India visa for South African citizense-Tourist Visa — 30 Days
- Fee
- 25 USD
- Processing
- —
- Validity
- 30 days
- Entries
- multiple
When to apply: Apply online at least 4 days and no more than 120 days before your date of arrival.
India visa for South African citizens
What South African citizens need to enter India, with the official source for every fact.
eVisaMaximum stay: days
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: indianvisaonline.gov.in (opens in a new tab)How to apply
e-Tourist Visa — 1 Year
- Fee
- 40 USD
- Processing
- —
- Validity
- 365 days
- Entries
- multiple
When to apply: Apply online at least 4 days and no more than 120 days before your date of arrival.
e-Tourist Visa — 5 Years
- Fee
- 200 USD
- Processing
- —
- Validity
- 1,825 days
- Entries
- multiple
When to apply: Apply online at least 4 days and no more than 120 days before your date of arrival.
What entry costs
- e-Tourist Visa — 30 Days25 USD
- Total25 USD
Compulsory government charges only. Service fees and anything optional are excluded, which is what makes the figure comparable.
Yellow fever certificate
Arriving from South Africa, no yellow fever certificate is required: WHO does not list South Africa as a transmission risk. It can still be demanded if you have been in a risk country shortly before arriving.
Driving on a South Africa license
India and South Africa are both party to the 1949 Geneva Convention, so an International Driving Permit issued in South Africa is one India is bound to recognize.
Whether a permit is required alongside your national license is set by national road law, which we have not checked for this pair.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road TrafficOther entry requirements
- Passport validity — India's e-Visa instructions say the passport should have at least six months' validity at the time of applying for the e-Visa and at least two blank pages for stamping. The UK Foreign Office tells British nationals their passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date they arrive and at least 2 blank pages.
- Onward or return ticket — Required
- Proof of funds — Required
- Staying past your permitted stay — Penalties in India, compared with every country
- Registering your presence after arrival — Required. Registration rules in India, compared with every country
- Designated eVisa entry points — The e-Visa portal says eVisa holders will be allowed to enter India only through the designated international airports (36 on its checkpoint list) and seaports listed on the e-Visa website.
- e-Arrival Card — India's visa portal says foreign nationals and OCI/eOCI cardholders must complete and submit the e-Arrival Card, a free service of Indian Immigration, and that it can be submitted online within 72 hours before arrival at boi.gov.in or indianvisaonline.gov.in or via the official 'Indian Visa Su-Swagatam' app. It says this is for arrival information, not a visa.
- Air Suvidha Self-Declaration Form — The Air Suvidha portal says all international passengers arriving in India are required to submit a health self-declaration online through the portal before arrival. It says the form is free of cost, can be filled up to 72 hours before arriving, is mandatory under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and that the registration number is presented at the health desk on landing.
No official source states a rule on: travel insurance.
Full wording and sources of these rules: All India entry requirements
The other way round
Indian citizens travelling to South Africa: Embassy visa.
Nationalities treated exactly the same
India applies these rules — the same regime, the same allowance, the same charges — to South African citizens and to holders of these passports:
Bangladesh
Jordan
Morocco
Philippines
Russia
Sri Lanka
VietnamCompare this across every country
Each of these tables states one rule for all 199 destinations, with the government source behind every row. India has a row in each.
- What staying past your permitted stay costs, country by country
- Registering your presence after arrival, country by country
- Digital arrival cards and entry declarations
- How long your passport must be valid, country by country
- Vaccination certificates required at the border
- How many blank passport pages each country requires
- Which International Driving Permit each country recognizes
- What a tourist visa costs, country by country
- How much money you must be able to show at the border
- Where you must show a return or onward ticket
- How much cash you can carry before you must declare it
All India entry requirements · Everywhere South African citizens can travel
Frequently asked questions
Do South African citizens need a visa for India?
Yes — an eVisa, applied for online before travelling.
How much does entering India cost South African citizens?
e-Tourist Visa — 30 Days: 25 USD. Compulsory government charges come to 25 USD.
Sources & verification
- Air Suvidha 2.0 — instructions for the Self-Declaration Form (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare / Ministry of Civil Aviation) (opens in a new tab)
- Bureau of Immigration, India — Health Regulation (opens in a new tab)
- Indian Visa Online — country-wise e-Tourist Visa fee (08 September 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Indian Visa Online — e-Visa instructions and FAQ (Government of India) (opens in a new tab)
- Indian Visa Online (Bureau of Immigration) — e-Arrival Card form ('It is free of cost service of Indian Immigration'); the 72-hour window is in the portal's home page notice (opens in a new tab)
- UN Treaty Collection — Convention on Road Traffic (Geneva, 1949), status of parties (opens in a new tab)
Convention on Road Traffic, Geneva, 19 September 1949 (UNTS vol. 125, p. 3)
- WHO — Vaccination requirements and recommendations for international travellers, country list (ITH 2022) (opens in a new tab)
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source