Tag Archive for: Department of Home Affairs

Sisipho Ntsabo
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Resumption of Services at Home Affairs Offices

South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country has been moved to Alert Level 1, and Home Affairs has announced that more services will be resumed as of Thursday, 04 March 2021. The Citizenship service remains temporarily unavailable. Under Alert Level 1, eHome Affairs online services have resumed,

  • Births Registration
  • Re-issuance of Births Certificates
  • Late Registration of Birth (LRB) for learners and pensioners only;
  • Death registration
  • Applications temporary Identity certificate (TIC)
  • Collection of Identity cards or documents
  • Applications and collection of passports for those who are exempted to travel
  • Applications for identity (Smart ID) Cards or documents for matriculants only

In addition, the following services under Alert Level 1, will be resumed:

  • Re-issues of Smart ID Cards and identity documents
  • Registration and Solemnization of Marriages
  • Amendments and rectifications
  • Late Registration of Birth (LRB) for all categories
  • Applications and collections of passports for all categories
Foreign nationals who are in possession of 90 day visitors visas, which expired during the lockdown, are automatically valid until 30 June 2021.
 
Foreign nationals  who are in possession of long term visas which expired during the lockdown, are automatically valid until 31 July 2021 and they are invited to apply for extensions before 31 July 2021.
Sisipho Ntsabo
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Home Affairs Signs Historic Agreement for Asylum Seekers

After decades of awaiting decisions on their visa applications, asylum seekers can delight in the fact that Home Affairs and United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have signed what is described as a historic agreement for asylum seekers. This agreement will see the eradication of delays and backlog in application decisions by 2023.

 

Home Affairs plans on hiring more staff and getting technical support worth millions of Rands from the UNHCR to combat the appeals process backlog. With 185 000 refugees affected, Minister Motsoaledi says this agreement ensures that every refugee is protected under international law and South Africa’s Constitution and Bill of Rights.

 

Asylum seekers are rather sceptical of the practicality of this agreement, stating that they have not seen any changes being done by Home Affairs and there are not hopeful that the funds secured will be put to good use. Some asylum seekers are sceptical of the practicality of this decision, citing that they are already living in inhumane conditions and are forced to choose between either ‘reintegrating in South Africa or be repatriated into their home country’ – which ultimately goes against the Geneva Convention. The asylum seekers responding to this ‘historical agreement’ state they want to be resettled into a third country.

 

This hesitance stems from the Xenophobic undertones and attacks asylum seekers experience in South Africa. They state that authoritative bodies, like Home Affairs and the South African Police Services are doing the bare minimum to protect them.

 

Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi disagrees with this notion. Motsaoledi says, “African refugees have the same status as any South African when they come here, except the right to vote.” This ‘citizen status is not permanent and will undergo review after four years.

Andrew Stegmann
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South Africa Has Opened Up Visa-free Travel to These 11 Countries

Home Affairs minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has announced visa-free travel for 11 countries in an effort to boost tourism to the country.

In a media briefing on Sunday (4 October), Motsoaledi said that the visa-free status of citizens of some countries and territories was temporarily suspended at the start of the lockdown period.

“In line with the commitment of Government to take urgent steps to address the economic and tourism stagnation brought about by the outbreak of Covid-19, visa-free status of citizens from a number of countries and territories has been reinstated.”

However, the minister said that visa-free status does not alter the current Covid-19 regulations, including with regards to the bans in place for leisure travelers from high-risk countries, as determined by the South African Government.

The countries include (bolded are high risk):

  • South Korea;
  • Spain;
  • Italy;
  • Germany;
  • Hong Kong;
  • Singapore;
  • USA;
  • UK;
  • France;
  • Portugal;
  • Iran.

Motsoaledi said he has instructed officials to communicate this decision to the aviation industry, embassies and other stakeholders as a matter of urgency.

“The port managers have been instructed to adhere to the SADC protocol and guidelines regulating the movement of essential goods under Covid-19 regulations.

“The guidelines regulating truck drivers travelling across the border will continue to apply as has been the case for the past seven months,” he said.

The minister said that immigration officers will be required to assess the movement and place of origin of the traveller and not the country of origin of the airline concerned.

“Transit travellers through South Africa by air will be allowed to connect to their destinations, subject to them complying with applicable health protocols but need not produce the 72 hours negative certificate.”

High-risk countries 

Motsoaledi said that any person from a country listed as having a high Covid-19 infection and transmission rate, who wish to undertake business travel into South Africa, may, in writing, apply to the Department of Home Affairs and demonstrate reasons for their request to enter the Republic for business purposes during the period of the national state of disaster.

Such applications must be directed to email Covid19BusinessTravel@dha.gov.za and supported by:

  • A copy of passport and/or temporary residence visa;
  • Proof of business activities to be undertaken in the republic;
  • Proof of travel itinerary; and
  • proof of address or accommodation in the republic.

The list of these high-risk countries will be updated fortnightly, said Motsoaledi.

“Immigration officers have been instructed to apply the requirements with a measure of flexibility in order to allow applications for business travel to be lodged at the ports of entry if and when necessary and await the outcome before entry into the republic is allowed,” he said,

All other categories of travellers from medium and low-risk countries are required to produce a certificate of negative Covid-19 test result not older than 72 hours from the time of departure, Motsoaledi said.

“Any person who fails to submit the certificate will be required to quarantine at his or her own cost.”

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann
,

South Africa Has Published Its List of 60 Countries Banned From Leisure Travel

As of today, 1 October 2020, South Africa has opened its borders to international travelers. There are, however, numerous restrictions, including presenting a negative COVID-19 test, and visitors only being allowed to enter through select airports and land border posts. Furthermore, the South African Government has published a list of 60 countries that are banned from leisure travel to South Africa.

International Relations and cooperation minister Naledi Pandor said in a media briefing on Wednesday that the country’s infections rate has gone down and the country can return to a ‘more normal’ situation.

She said that the government has developed a list of high and low-risk countries which will be allowed to travel to and from the country based on World Health Organization guidelines over a seven-day period.

  • High risk travelers are those who come from countries with higher numbers of Covid-19 infections and reported deaths compared to South Africa.
  • Medium risk travelers are from countries with relatively equal number of infections and death toll to SA.
  • Low risk travelers obviously originate from countries with lesser number of infections of Covid-19 and death toll than SA.

This list will be updated on a regular basis, reviewed every two weeks, Pandor said.

Leisure travelers from high-risk countries will not be permitted. The exception will be business travelers with scarce and critical skills including diplomats, repatriated persons, investors and people participating in professional sporting and, events will undergo the same health protocol screenings. “Travelers that intend to visit the country will need to produce a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test not older than 72 hours from the time of departure from the country of origin,” Pandor said.

“The test must be conducted by a certified medical practitioner and must have the name and signature of the person who conducted the test.” Upon arrival, travelers will be screened for any Covid-19 symptom s and will also be screened for contract with people who have been in contact with others who could have had Covid-19.

Travelers will also need to provide proof of accommodation addresses in case they need to self-isolate. International travel around the world has been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Those who are found to have Covid-19 after entering the country will be required to isolate for 10 days at their own cost. Travel insurance will be mandatory for all travelers. If the passport of the traveler from a high risk country indicates that they spent 10 days or more in a low risk country before departure, they will be considered to be arriving from a low risk country.

Banned countries are:

  1. Albania
  2. Argentina
  3.  Armenia
  4. Austria
  5. Bahrain
  6. Belgium
  7. Bolivia
  8. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  9. Brazil
  10. Chile
  11. Columbia
  12. Costa Rica
  13. Croatia
  14. Czech Republic
  15. Denmark
  16. Ecuador
  17. France
  18. Georgia
  19. Greece
  20. Guatemala
  21. Guyana
  22. Honduras
  23. Hungary
  24. Iceland
  25. India
  26. Iran
  27. Iraq
  28. Ireland
  29. Israel
  30. Jamaica
  31. Jordan
  32. Kuwait
  33. Lebanon
  34. Luxemburg
  35. Maldives
  36. Malta
  37. Mexico
  38. Moldova
  39. Montenegro
  40. Nepal
  41. Netherlands
  42. North Macedonia
  43. Oman
  44. Palestine
  45. Panama
  46. Paraguay
  47. Peru
  48. Portugal
  49. Puerto Rico
  50. Qatar
  51. Romania
  52. Russia
  53. Slovakia
  54. Suriname
  55. Switzerland
  56. Ukraine
  57. United Emirates
  58. United Kingdom
  59. USA
  60. Venezuela

To read Home Affairs’ full speech on the reopening of the borders for international travel, click here. And to read the SA Government Gazette changes, click here.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2], [3]. Image sources: [1], [2].