ETA Officially Announced: Here’s What You Need to Know
We know many of you have been asking about the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, and after Minister Schreiber's detailed presentation at the TBCSA Conference, we finally have the complete picture to share!
Travellers will soon be able to walk through South African immigration using just their biometrics: no stamps, no forms, no queues. This is expected to position South Africa as a world leader in digital immigration.
As Minister Schreiber said: "We want this to be the only entry point for visas to South Africa over time. We want no more papers, we want no more queues, we want no more missions, we want no more eVisas that don't work. We are moving to the ETA."
How will the ETA work?
The system uses machine learning and facial recognition technology. When clients apply, they'll scan their passport on their phone, take a selfie, and the system runs 40 different fraud checks on the passport while matching their face to their passport photo. The Minister was clear: "You can fake a document, you can fake a visa, you can try and manipulate things, but you can't yet get past facial recognition."
WATCH: Minister Schreiber's presentation at the TBCSA Conference 2025
A new first impression of South Africa
For years, travellers’ first impressions of our country were often determined by cumbersome forms and long waits. As Minister Schreiber highlighted: “The first taste of South Africa is not here; it is when someone applies for a visa… your first impression of South Africa actually happens in your home country.” The new ETA system transforms this experience, offering an efficient, intuitive digital interface that showcases a modern and welcoming destination right from the start.
Who will this apply to?
The ETA is for tourists from visa-requiring countries. Clients from visa-exempt countries (UK, Germany, USA, etc.) continue entering with just their passports, though the Minister mentioned they're exploring optional biometric capture for these travellers in future. He added however that this would be in close consultation with the tourism industry.
The Phased Rollout:
- Phase 1 (End Sept-Nov): G20 delegates from China, India, Indonesia, Mexico – NO FEES during this pilot
- Phase 2 (Late November): Opens to all tourists from those four countries – fees will be introduced
- Phase 3 (TBA): Expands to all visa-requiring countries globally
ETA Features:
- Real-time approvals (potentially within hours, not weeks)
- Your client's ETA will appear in their phone wallet next to their boarding pass
- Dedicated ETA immigration lanes for seamless airport arrival
- Automated biometric verification on arrival – no stamps, no forms
The Minister was emphatic about the security benefits: "Gone are the days when a human being with a pen can decide who enters this country... you can't bribe a computer. You either qualify or you don't."
Regarding pricing
SATSA contacted Home Affairs about ETA fees. Their response is that pricing "will be announced in due course as that's a policy decision." However, the Minister confirmed people already pay for visas, so this won't be a new cost.
What does this mean for your business?
Minister Schreiber highlighted the massive potential: "Every person in China, if we get this right, can go onto this website and get a visa within 24 hours. Every person in India, every person in Indonesia and eventually from any country that requires a visa for South Africa."
This could be genuinely revolutionary for bookings from key markets where visa delays have been killing last-minute reservations.
He also challenged the industry to prepare for the potential surge in demand: "If we get this right, I want to guarantee you that there is going to be a demand for more flights to South Africa so we need to understand that the bottleneck will probably move and we need to get ahead of that."
This could be genuinely revolutionary for bookings from key markets where visa delays have been killing last-minute reservations.
For all the operational details you'll need, please download our comprehensive FAQ here.
SATSA will keep you updated on further developments and the system rollout.
