USA

Visas are required by SA passport holders.
All visa applicants between 14 - 79 years are to apply for their visa in person for an interview.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The U.S. visa application process in South Africa is two-fold:

STEP 1: Each applicant must complete the online visa application form (DS160) at ceac.state.gov/genniv. The confirmation page with barcode must be printed and taken to your interview.

Non-immigrant visa types:
(B) Visitor (Business, Tourism, Medical)
(C) Transit
(D) Crew Member

STEP 2: Pay and schedule your U.S. visa appointment at ais.usvisa-info.com

INFORMATION & REQUIREMENTS FOR DS160

Note

• The application form takes approximately 90 minutes to complete
• Write down the Application ID displayed on the top right hand corner of the page. If you close your browser window, you will need your ID to access your application again.
• Save your application frequently. The system will time out after 20 minutes of inactivity, and you will lose all unsaved information
• Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation screen with barcode. This page should be printed and taken to your interview.
• You can create a family / group application at the end of the first application. This will pre-populate some of the fields. Each individual must have their own application.
• You electronically sign your DS-160 by clicking the “Sign Application” button at the end of the form

Documents Required

• Passport (valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States)
• Travel itinerary, if you have already made travel arrangements.
• Photo - digital, colour, taken within last 6 months. Refer to the requirements on the website.
• Dates of your last five visits or trips to the United States, if you have previously travelled to the United States. You may also be asked for your international travel history for the past five years.
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae - You may be required to provide information about your current and previous education and work history.
• Other Information - Some applicants, depending on the intended purpose of travel, will be asked to provide additional information when completing the DS-160

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR YOUR INTERVIEW

Visa Interviews are by appointment only. Interviews are during weekdays only.

• Current Passport valid for travel to the United States. The passport must be valid for at least six months beyond departure date from US.
• Passport containing the most recently issued U.S. visa (if applicable)
• All visa applicants must bring a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation/barcode number (starting with AA) that matches the one used to make their appointment online.
• Confirmation and Instructions page printed from ais.usvisa-info.com
• One 5 x 5 cm (2 x 2 inches) color photo taken within the last 6 months.
• If you are attending an appointment in person, you must bring original documents

Additional supporting documents showing evidence of:

• The purpose of your trip (eg, travel itinerary)
• Your intent to depart the United States after your trip (Evidence of your employment and/or family ties may be sufficient to show the purpose of your trip and your intent to return to your home country)
• Your ability to pay all the costs of your trip (If you cannot cover all the costs for your trip, you may show evidence that another person will cover some or all of the costs for your trip)

Collections:

• Document collection can be arranged via courier or third party.

The Consulate in Johannesburg:
Non-Immigrant Visa services for Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Durban, and North-West Provinces
Immigrant Visa services for all provinces, and for applicants from Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, and Seychelles.

The Consulate in Cape Town:
Non-Immigrant visas only for Eastern, Northern & Western Cape Provinces, and St. Helena & Dependencies

US Embassy in South Africa
877 Pretorius St, Arcadia, Pretoria
Tel: 012 431 4000
Web: za.usembassy.gov

US Consulate-General - Johannesburg
1 Sandton Drive, Sandhurst 2091
Tel: 011 290 3000
Web: za.usembassy.gov/johannesburg-u-s-consulate/

US Consulate General - Cape Town
2 Reddam Avenue,Westlake, 7945
Tel: 021 702 7300
Web: za.usembassy.gov/cape-town-u-s-consulate/

Visa Type B, C, D: US$ 185
Visa Fees may be paid via cash or credit card. If paying cash, follow the instructions on ais.usvisa-info.com.

All visa fees are non-refundable and are valid for 365 days. If an appointment is not made within 365 days, the visa fee will expire.

South African Embassy, Washington
3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Tel: +1 (240) 937 5760
Email: info.saembassydc@dirco.gov.za
Web: www.saembassy.org

South African Consulate General in Los Angeles
6300 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90048
Tel: +1 (323) 651 0902
Email: consular.la@dirco.gov.za
Web: dirco.gov.za/losangeles

South African Consulate-General in New York
845 Third Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10022
Tel: +1 (212) 692 2401
Email: Consular.NY@dirco.gov.za
Web: dirco.gov.za/newyork

Compulsory: None
Recommended Travel Vaccines: Hepatitis B, Tetanus, Polio

2026: Jan 1, 19; Feb 16; May 25; Jun 19; Jul 3-4; Sep 7; Oct 13; Nov 11, 26; Dec 25 (Individual states may have additional holidays)