subject: Football World Cup 2010: An Ideal Excuse To Get A South Africa Tourist Visa [print this page] South Africa recently announced revisions in its visa policies for visitors to and from two countries; the UK and Nigeria. Though the rationale for these slightly controversial amendments is well understood, the first one has generated a lot of heartburn in the UK by making the issue and clearance procedure more complicated, and the second one has been received with cheers by the Nigerians.
The country also boasts of one of the simplest procedures and requirements for the issuance of working visas for people who are looking for employment. But no changes have come about to the strict and stringent visa issue norms for the tourists and visitors who come into the country for a short duration.
However in order to obtain a South Africa tourist visa, the casual sightseeing tourist has to face a lot of formalities and paperwork. Even the norms for clearing a visa are lengthy and time-consuming. One of the only positive clauses in the South Africa tourist visa policy is the proviso of applying for an extension of the visa before its expiry. If the following conditions are not met, not only is a holiday visa for three months not issued ab-initio, you also face the possibility of deportment and denied entry into the country.
- Your passport must continue to be valid for at least 46 days after the planned date of your departure.
- There must be at least two consecutive blank pages in your passport on entry. These pages should be continuous; that is, they should be the left and the right ones when the passport is opened.
- At entry itself you must produce your departure tickets as proof of intent to depart before the 90 day limit of the visa.
- You should be able to proffer proof of your hotel reservation at the time of arrival into the country.
- You must not enter from a country that has had an outbreak of yellow fever in the recent past.
The FIFA Confederations Cup in June will introduce the 'Event Visa' to the world. It is a one of a kind visa issue procedure specially formulated for the football fans visiting Egypt. South Africa has decided to adopt the same methodology for the football fans who visit the country while it hosts the Football World Cup in the summer of 2010. This visa would allow the fans to be pre-cleared at their own country even before they arrive in South Africa. Upon arrival, whether by air or sea, they would find special counters to wave them through the formalities and head straight through the baggage collection chute and onwards to customs.
Immigration officials will be placed at a number of airports all over the world from which the most number of fans are expected to arrive.
This Special Event Visa is a boon for those tourists who have always cherished the dream of visiting South Africa, but have been unable to procure a South Africa tourist visa for any reason. One month of stay in June next year is adequate to see the whole country.
