023 an apostille is enough; consular legalisation is no longer used.

Do I still need a medical report and chest X-ray?

The chest X-ray report has been waived since 2023. The medical report is waived under Directive 10 of 2026, but its scope is read differently, so if you apply from China follow the visa centre’s checklist.

How much money should my bank statements show?

South African rules set no single amount. One mission states at least R3,000 per person per month; what matters is that the balance fits your trip and the statements are genuine and continuous.