Living in South Africa
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-30)

Information about moving to, living or retiring in South Africa – including visas, working, healthcare and driving.

Getting help with living in South Africa

Help from the South African government

For any questions about moving to or living in South Africa, you may be able to get help from the:

South African High Commission in London (https://dirco.gov.za/uk/)

South African Department of Home Affairs (https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services)

The UK government and the British High Commission in Pretoria cannot give personalised advice on moving to, living or retiring in South Africa.

Professional help in South Africa

You can also get help from professionals (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/professional-services-if-you-are-abroad) in South Africa, including:

lawyers

notaries

translators

funeral directors

Help from the UK government

Read the travel advice for South Africa (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa) to understand the risks you may face if you live in or visit South Africa. This includes the latest information on:

visas and entry requirements

laws and cultural differences

safety and security

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad).

Get help from the UK government abroad (https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/), including in an emergency.

Visas, residency and citizenship

Make sure you meet the entry requirements for South Africa (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/entry-requirements) before you travel.

Visas

If you want to stay in South Africa for more than 90 days, you must apply for the appropriate visa (https://www.gov.za/services/temporary-residence/visa).

You can get a visa to:

work

study

retire

live with or visit family in South Africa

volunteer

do research

get medical treatment

If you want to extend your visa, contact VFS global (https://visa.vfsglobal.com/zaf/en/dha), South Africa’s official visa partner, or the South African Department of Home Affairs (https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/contact-us).

For more information, read guidance on:

types of South African temporary residency visa (https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/types-of-visas)

applying for a South African visa (https://visa.vfsglobal.com/zaf/en/dha/apply-visa)

Permanent residency

You may be able to apply for permanent residency in South Africa.

To find out if you’re eligible and how to apply, read the South African government’s guidance on applying for permanent residency (https://www.gov.za/services/services-foreign-nationals/permanent-residence/apply-permanent-residency-permit).

Citizenship

South Africa recognises dual citizenship (https://www.gov.uk/dual-citizenship) with the UK. This means that you do not have to give up (renounce) your British citizenship to become a South African citizen.

To find out if you’re eligible for South African citizenship:

read guidance on applying for South African citizenship (https://www.gov.za/services/services-residents/citizenship/personal-identification/apply-for-sa-citizenship)

contact the South African Department for Home Affairs (https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/contact-us)

contact the South African High Commission in London (https://dirco.gov.za/uk/contact-us/)

Help with visa and residency applications

The British High Commission in Pretoria cannot help with South African visa and residency applications.

For any questions or issues, contact:

the South African Department for Home Affairs (https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/contact-us)

the South African High Commission in London (https://dirco.gov.za/uk/contact-us/)

a lawyer in South Africa (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/lawyers)

Passports

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers how to:

apply for a British passport from abroad

travel urgently without your British passport

Healthcare in South Africa

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers how to:

plan your healthcare

take medicine abroad

South Africa does not have a reciprocal health agreement with the UK. Make sure you have appropriate health insurance to cover any healthcare costs. You can get insurance from private healthcare providers (https://www.medicalschemes.co.za/regulated-entities/medical-schemes-in-south-africa/).

To find out how to get medical treatment:

contact your insurance provider

read guidance on health in South Africa (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/health)

find medical facilities and doctors in South Africa (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/south-africa-list-of-medical-facilities/south-africa-doctors)

contact the South African Department of Health (https://www.health.gov.za/contact-us/)

Working in South Africa

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers working abroad, including documents you may need from the UK government.

To work in South Africa, you need a work visa. The South African Department of Home Affairs explains the different work visas (https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/types-of-visas) available to you.

You can apply for a work visa through South Africa’s official visa partner, VFS global (https://visa.vfsglobal.com/zaf/en/dha).

Recognition of qualifications

If you want to work in South Africa, you may need to get your foreign qualifications recognised (https://www.gov.za/services/services-residents/education-and-training/tertiary-education/evaluate-foreign#:~:text=If%20you%20have%20foreign%20qualifications%20and%20wish%20to,Qualifications%20Authority%20%28SAQA%29%20to%20have%20your%20qualifications%20evaluated.).

Driving in South Africa

Read our guidance on moving, living and retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers how to:

drive abroad legally

take your UK vehicle abroad

get driving licence letters

For information on driving in South Africa, including driving licence rules, read about road travel in South Africa, in safety and security in the travel advice for South Africa (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/safety-and-security).

The South African government (https://www.gov.za/) provide information on driving in South Africa (https://www.gov.za/services/services-residents/driving), including how to:

convert your driving licence (https://www.gov.za/services/driving/driving-licence/convert-foreign-driving-licence)

apply for a South African driving licence (https://www.gov.za/services/driving-licence/apply-driving-licence)

renew a South African driving licence (https://www.gov.za/services/driving-licence/renew-driving-licence)

replace a South African driving licence (https://www.gov.za/services/driving-licence/replace-lost-driving-licence)

Disabled drivers

You may be able to apply for a disabled parking card (http://disabilityinfosa.co.za/mobility-impairments/current-accessible-features/parking-bays/#Introduction) in South Africa at your local municipal traffic department.

If you have a UK Blue Badge (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/blue-badge-scheme) and live in South Africa, you must return it to the original UK issuing authority.

Tax

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers tax, including paying UK tax and National Insurance.

The UK has a double taxation agreement with South Africa (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/south-africa-tax-treaties) so that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries.

Contact the South African Revenue Service (https://www.sars.gov.za/) for any questions about double taxation relief.

Consider getting professional advice on paying tax in South Africa (https://www.sars.gov.za/individuals/). To do this, find a lawyer in South Africa (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/lawyers).

Pensions

Claiming your UK pension

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers:

how to claim your UK State Pension

where the UK government pays an annual increase in the State Pension

Claiming a South African pension

Contact the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) (https://services.sassa.gov.za/portal/r/sassa/sassa/contact-us-pu) to find out whether you can claim a South African pension (https://www.gov.za/services/services-residents/social-benefits/old-age-pension).

Benefits

Claiming UK benefits

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers how to claim UK benefits abroad, including Child Benefit.

Claiming South African benefits

Contact the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) (https://services.sassa.gov.za/portal/r/sassa/sassa/contact-us-pu) to find out whether you can claim benefits in South Africa (https://www.gov.za/services/social-benefits).

Buying and renting property in South Africa

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers buying and renting property abroad.

Contact a lawyer in South Africa (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/lawyers) if you’re considering buying property or land.

Voting in South Africa

UK elections

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers how to:

vote in UK elections from abroad

register as an overseas voter

South African elections

You cannot vote in South African elections unless you hold South African citizenship.

Studying in South Africa

If you plan to study in South Africa, you must meet all visa requirements (https://visa.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/Southafrica/uk/english/#Study) before you travel.

For more information:

read guidance on travel grants for students studying abroad or on placements (England) (https://www.gov.uk/travel-grants-students-england)

read guidance on tertiary (higher) education in South Africa (https://www.gov.za/services/tertiary-education)

contact your higher education provider in South Africa (https://www.gov.za/links/education-training-skills-development#technology) or the UK

contact the South African Department of Higher Education and Training (https://www.dhet.gov.za/SitePages/contactusnew.aspx)

Children

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers moving abroad with children, including:

getting permission to take your child abroad

claiming UK Child Benefit abroad

child maintenance payments if a parent lives abroad

Schools and education

The South African Department of Basic Education (https://www.education.gov.za/) provides information about the schooling system in South Africa (https://www.gov.za/about-sa/education).

All children aged 7 to 15 must attend school or home school in South Africa.

For more information, read the South African government’s guidance on:

enrolling your child in school (https://www.gov.za/services/services-residents/education-and-training/basic-education/admission-school)

applying to do home education (https://www.gov.za/services/services-residents/education-and-training/basic-education/apply-do-home-education)

the South African national curriculum (https://www.education.gov.za/Curriculum/NationalCurriculumStatementsGradesR-12.aspx)

Childcare

The South African Department for Basic Education is responsible for early childhood development (ECD) (https://www.gov.za/faq/education/what-early-childhood-development) in South Africa.

The provincial education departments (https://www.education.gov.za/ProvincialDepartments.aspx) are responsible for overseeing childcare and ECD centres in the South African provinces.

For more information, including ECD policies and laws, visit the ECD Information Hub (https://ecdinfohub.org/).

Births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships

Births

If your child is born in South Africa, register the birth with the South African authorities (https://www.gov.za/services/services-residents/birth/register-birth).

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers how to:

register the birth with the UK authorities to get a UK birth certificate

apply for your child’s first British passport

Deaths

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers:

what to do after someone dies abroad

how to register the death with the UK authorities

If someone dies in South Africa, read guidance on:

what to do when someone dies in South Africa (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/when-someone-dies-in-south-africa)

funeral directors in South Africa (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/funeral-directors)

Marriages and civil partnerships

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers how to get married or get a civil partnership abroad.

You can also read the South African government’s guidance on getting married in South Africa (https://www.gov.za/services/services-residents/relationships/getting-married).

Divorce and separation

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-living-or-retiring-abroad). This covers how to get a divorce or end a civil partnership.

The South African government offers guidance on how to get a divorce in South Africa (https://www.gov.za/services-residents/relationships/marriage/how-get-divorce).

Consider taking legal advice from a lawyer in South Africa (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/lawyers).

Documents for British people in South Africa

Read our guidance on documents for British people abroad. (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/documents-for-british-people-abroad) This covers:

legalising and certifying UK documents

marriage and civil partnership documents

affirmations and affidavits

witnessing signatures

Lawyers, translators and notaries

To find a lawyer, translator or notary in South Africa, read guidance on professional services if you’re abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/professional-services-if-you-are-abroad).

Pets

If you want to bring your pet with you to South Africa, read guidance on:

importing animals to South Africa (https://www.gov.za/services/import/import-animals-and-animal-products)

taking your pet dog, cat or ferret to a non-EU country (https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad/travelling-to-a-noneu-country)

Returning to the UK

Read returning to the UK permanently (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/returning-to-the-uk). This includes information on bringing family members back to the UK, tax and access to services.

Disclaimer

We provide this information as a guide only. For definitive information, contact the South African authorities.

Read our consular information disclaimer (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/foreign-commonwealth-development-office-fcdo-consular-information-disclaimer).