South Africa to United States visa requirements

South African passport holders need a B-2 visitor visa to travel to the United States for tourism. South Africa is not in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, so there is no ESTA or visa-free option — you must apply in person at a U.S. Embassy/Consulate before you travel. South Africa is not a member of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP), so ordinary South African passport holders cannot use ESTA and must obtain a nonimmigrant B-2 visitor (tourist) visa before departure. The process requires completing the DS-160 online application, paying the $185 MRV (machine-readable visa) application fee, and attending an in-person interview at a U.S. Consulate General in Cape Town, Durban, or Johannesburg unless an interview waiver applies. For South African nationals, B-1, B-2, and B-1/B-2 visas are listed on the State Department reciprocity schedule as multiple-entry, valid up to 120 months (10 years), with no reciprocity issuance fee. Each stay is determined by the CBP officer at the port of entry, typically up to 6 months (180 days). South Africa appears on CBP's six-month-club list, so South African passports generally need to be valid for the intended U.S. stay rather than six months beyond it. Note: a new $250 Visa Integrity Fee was signed into U.S. law in July 2025, but the Federal Register notice says it requires cross-agency coordination and will be implemented in a future publication; confirm whether collection has begun at the time of application. The State Department's 18 June 2026 global wait-time table lists visitor B1/B2 next available appointments at about 4 months in Cape Town, 2.5 months in Durban, and under 0.5 month in Johannesburg.