The South African spousal visa is for foreign spouses of South African citizens or permanent residents.
Thanks to South Africa’s progressive human rights, this visa is available for both heterosexual and same-sex partnerships.
Life partners of South Africans must apply for a life partner visa instead of a spousal visa.
What is allowed under a spousal visa?
The South African spousal visa allows the holder to join their South African husband or wife in South Africa on a long-term basis. Foreign nationals with temporary residency must obtain an endorsement to work, study or start a business. Permanent residents are free take up any of these activities without the need for endorsements or special permits.
What are the main criteria of a South African spousal visa?
The main criteria for a spousal visa is the legitimacy of the relationship. To prove the relationship, foreign nationals and their husbands or wives must be able to prove that a genuine marriage exists.
Temporary residency
Where the marriage has been for at least two years but not longer than five years, an application for temporary residency can be made. If the application is successful, the spousal visa will be valid for two to three years. It can be renewed.
Permanent residency
Where a marriage has been five years of longer, an application for permanent residency can be made. It might still be necessary to apply for temporary residency. The Department of Home Affairs has been known to take up to 24 months to process permanent residency applications.
Find out if you qualify for a South African spousal visa
The first step towards joining your spouse in South Africa, is seeing if you qualify for a South African spousal visa. To find out, do our quick online assessment and a consultant will call you back to further discuss your eligibility.
If you’d like to get the advice without doing an online assessment first, you can. Simply give us a call in Cape Town on +27 (0) 21 424 2460 or in Johannesburg on +27 (0) 11 234 4275. Alternatively, request a free call back and one of our consultants will contact you instead.
Why should Intergate be your South African immigration partner?
Since Intergate was founded in 2005, our team of immigration experts has processed more than 9 000 visa and visa related queries. Our service standards are world-class and proof of this is that Intergate is the only immigration company in South Africa with ISO 9001 certification.
To get the ISO’s stamp of approval, Intergate’s quality management systems have been tested and found appropriate and effective by an independent auditor. Our consultants have also been tested, and registered, at the Department of Home Affairs. There is no-one better to guide you through your immigration to South Africa.