South Africa · Student
South Africa Exchange visa
First stay: 1 yr
Exchange Visa (Immigration Act s22)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Exchange visa is a student route for South Africa. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.
- Government fees
- ZAR 425 ≈ $26
- Processing
- 60 days
- First stay
- 1 yr
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee ZAR 425 ≈ $26; decision: 60 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesZAR 425 ≈ $26
- ZAR 425 (≈ $26)Application fee (including renewal) under section 22 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026.
RenewalNot renewable
Valid for the length of the exchange programme, usually no more than 12 months, and cannot be renewed or extended.
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.
Processing60 days
Home Affairs turnaround time: 60 days. Working days only; this applies to applications submitted inside South Africa and processed at Home Affairs head office.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Apply in person at the South African mission where you normally live or hold citizenship.
Presence rulesAt least 12 months
After an exchange visa you do not qualify for a temporary residence visa until you have lived outside South Africa for at least 12 months.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Can't be renewed
- Time on this route doesn't count toward citizenship
- Applications are made from outside South Africa, not after arriving
- Needs a place at a school or university in South Africa
- Work rights are limited
- Only up to age 25
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The applicant is not older than 25.
- The programme is a cultural, economic or social exchange run by a state organ or public higher education institution with a foreign state organ.
What you must show1
- The application fee, including renewal, is ZAR 425 (≈ $26).
Documents4
- Medical cover with a registered South African medical scheme for the exchange period is required.
- The South African institution confirms the programme, its terms and duration and accepts responsibility for the participant.
- The foreign institution confirms the participant's enrolment and the programme start date.
- A return air ticket, or an institution undertaking to cover return or deportation costs, is submitted.
Steps1
- Applications are made at a Department of Home Affairs regional office or a South African mission abroad.
After you arrive2
- Exchange visas cannot be renewed or extended.
- No temporary residence permit is available after an exchange visa until the holder has lived outside South Africa for 12 months.
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 1 year in total
- 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 for a foreigner aged up to 25 joining a cultural, economic or social exchange programme run by a state organ or public higher education institution with a foreign state body. 1 2
What you must show and pay
- A fee of ZAR 425 (≈ $26) · Application fee (including renewal) under section 22 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026. 2
Requirements
- The applicant is not older than 25. 1
- The programme is a cultural, economic or social exchange run by a state organ or public higher education institution with a foreign state organ. 1 3
- The application fee, including renewal, is ZAR 425 (≈ $26). 2
- Medical cover with a registered South African medical scheme for the exchange period is required. 1
- The South African institution confirms the programme, its terms and duration and accepts responsibility for the participant. 1
- The foreign institution confirms the participant's enrolment and the programme start date. 1
- A return air ticket, or an institution undertaking to cover return or deportation costs, is submitted. 1
- Applications are made at a Department of Home Affairs regional office or a South African mission abroad. 1
- Exchange visas cannot be renewed or extended. 1
- No temporary residence permit is available after an exchange visa until the holder has lived outside South Africa for 12 months. 1
Stay
- Validity follows the programme length and usually does not exceed 12 months; cannot be renewed or extended.
- First stay: up to 12 months, decided case by case.
- Not renewable according to our source.
Work
Exchange programme activities only.
Official sources
- South African Visas (types of temporary residence visas) · 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
- Turnaround times for visa and permit related services · 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
Exchange visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange visa | – | 1 yr | Limited |
| Study visa | – | – | – |
| Student card Morocco | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| Student residence Cabo Verde | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Student pass Kenya | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Exchange visa?
A fee of ZAR 425 (≈ $26). Application fee (including renewal) under section 22 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026.
How long can I stay on the Exchange visa?
Validity follows the programme length and usually does not exceed 12 months; cannot be renewed or extended.
How long does the Exchange visa take to process?
Home Affairs turnaround time: 60 days.
Can I work on the Exchange visa?
Limited. Exchange programme activities only.
More in South Africa
Study visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-10 against 7 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
- 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
- Turnaround times for visa and permit related services · 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
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.