South African visa requirements

Delegates can consult the South African Department of Home Affairs website on visa requirements, at http://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/apply-for-a-south-african-visa, where a list of exempt countries is also provided.

 

Letters for visa applications

Should you require a letter of invitation for visa application purposes, then contact the local organising committee via Ms Leandri Duvenhage at Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.

These letters can only be issued if the registration fee funds have already reached the conference’s bank account via credit card payment or EFT payment. In your request you need to report paper number, list of authors and title of the work if you are author of an accepted paper. Please report also your last name, given name, passport number, date of issue, validity and country of issue.

 

Covid information

South Africa has experienced many waves, with some estimates putting the extent of exposure among the population to be higher than 80%. Leading vaccines have been widely available for the past 1.5 years.

Presently (May 2022): The only regulation of note, is that masks are required in shared indoor spaces. Masks are not required when seated at restaurants or bars. The hospitality industry is fully operational and eager to attract guests. Should you be in possession of a valid vaccination certificate then presentation of this certificate at your port of entry suffices, with no proof of a recent negative Covid test result required. However, options do exist to accommodate the unvaccinated. For all the latest regulations, consult https://www.southafricavisa.com/travel-restrictions/ and the South African government’s official website providing the latest regulations at https://www.gov.za/covid-19/resources/regulations-and-guidelines-coronavirus-covid-19 (unfortunately the travel FAQ section on this site is totally outdated).

For those requiring a Covid test to travel back home, various local pathology labs can be consulted, such as e.g. PathCare for the Western Cape at https://booking.pathcare.co.za/. Tests are very affordable by international standards.

Having provided the above information, it remains the traveler’s own responsibility to make 100% sure of the prevailing regulations at the time of travel. Also, by providing a link to one of the local pathology labs, their service is in no way endorsed or guaranteed. It remains the travelers own responsibility to select a service provider to suit their needs.

 

Malaria information

Malaria prevalence is low in South Africa and it is mainly transmitted along border areas very far away from Cape Town. Consult your local health authorities as well as the South African governmental page on the topic at https://www.health.gov.za/malaria/, should you suspect that your planned tourism activities in the region might possibly expose you to any risk in this regard.