I was amazed after reading an article in the Sunday Times headlined UK visas to cost South Africans R1000 . This surely is not a good sign for South Africans as South Africans are now being made to look like criminals. The reason the UK is now insisting on South Africans to have visas is because they say there are too many ‘fake’ South African passports being given out by the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa. The term ‘fake’ is not too correct to use in the context as the passports being issued out are genuine in the sense that they are legitimate but the owners of the passports would probably have paid to have these passports made for them. A foreign national in South Africa could find someone who works in the Department of Home Affairs or someone who has an inside link and pay them x amount of rands and have a genuine South African passport made for them which they can then use to travel around the world as they please.
Now the UK government has seen that this is happening and tend to think it is now become a regular occurrence and thus they have decided to try stem the flow of South Africans into the UK. I say ‘try’ because I do not think that this move to charge people R1000 for a UK visa will actually stop the people they do not want to enter the UK from entering. If I really wanted to get into the UK and I had bought my passport, what is stopping me from raising an additional R1000 to enter the UK? For someone really wanting to get into the UK for one reason or the other, R1000 is not a lot of money.
The only way to deal with this situation is to stop what is happening at Home Affairs in South Africa. Far too many documents are easily accessible in South Africa if one has the money, be it ID cards, drivers licenses, university degrees or passports. There is a lot of work that needs to be done at the Department of Home Affairs, it has to be one of the most inefficient departments in the country today. It can take months for one to get what they want from the department or some even years. If the right systems are put in place, this should be a department that runs smoothly and effectively as it plays such an important part in any country both for locals and foreigners.
So I say to the UK, nice try for imposing the R1000 for the UK visa for South Africans but it really will not help a great deal and it will just be inconveniencing the 250 000 tourists to the UK every year. The problem lies at the root which is the Department of Home Affairs. Once that is sorted out then hopefully all will be okay.
If you are a genuine South African with a genuine passport, why should you lose sleep over the introduction of the visas.Your worries indicates that you have got something to hide.At present , i think there are a very few African countries which do not need visas to travel to UK.The UK government has got the responsibility to safeguard our boarders.We have got high levels of illegal immigrants inc overstayers who are milking our benefit system.We are working hard but some people are coming here to take what they didnt sweat for.Let the homeoffice introduce this visa issue as this will help to stem out illegitimate migrants,terrorists, benefits fraud,child trafficking, etc
Thank you for your comment Tim. I am a holder of a genuine South African passport. I share your sentiments with you and agree that there are many illegal immigrants in the UK. The point I am trying to home in on is that, the problem stems from the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa and because of its (the departments) failure to stop fake passports being made, people, such as yourself are being made to suffer due to illegals entering your country.
What a shame but you can’t blame the UK government as they have no control over SA Home Affairs. The cost of the visa isn’t just a fee; it covers a background check, I believe it includes having fingerprints submitted to confirm you are not a wanted criminal/terrorist.
Still, the root of the problem is DEFINITELY with SA gov and I fear they’re not about to get their house in order anytime soon. They have too many corrupt government officials (how many of them are University educated?).
[...] safety of South African passports has recently been bought up by the British who are thinking of introducing visa’s for South African’s to enter the UK. Now my understanding was that South Africans now need visas to enter the UK but I guess that is [...]
My wife and I reside in the UK.Her dad wants to visit us in May 2008.Does he need a visa and how much will it cost.He is a pensioner
Hi Clinton. From our understanding, it seems like the UK thought of introducing visas for South Africans but it looks like it has not been fully implimented yet and thus South African’s still do not need visas as yet. It would be best to double check with your travel agent or department of Home Affairs.
i think that the athorities of the united kingdom should tighten up their security at the airports and borders to verify if the passport is fake and should really allow us to enter their country visa free we need the opportunity of a better and brighter future ket them help us THANKS
this is my question how can they regulate the way home affairs have corrupted all the issue of south africa passport,, they must do something about it,
when does the new visa law happen?from when
me i’m a foreigner, i think the probleme is not a south african passport, the probleme is the government of south africa must regularised all the foreigner in south africa before the world cup.
if the foreigner is regular we can solve the probleme in home affairs because the business man have a connection into home affairs and if you give that business man some R5000-00 or R3500-00 he can get for you one years.
the government must solv to much probleme in south african and Home Affairs.
i am a sa passport holder. i would like to study in uk.please advice me.
I have a South African & Btitish passport. Do I need a visa to enter and live in the UK?
As far as I am aware, there is no need yet for South African passport holders to have a visa to enter the UK.
I am a legitimate SA citizen with a SA passport, honestly its quite a shame to hear this kind of news, I think the main problem here is the corruption in all our government departments, and there doesn’t seem to be any will anywhere to sort it out, and I do sympathize with the UK government on this but can’t it be so once we pass the test (checks) that the visa is for lifetime? and not something that we need to apply for every year. or at least for like 10 years.
I think uk should not put visa for south african.they should work with home affairs to solve the fake documents problem.may be uk govt.impose the condition that before any one fly to uk from SA they must get a verification letter from home affairs to confirm that they do have genuine passport.i think that will work .but home affairs must make sure that only the genuine passport holder can get this letter.the procedure must be very secure.it m ust satisfy uk govt.
As a brit who lives with a south african in England, i think it is a great idea to introduce visas for south africans. Our country is overrun with illegal immigrants from many different countries and our social structure is falling apart from their influx. Home affairs in south africa is a joke, we have been trying to renew a passport for so long it would have been easier and quicker to gain british citizenship,appparently there is a hold up in the id dept but cant tell us what it is. No wonder, probably all the corrupt workers are processing illegal passports!
Some of the above posts just prove how stupid some of you are. Asking for advice on how to study in the Uk???? Asking if your family need a visa and how much it costs??? Seriously! WTF?
i am a southafrican what do i need to get if i went to visit uk
Have you or do you know smenooe who had done this with Ethiopia?Thank you for your feedback.
I have been reading the hype about SA passport holders not needing visas….I have personaly found that I need a visa for almost every country outside Africa except Switzerland. So which border posts have they been travelling through?
No visas are needed for Singapore, mauritius, New Zealand, Brazil Seychelles and some other countries.
And Adam, read my post just above yours.
And PS. Charles, you will need a Schengen visa for Switzerland from November. Sorry mate.
pls i am southafrican but i dnt believe or share abut ur sentiment that south africa passport a re duplicated or forged.sometimes the immigration official at heathrow are not been fair to us .they treat us like animal and subject us to rigorous stress and mind torture.pls these people need to be re orientated
i am a original south african passport holder and agree with you.the whole problem is fron the home affairs,and not only that there is one other problem which i will really blame and that is the corruption this i feel is the major problem and a very big embarassment for south africans around the world to be looked at as a suspect just for having a southafrican passport
fngvalnhzaoiciyowell, hi admin adn people nice forum indeed. how’s life? hope it’s introduce branch
It’s embarrassing that Gordon Brown’s government does nothing about immigration for years and then rushes in… with the wrong plan.
Let’s hope they see sense, or we get a more sensible government soon!
another reason why I’m starting to HATE livig in SA..we suffer for all the damn crap and mess of our goverment. Why the hell do they want to keep us here if they make this country a circus??
i like uk construction
We can now congratulate the Home Affairs on the effort they have made in the past one and half years in improving on the quality of both the passport and id as in the past they could easily be faked, but now the criminals are having it difficult. We just hope the international community is noticing this and they will soon take it into consideration that RSA is not a country for crimuinals.
I heard that the new south african passport is now visa free to
The UK,how far is this story,cuz I also heard last year,that
South african government gave UK altimatum of 31 dec 2010,pls
Enlighten us.Thanks.
Please confirm about visa free to uk on new passport?
http://www.fcadd.com
http://www.fcadd.com/blog/
Good afternoon,
My niece had applied for a Visa to go to the UK for christmas to visit her elder sister who now resides & work in London.She is also married to a Polish man and has a baby. She submitted her application at a Sandton emigration office without the relevent documentation that was needed. Is it possible for her to make an appeal so as to attach all her documents because she had already paid for her application.