South Africa Relatives Visa

Applying for a South African relatives permit allows the immediate relatives of a South African permanent resident or South African citizen to immigrate to South Africa based upon their familial connections.

This South Africa visa service does not apply to spouse immigration or immigration for the life partners of permanent residents or South African citizens. For information on migrating to South Africa through a Spousal visa or life partner visa, please see the relevant page of the website.

South African Immigration Services 

The range of immigration services for South Africa is broad and for applicants wishing to migrate to South Africa many different migration services are available for both temporary and permanent immigration. South African visas provide for a broad spectrum of specific groups of immigrants based upon the purpose of their time in the country and the duration of their visit. For candidates immigrating to South Africa on a temporary basis for the purposes of visiting family and friends or as a tourist, a South African visitor visa, often referred to as a visit visa or tourist visa will usually suffice. However, for those who wish to spend a longer period of time living and working in South Africa either for an agreed period of time to study in South Africa or to undertake employment, or on a permanent basis to start a business in the county a range of temporary residence permits and permanent residence permits are available.

Specialist Immigration Consultancy 

As a specialist immigration consultancy, Global Visas can help to ensure that you obtain the most appropriate South African visa for your needs. We can help you to make sense of the visa services available helping you to assess your eligibility and embark upon the right immigration service for your relocation to South Africa. Visa applications can be monitored throughout the process and our immigration consultants can provide immigration lawyer advice and assist you at every stage from your initial enquiry through to a comprehensive package of on arrival services.

Visa Benefits

Much like a South African spouse visa or life partner visa, visas for relatives allow successful applicants to immigrate based entirely upon their family connections. Unlike South African business visas which require candidates to invest in the country and South African work permits which require a job offer to be in place, successful applicants immigrating to South Africa through relatives visas need only to be related to their sponsor in an applicable category.

Applicants entering the country through this immigration service are not permitted to work in the country when their temporary residence permit is granted. However, in some circumstances where an applicant is applying for a permanent residence permit, then if successful, like all routes to permanent resident's status candidates would be permitted to work.

Relative Permit Eligibility

In South Africa, immigration for family members can be applied for as either a temporary or a permanent permit. Like South Africa retirement permits, both temporary and permanent routes are available with slightly different requirements.

Applying for a South Africa visa under this route as a temporary solution is open to people within the second degree of kinship with the sponsor. In these circumstances, the permit would be granted for a period of two years and applications would rest on a sponsor being in place who is either a South African Permanent Resident or has a grant of South African citizenship. The sponsor would be required to sponsor the applicant and provide evidence that a minimum of R 5000 per month can be provided.

In cases where permanent residence permits are applied for by relatives with sponsors in place, the applicant must be within the first degree of kinship with the sponsor. In cases where the applicant is a minor child of a permanent resident, that is, a person below the age of 21, it will be necessary for such candidates to confirm their status within two years of reaching the age of 21. Once again, the sponsor in these circumstances would need to be able to demonstrate the ability and intention to financially support the applicant.

In South Africa, visas for permanent residency on the whole take significantly longer to obtain than temporary residence permits. This is true of South African relative visas, which can take more than two years to process. As a result, a common practice is to enter the country through a grant of temporary residency whilst also applying for permanent resident status in South Africa allowing an applicant to enter the country more quickly whilst the long-term visa is processed.

Working in South Africa

A relative entering the country through a South Africa relatives permit will not be permitted to work in South Africa, start a business, or undertake a course of study. However, in case where applicants wish to apply for permanent residency, successful candidates would be permitted to work in the same way as all permanent residents.

Spouse immigration and dependent immigration

Applicants migrating to South Africa via this immigration visa service may not bring their partner, spouse or dependents with them on the application. For immediate family members of the applicant to join them in South Africa it would be necessary for them to apply and qualify in their own right.