Americans Will Now Need An Entry Permit To Visit This Popular Safari Country

If you thought tighter travel rules were a thing of the past, and something you wouldn’t have to deal with again since the global health crisis, think again.

This year, a number of countries rolled out new restrictions affecting U.S. passport holders.

Known examples include United Kingdom, which introduced a mandatory pre-travel authorization applying to all Americans back in January.

Thailand, that’s recently imposed a ‘Digital Arrival Card‘ requirement on all foreign arrivals, and even the once-relaxed Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, where U.S. citizens can no longer go without asking for permission in advance.

Now, yet another popular destination is reforming its visa system.

If you love safaris, surfing, multicultural cities, winery tours, and epic hikes, you should know the one country that ticks all of those boxes will soon start requiring ETAs for entry:

The South African ETA Is Presented

As confirmed by South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, the African nation will roll out its very own Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system real soon.

Mr Schreiber stated the ‘first stage’ of the ETA rollout will take place between September and October 2025, and at first, it will apply to G20 members. This includes countries like the United States, China, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.

In case you didn’t get the memo, Johannesburg will be hosting a G20 summit on November 22-23, and attendees will be among the first to be made to apply for the South African ETA.

Applications will open in a unspecified date in mid-October, ahead of the meeting.

After that date, and well into 2026, it will be extended to the general public of these countries. Based on our understanding, the ETA will replace South Africa’s visa-issuing process in visa-requiring markets, like China, India, and Indonesia.

That’s great news for citizens of those countries, who up until now, have needed to commute to South African embassies, and attend interviews and a strict screening procedure to get a tourist visa.

On the other hand, Americans have never needed to fill out forms, or undergo any pre-travel procedures to become eligible to travel to South Africa.

It Won’t Be Mandatory… At Least At First

Regarding the adding of ‘travel hoops’, Schreiber elaborated that, as of this instant, travelers who are currently exempt from South African visas (i.e. Americans, Canadians, Europeans) will have the option to apply for an ETA, though it will not be mandatory at first.

On the other hand, it will greatly faciliate the border screening process upon arrival, as they will be pre-screened along with all other travelers in advance, and will probably spend less time answering questions at the border.

In short, for now, Americans will retain their current entry conditions, but understanding how fast ETAs evolve, and the fact that it is the goal of the South African government to further digitize its border, we suspect it will become a necessary step in the future.

After all, the Minister revealed the government is currently determining how to ‘efficiently capture biometric data’ from visa-exempt travelers, like Americans, and called on the tourism sector to encourage adoption of the ETA system as it is the ‘easiest and quickest’ solution.

In sum, as a U.S. citizen, don’t count yourself out just yet…

Current Requirements For Entering South Africa

For those applying for a South African ETA this year already, even though it will not be mandatory at first if you’re an American:

The South African ETA will be valid for up to 90 days, meaning you can enter South African as many times as you wish within the 3-month period following issuing, and once inside the country, if they’re long-term travelers, applicants will be able to request a one-time 90-day extension.

This brings the total maximum period of authorized stay to 180 days.

So far, more specific infromaiton such as application procedures, prices, and the official webpage have not been released, but we do know that all other requirements that were in place prior to the ETA, and applying to U.S. passport holders, remain valid.

In other words:

• Ensure your passport has at least 30 days of validity left beyond your intended departure
• It must also have at least two full blank pages (without any visa stamps)
• If you are traveling from, or transiting through a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission on your way to South Africa, you will need to show proof of yellow fever vaccination

Are ETAs The New Norm?

As you might have noticed if you’ve been following Travel Off Path as of late, ETAs, or ESTAS, or ETIAS, however different countries call them, are becoming the new norm governing international travel.

Though they aren’t officially described as such, ETAs are equal to digital visas. Unless you apply for one, you can’t enter an ETA-requiring country. This has been the case for Americans traveling to places like Australia and New Zealand for years, but now it’s fast spreading worldwide.

ETAs are usually obtained via an online form, where you’re expected to submit personal and travel-related details, upload your passport information, answer a series of security questions (routine procedure in visa applications), and finally, more often than not, pay a fee.

The fee can vary wildly between countries, ranging from under $10 to over $70 in New Zealand’s case (which costs $10 on their official app, yet includes a mandatory International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of around $60).

At the moment, we don’t know the exact South African ETA fee.

Prior to 2025, holding a valid passport with enough blank pages for visa stamps was pretty much all you had to present at a foreign border as a U.S. citizen. Now, it’s becoming increasingly more likely that you will need to apply for an ETA going to most mainstream destinations.

The U.K. was the first in Europe to introduce one, but as soon as 2026, Americans will need mandatory digital entry permits traveling to over 30 European countries. Over in Asia, Japan has also signalled they will be launching their ETA shortly, and many more destinations are set to follow their example.