South Africa · Work
South Africa Corporate visa
First stay: 3 yrs
Corporate Visa (Immigration Act s21)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Corporate visa is a work route for South Africa. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.
- Government fees
- ZAR 1,520 ≈ $92
- First stay
- 3 yrs
Cost, time and long term
Government feesZAR 1,520 ≈ $92
- ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92)Application fee (including renewal) under section 21 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026.
RenewalRenewable
Corporate visas can be renewed. Each one is issued for no more than three years.
CitizenshipTime here doesn't count
Naturalisation needs permanent residence first, then five continuous years of ordinary residence. Time on a temporary visa does not count.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Applications are made at a VFS centre or at a South African embassy, mission or consulate abroad.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Time on this route doesn't count toward citizenship
- Applications are made from outside South Africa, not after arriving
- Needs a job offer from an employer in South Africa
- Work rights are limited
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The applicant is a corporate entity, such as a mining group or farm, employing a pre-determined number of foreign workers.
- At least 60 percent of staff in the business operations must be citizens or permanent residents.
What you must show1
- The application fee is ZAR 1,520, (≈ $92) including renewal.
Documents3
- A Department of Labour certificate confirms the diligent search, job description, remuneration and pay parity.
- Registrations with SARS, UIF, the Compensation Fund and CIPC where required.
- Proof of the need to employ the requested number of foreigners, and undertakings on deportation costs.
Steps1
- Apply at a VFS centre or the nearest South African mission.
When you become tax resident
How South Africa decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 3 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- More than 91 days in a tax year and each of the 5 preceding tax yearsPhysical presence test: more than 91 days in the current year and in each of the five preceding years.
- More than 915 days in 5 tax years preceding the current yearPhysical presence test: more than 915 days in total over the five preceding years.
- At least 330 days in a continuous period outside South AfricaA physical-presence resident outside the country for at least 330 continuous full days ceases to be resident from the day of departure.
- Foreign-source income
South African tax residents, whether ordinarily resident or meeting the physical presence test, are taxed on worldwide income at 18% to 45% for the 2027 tax year (1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027); non-residents are taxed only on South African-source income.
All tax rules for South Africa Tax records checked
Full official text
Visa issued to a corporate applicant (for example a mining group or farm) to employ a pre-determined number of skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled foreign workers. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- A fee of ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92) · Application fee (including renewal) under section 21 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026. 3
Requirements
- The applicant is a corporate entity, such as a mining group or farm, employing a pre-determined number of foreign workers. 1
- At least 60 percent of staff in the business operations must be citizens or permanent residents. 1
- The application fee is ZAR 1,520, (≈ $92) including renewal. 3
- A Department of Labour certificate confirms the diligent search, job description, remuneration and pay parity. 1
- Registrations with SARS, UIF, the Compensation Fund and CIPC where required. 1
- Proof of the need to employ the requested number of foreigners, and undertakings on deportation costs. 1
- Apply at a VFS centre or the nearest South African mission. 1
Stay
- Corporate visa issued for a period not exceeding three years.
- First stay: up to 36 months, decided case by case.
Work
Worker may work only for the corporate applicant in the specific position for which the visa was issued.
Official sources
- South African Visas (types of temporary residence visas) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
- Immigration Regulations (updated to 2018) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
- Regulation Gazette 55209: First amendment of the regulations on fees (Immigration Act) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-08-17
- Immigration Act 13 of 2002 (consolidated to 2014) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
- South African Citizenship Act 88 of 1995 · Government of South Africa · checked 2026-10-11
- South African Citizenship Amendment Act 17 of 2010 · Government of South Africa · checked 2026-10-11
Corporate visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate visa | – | 3 yr | Limited |
| Critical Skills visa | – | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| General Work visa | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Intra-company transfer | – | 4 yr | Limited |
| Employee residence card Morocco | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Corporate visa?
A fee of ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92). Application fee (including renewal) under section 21 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026.
How long can I stay on the Corporate visa?
Corporate visa issued for a period not exceeding three years.
Can I work on the Corporate visa?
Limited. Worker may work only for the corporate applicant in the specific position for which the visa was issued.
More in South Africa
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-10 against 6 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- South African Visas (types of temporary residence visas) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
- Immigration Regulations (updated to 2018) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
- Regulation Gazette 55209: First amendment of the regulations on fees (Immigration Act) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
- Immigration Act 13 of 2002 (consolidated to 2014) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
- South African Citizenship Act 88 of 1995 · Government of South Africa · checked 2026-10-11
- South African Citizenship Amendment Act 17 of 2010 · Government of South Africa · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.