South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has proposed a new R500 (equivalent to about $30) travel permit fee for travellers using South Africa’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system.

A government gazette, No. 55072, published on July 27, stated that the $30 electronic processing fee will apply to visa and permit applications submitted and processed online.

This proposal will require travellers using South Africa’s Electronic Travel Authorisation to pay $30.

South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister, Leon Schreiber, said the $30 travel permit fee is to cover the cost of the country’s fully subsidised online platform that allows travellers to apply for travel authorisation and visas digitally.

“At the time of the implementation of the first phase of the ETA, visa fees for the onboarding countries were temporarily waived because the ETA platform did not yet include an integrated online payment capability.

“Consequently, neither visa fees nor a dedicated ETA processing fee have been charged to date, despite the need to invest in operational maintenance of the system,” Mr Schreiber said.

He added, “The ETA has, so far, been operating as a fully subsidised service, which is unsustainable.”

According to the Home Affairs Minister, it is proposed that a processing fee be set at R500 (Five Hundred Rand) per ETA application. “In the next phase, the ETA will become compulsory for travellers from non-visa-exempt countries included on the platform. Initially, it will be optional for travellers from visa-exempt countries.”