Student Visa In South Africa: Explained

Pursuing education in South Africa, with its world-renowned universities and vibrant cultural landscape, begins with one crucial step: obtaining a student visa. Don’t Worry! We’ve got your back for this!

This passport to knowledge not only opens the doors to prestigious academic institutions but also invites you to experience the rich diversity and heritage of the Rainbow Nation. Our guide is here to illuminate the path to securing your student visa, ensuring your educational journey is as smooth as a Cape Town breeze.

Let’s dive in!

What Is The South Africa Student Visa?

All nationals who wish to study in South Africa must obtain the appropriate visa first.

A student visa allows you to reside in South Africa and study in a South African institution. Once you are issued the student visa, it will remain valid for your program.

To qualify for a study visa for South Africa, the school must first qualify as a learning institution. The Department of Basic Education or Higher Education must register it.

You may not qualify for a South African study visa if you want to attend a private language school, game ranger school (a bush school), or places only offering short-term technical courses.

You can ask the organization for proof of registration if you need clarification.

You may receive a conditional acceptance by a school, but this doesn’t guarantee your visa; unfortunately, you cannot be a student without one.

You cannot come to South Africa on a visitor’s visa and then apply for a student visa.

A South African student visa never qualifies you for permanent residency, no matter how long you live in the country.

Instead, you must change your status to the type of visa that allows qualification for residency, such as a work or business visa. You can do this from within South Africa.

Requirements For A South Africa Student Visa

Student Visa Application Form: You must fill out the application form for a student visa with all the required information, sign it, and submit it as a part of the application.
Valid Passport: Your passport must be valid at least 30 days after your intended departure from the Republic of South Africa. Your passport must also have at least two blank pages.
Letter Of Acceptance To The Educational Institution: You must provide a letter of acceptance from the educational institution where you will study. The letter should also specify the duration of the course, the nature of the course, and any applicable language proficiency requirements.
Proof Of Financial Means: You must prove you have sufficient financial means to support yourself in the country and pay your tuition fees, maintenance, and incidental costs. This should be in the form of the following:
1. Bank statements
2. Available Cash
3. Traveller’s cheques

Proof Of Medical Insurance: You must provide proof of travel medical insurance for your visa application and the initial settling-in period. After that, you need medical insurance obtained from a medical scheme according to the terms of the Medical Schemes Act. Your insurance should be renewed annually for as long as you are in South Africa.
Cash Deposit: The cash deposit must be equivalent to the value of your return ticket.
Medical And Radiology Reports: A radiology report of the chest is required of every visa applicant 12 years of age and over. Radiology reports are not necessary for pregnant women.
Proof Of Payment Of The Fee: You must show proof that you have paid the student visa fee you were charged.
Certificate Of Vaccination: You should only provide a vaccination certificate if required.
Proof Of Arranged Accommodation: You must provide details about where you will stay while on a student visa in South Africa.
Police Clearance Certificate: If you are 18 or over, you must provide a police clearance certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or longer since the age of 18 and onward. The police report must be at most six months before submission. It should be issued directly from the Police authorities of the country concerned. Police clearance certificates from other authorities will not be accepted.
Proof Of Return Ticket: (if applicable). If studies are less than 12 months, you must provide proof of a return ticket.
If the applicant is a minor, the following documents must be submitted:
1. Birth certificate. An unabridged birth certificate is required in case the applicant is a minor.
2. Letter from the applicant’s (minor) guardians confirming guardianship. The person acting as the student’s guardian must provide a letter confirming guardianship.
3. A certified copy of the identity document or valid passport and visa or permanent residence permit of the person receiving the child in the Republic.
4. Proof Of Consent From The Parent (s): You must have consent from both parents to stay in South Africa. Or proof from the parent who has sole custody.

You must include contact details of the parents or legal guardians of the child, too. You can find the parental consent form here.

Please submit the documents above to ensure your visa application is accepted and completed.

How Do You Apply For A South Africa Student Visa?

If you wish to study in South Africa and are a national of another country, you must go through the visa application process as follows:

Confirm your place at the university of your choice at the Department of Higher Education. To be eligible for a student visa in South Africa, you must be accepted as a student by a university or educational institution in South Africa. You need to submit proof of acceptance for your visa application, which is why this is the most crucial step in your visa application process.
Book an appointment with your home country’s South African embassy, mission, or consulate. Once you have received confirmation that you have been admitted to a university, you must schedule an appointment for your visa at a South African diplomatic mission in your country. This could be a consulate, embassy, or visa application center. Sometimes, you may be required to visit a neighboring country if no representative is available in your home country.
Prepare Your Documents: Then, you must assemble several required documents for your student visa application. You can find a complete list of the documents above, but you usually need your passport, application form, proof of financial means, proof of accommodation, etc.
Pay The Application Fee: To have your application processed, you must pay the required fee as per the instructions of the embassy or consulate. Usually, you have to pay the fee on the day of your scheduled visa appointment.
Submit Your Application: On the day of your appointment, you must submit your visa application, which means you must bring all the required documents and the visa fee.
Also, prepare yourself, as you may be required to attend a brief interview.
Wait For A Decision On Your Application: Then, it would help if you waited while your application was processed and a decision was made.

If your application is successful, you can plan your travels to South Africa and start studying. If not, you can appeal against the denial decision or re-apply for the visa again.

How Much Is A Student Visa In South Africa?

The South Africa study visa application fee is R425, or approximately USD 24.

Remember that you must pay the fee in the local currency, depending on the country you’re applying from.

Also, please remember that this fee is liable to change at any time without notice, and it does not consider other service charges.

How Long Does It Take To Process A South Africa Student Visa?

If you have applied for a student visa to study in South Africa, expect anywhere between 4 and 8 weeks to process your application.

Although it may take less or longer, depending on the workload of Home Affairs or other reasons such as incomplete applications submitted.

Therefore, it is advised that you start the application process as soon as you receive an acceptance letter from the university you have applied to.

Can You Work With A South Africa Student Visa?

You can work with a student visa in South Africa, but only part-time. As a student in South Africa, you may be at most 20 hours per week. But you can work full-time during the holidays.

If you want to work, you must submit the following for your visa application:

An offer of employment
Letter of consent from the learning institution (may be done when in South Africa).

Practical Training As Part Of The Studies In South Africa

A South African student visa allows holders of this visa to conduct practical training to obtain a diploma.

To partake in practical training, you must also submit the following documents:

An offer to do practical training
Consent from the learning institution (may be done when in South Africa).

How Much Bank Balance Is Required For A South Africa Study Visa?

The High Commission states that the current balance must be the euro equivalent of a minimum of R3000,00 at the current exchange rate. You must also provide proof of the following:

Bank statements from the last three months
The bank statements shall reflect all the transactions from the last three (3) months up until the week that the visa application is submitted;
Bank statements shall be printed and certified/stamped by the bank;
Available cash of the learner, e.g., savings account.

How Long Is A South Africa Student Visa Valid For?

The stay duration is issued according to the time of your course. Home Affairs will consider your course duration and other factors to determine the validity of your student visa.

Your student visa will remain valid for the entire time of your course.

Can You Extend Your South Africa Student Visa?

Yes, you can. You must explain why you need an extension to extend your visa in South Africa.

All applications can be made online, and supporting documents should be submitted at VFS Offices. You must submit your application 60 days before your current visa expires.

Supporting documents required for the extension of a Student visa include the following:

Certified copy of valid passport
Certified copy of current study visa
Printed copy of the completed application form
Proof of payment (of the submission and appointment)
Confirmation of appointment
Proof of confirmation of registration from the university
Proof of funds
Medical report (must not be older than six months)
Radiological report (must not be older than six months)

Can A South African Student Visa Could Be Renewed?

A South African study visa is issued for your studies at a specific school, college, or university.

It is a maximum of eight years for primary school, six years for secondary, and the length of the degree or other qualification at the tertiary level. You can renew a South African student visa as often as necessary.

A South African student visa only allows you to study in South Africa at the school or college it was issued to; if you want to study at a different school, you need to apply anew.

If you need to apply for a change of visa status or to renew your South African study visa, you can do so from within South Africa.

You must send your renewal application at least 60 days before your South African study visa expires. If it lapses, then you will be automatically registered.

Can You Change From A Student Visa To A Work Visa In South Africa?

Yes, you can. If you are considering working permanently in South Africa after your studies, you can change your status from a student visa to a work visa.

You can then apply for a General Work Visa, Critical Skills Work Visa, or Business Visa.

Can You Bring Your Family Members With You On A Student Visa?

You can bring your spouse and dependent children with you. However, they must apply for an accompanying spouse or child visa, allowing them to live there for up to three years. They won’t be able to work or study.

Parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters do not qualify for accompanying family members’ visas.

If your family members decide to join you, you must provide proof of custody or guardianship for your visa application.

What Is The South African Exchange Visa?

If you are older than 25 and want to come to South Africa on a cultural, economic, or social exchange program – organized between an educational institution or government body in South Africa and one in a foreign country.

You must have official confirmation from both South African and foreign organizations. The South African exchange visa will be for the duration of the exchange program, up to a maximum of three years.

If you are under 25, you may work in South Africa temporarily once you have a South African exchange visa.

The employer must confirm the existence of the position; pay and welfare conditions must conform to the standard legal requirements.

The South African exchange visa is granted for the duration of the exchange, usually at most 12 months.

You apply for an exchange permit using the same application form B1-1738. You cannot renew or extend a South African exchange visa.

Once you have had this type of permit, you may only apply for a temporary or permanent residence permit after living for at least a year outside South Africa.

What Are The South African Study Permits For Foreign Graduates?

You must also apply for a South African student visa for graduate studies. The South African student visa requirements for graduate studies are much the same as for other types of study in South Africa.

You’ll need documentation confirming provisional acceptance at a university and the duration of the course, your guardian in South Africa, recognized medical cover, and proof of sufficient funds to cover fees and living costs.

Until 2014, foreign graduates who studied in South Africa had no advantage over anyone else in obtaining a residence permit.

Now, foreigners who are awarded their Ph.D. from a South African university can apply for a critical skills work visa (a five-year temporary residence visa), which includes a 12-month period to secure a job.

After the end of the five years, they can apply for permanent residence.

In the summer of 2016, the South African Home Affairs Minister announced that international graduates with critical skills who wished to work in South Africa could qualify for permanent residence permits shortly.

Conclusion

As you close the chapter on securing your student visa, the adventure of education in South Africa is just beginning. Armed with the right documentation and a spirit of discovery, you’re ready to dive into a world-class educational experience, enriched by the country’s unique cultural tapestry.

Remember, this visa is not just a permit; it’s your ticket to a transformative journey of learning and growth in the heart of the Rainbow Nation.

Education Unlocked!

But wait! There’s lot more that you might be interested in following: