Understand what is required, what to declare, and how to prepare before you fly to South Africa. Optional preparation assistance available from $79 per traveller.
MyArrival is a private company, not a government agency. We prepare, check and submit your Online Traveller Declaration for you. You can also apply directly with the government of South Africa.
Travellers arriving in South Africa are required to complete an Online Traveller Declaration before entering the country. This page explains what the declaration is, who must complete it, what information it asks for, and how South Africa's customs rules apply to you. If you would like help preparing and organising your declaration, MyArrival offers an independent private assistance service — our team reviews your details and delivers your completed document straight to your inbox before you fly.
The South Africa Online Traveller Declaration is a digital entry and customs declaration that all international travellers are expected to complete before arriving in South Africa. It was introduced to modernise and streamline the border entry process, reducing waiting times at ports of arrival and giving authorities advance information about incoming travellers and the goods they carry.
The declaration collects key details about your identity, your travel itinerary, and the items you are bringing into the country. It effectively replaces the traditional paper customs form that travellers were previously handed on the aircraft or at the border.
Travellers are expected to complete the declaration before they land. Border officials may ask to see confirmation of your submission when you arrive, so it is important to have the document accessible — either saved to your phone or printed alongside your other travel papers.
MyArrival is an independent private travel assistance service. We are not affiliated with the South African government or any border authority. Our role is to guide you through the declaration, check your answers, and deliver the completed document to your inbox so you can focus on your trip.
As a general rule, all international travellers entering South Africa — including tourists, business visitors, transit passengers and those visiting family — are required to complete the Online Traveller Declaration. This applies regardless of your nationality or the country you are flying from.
Each adult traveller must submit their own individual declaration using their own passport and trip details. Sharing a single declaration between multiple adults is not permitted. Parents or guardians may assist children or dependants who are travelling with them.
The following categories of traveller are typically required to submit a declaration:
International tourists arriving by air for leisure or recreation
Business travellers attending meetings, conferences or work engagements
Visitors staying with family or friends rather than in commercial accommodation
Transit passengers passing through South African airports, depending on the nature of their transit
Returning residents and permanent residents arriving from abroad
If you are unsure whether the requirement applies to your specific situation, it is always safer to complete the declaration. Border officials have the discretion to ask any arriving traveller to account for their travel and the goods they are carrying.
The Online Traveller Declaration asks for a range of personal, travel and customs-related information. Having all of this to hand before you begin will make the process significantly faster and reduce the risk of errors.
You will need to provide your full name exactly as it appears in your passport, your date of birth, nationality, passport number and passport expiry date. Any discrepancy between your declaration and your travel document can cause delays at the border.
You will be asked for your incoming flight number, the country and city you are departing from, your intended date of arrival in South Africa, and your planned departure date if known.
You must provide the name and address of your first place of stay — whether that is a hotel, guesthouse, lodge, private residence or other accommodation. If you are visiting friends or family, their address should be used.
A valid phone number and email address are typically required. These are used to associate the declaration with your travel record and may be used for health or safety follow-up if required.
This is often the section that causes the most uncertainty for travellers. The declaration asks you to disclose specific categories of goods — see the dedicated customs section below for a full breakdown.
South Africa has defined customs regulations governing what travellers may bring into the country. The customs section of your Traveller Declaration requires you to answer honestly about the items you are carrying. The general principle is straightforward: when in doubt, declare the item. Failing to declare goods that should have been disclosed can result in confiscation, fines or more serious consequences at the border.
There are limits on the amount of cash — in any currency — that you may bring into South Africa without making a formal declaration. If you are carrying South African rand, foreign currency, traveller's cheques or other monetary instruments above the permitted threshold, you are required to declare them. The specific thresholds are set by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and are subject to change, so confirm the current limits before you travel.
South Africa allows travellers to bring a limited quantity of alcohol and tobacco products into the country duty-free. Quantities above those limits are subject to customs duties. Your declaration should reflect any alcohol or tobacco you are carrying so that the correct duty can be assessed if applicable.
Personal goods, gifts, souvenirs and any items that may be considered merchandise — particularly if they are new, in original packaging, or present in quantities that suggest commercial intent — must be declared. There is a duty-free allowance for personal goods, but items exceeding that value will attract import duties.
South Africa strictly regulates the importation of food, fresh produce, plants, seeds, soil and animal products in order to protect its agricultural sector and biodiversity. Many such items require permits or are prohibited outright. If you are carrying any biological material, declare it.
If you are travelling with firearms, ammunition or any item that may be subject to import controls — including certain medications in large quantities — these must be declared and the appropriate permits must be in order before you travel.
If you are carrying items on behalf of another person — gifts, packages or goods — these must also be declared as if they were your own. Carrying undeclared goods for a third party is treated as a customs violation.
South Africa customs regulations are administered by the South African Revenue Service (SARS). MyArrival is an independent private service and does not make official customs determinations. For authoritative guidance, consult SARS or the relevant South African government authority before you travel.
Completing your declaration before departure — rather than rushing through it at the airport or on the aircraft — gives you the time to review your answers carefully and gather any details you may not have memorised. Your passport number, your hotel's full address, your flight number: these small details matter, and having them accurate on your declaration can make the difference between a smooth border crossing and an unnecessary delay.
The declaration should be completed before you land in South Africa. Most travellers choose to complete it in the days immediately preceding their departure, once their travel plans are confirmed and their accommodation details are settled.
Once you have submitted your information through MyArrival, our team reviews your answers for completeness and consistency. Your completed declaration is then delivered to your email inbox. Save it to your phone alongside your boarding pass and other travel documents — you may be asked to present it on arrival.
If your travel plans change after you have submitted — a new flight, a different hotel, a revised arrival date — check whether your declaration needs to be updated before you fly. Border authorities compare your declared information against your travel record, so keeping the two consistent is important.
The information on your Traveller Declaration is checked against your passport and, in many cases, against airline manifest data. Errors — even minor ones such as a transposed digit in your passport number or an incorrect arrival date — can trigger additional questioning at the border, slow down your processing and, in the worst cases, lead to more formal scrutiny.
Common mistakes travellers make include:
Entering a name that does not exactly match the passport (middle names, hyphens, accents)
Using an outdated passport number after a passport was renewed
Providing an estimated or incorrect flight number
Omitting goods that should be declared because of uncertainty about the rules
Providing a home address instead of the first South African address
MyArrival reviews your answers before finalising your declaration, which significantly reduces the chance that an avoidable error reaches the border. We do not simply forward whatever you enter — we check it for internal consistency and flag anything that looks out of place.
MyArrival is an independent private travel assistance provider and is not affiliated with the South African government, South African Revenue Service, or any border authority. Travellers may also complete the declaration directly through official government channels.
MyArrival is a private, independent travel assistance service. We are not a government website, and we are not affiliated with any official authority. Our service exists because many travellers find official government forms confusing, time-consuming or stressful — particularly when travelling internationally for the first time, or when the form asks for customs information they are uncertain about.
Here is what our assistance service includes:
A clear, step-by-step online flow that guides you through every field of the declaration
Plain-language explanations of what each question is asking
A review of your answers for completeness and consistency before your document is finalised
Delivery of your completed declaration to your email inbox, formatted and ready to present at the border
Support if there are questions about your submitted details
Our assistance is available at the following rates, per traveller:
Standard assistance — $79 per traveller. Your declaration is prepared, reviewed and delivered to your inbox within our standard processing window.
Priority assistance — $119 per traveller (Standard + $40). Your request is prioritised within our processing queue, with a faster turnaround time.
Urgent assistance — $159 per traveller (Standard + $80). For travellers who need their document as quickly as possible, this option is handled at the front of our queue.
All pricing is per individual traveller. Groups and families should submit one request per adult traveller. If you choose to complete the declaration yourself through official channels, no fee applies — our service is entirely optional.
Your full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and expiry date exactly as they appear in your travel document. All details must match precisely.
Your incoming flight number, the country and city you are departing from, and your confirmed date of arrival in South Africa.
The full name and address of your first place of stay in South Africa — hotel, guesthouse, lodge or private residence. Visitors staying with family should use the host's address.
A valid phone number and email address. Your email is also where MyArrival will deliver your completed declaration.
Accurate details of any currency, goods, food, tobacco, alcohol, gifts or other items you are carrying that may be subject to South African customs rules.
A valid email address where MyArrival can send your finished Traveller Declaration, ready to save to your phone or print before your flight.
Provide your passport information, flight details and South African accommodation address through our straightforward online form.
Answer the customs questions honestly and accurately. Our plain-language explanations are there throughout to help you understand what is being asked.
MyArrival checks your declaration for completeness and internal consistency, flagging anything that appears inconsistent or incomplete before the document is finalised.
Your finished document is delivered to your email inbox, formatted and ready to save to your phone or print before you travel.
Have your declaration accessible alongside your passport and boarding pass when you arrive in South Africa. Border officials may ask to see it.
Complete your South Africa Traveller Declaration entirely online, at your own pace, from any device. No paper forms, no confusing government portals.
Every question is presented in clear, everyday language. We explain what is being asked and why, so you can answer with confidence rather than guesswork.
MyArrival reviews your declaration for completeness and internal consistency before it is finalised, reducing the chance of an avoidable error reaching the border.
Your completed declaration is sent directly to your email, formatted and ready to present on your phone or print alongside your boarding pass and other travel documents.
Choose the turnaround speed that fits your travel timeline. Standard assistance starts at $79; Priority and Urgent options are available for travellers with tighter schedules.
MyArrival is a private assistance company, not a government body. Our only role is to help you prepare your declaration accurately and without stress.
Guided form, specialist review, and your confirmation delivered to your inbox.
MyArrival is a private company, not a government agency. We prepare, check and submit your Online Traveller Declaration for you. You can also apply directly with the government of South Africa.
Apply in minutes — we review every application and deliver it before you land.