South Africa · Work
South Africa Intra-company transfer
First stay: 4 yrs
Intra-company Transfer Work Visa (Immigration Act s19(5))
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Intra-company transfer 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
- 4 yrs
Cost, time and long term
Government feesZAR 1,520 ≈ $92
- ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92)Application fee (including renewal) under section 19 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026.
Renewal4 years max, no extension
Issued for up to four years and cannot be renewed or extended.
Permanent residenceConditions
Direct permanent residence under section 26(a) needs five years on a work visa, but this visa is limited to four years and cannot be renewed.
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 applyAbroad or in-country
Apply in person at the South African mission where you normally live, or through a VFS centre. If you already hold a valid status other than a visitor's visa, you can apply to change status inside South Africa at least 60 days before your visa expires.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Can't be renewed: 4 years in total at most
- Time on this route doesn't count toward citizenship
- Needs a job offer from an employer in South Africa
- Work rights are limited
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The applicant has a contract of employment with the company abroad valid for not less than six months.
- The South African employer undertakes to plan transfer of skills to a citizen or permanent resident.
What you must show and pay1
- A fee of ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92) · Application fee (including renewal) under section 19 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026.
Documents3
- A letter from the foreign company confirms the transfer, occupation and capacity.
- A letter from the South African entity confirms the transfer, occupation and capacity.
- The South African employer undertakes to reimburse deportation costs of the holder and dependants.
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 4 years 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
Work visa for an employee transferred from a foreign branch, subsidiary or affiliate to its South African counterpart; no labour-market test. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- A fee of ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92) · Application fee (including renewal) under section 19 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026. 3
Requirements
- The applicant has a contract of employment with the company abroad valid for not less than six months. 2
- The South African employer undertakes to plan transfer of skills to a citizen or permanent resident. 2 1
- A letter from the foreign company confirms the transfer, occupation and capacity. 2
- A letter from the South African entity confirms the transfer, occupation and capacity. 2
- The South African employer undertakes to reimburse deportation costs of the holder and dependants. 2 1
Stay
- Issued for a period not exceeding four years and not renewable or extendable.
- First stay: up to 48 months, decided case by case.
- Not renewable according to our source.
Work
Work only for the transferee employer in the specified position.
Family
Spouse and dependants may be issued appropriate visas.
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
- Permanent Residency · 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
Intra-company transfer and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intra-company transfer | – | 4 yr | Limited |
| Corporate visa | – | 3 yr | Limited |
| Critical Skills visa | – | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| General Work visa | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Employee residence card Morocco | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Intra-company transfer?
A fee of ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92). Application fee (including renewal) under section 19 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026.
How long can I stay on the Intra-company transfer?
Issued for a period not exceeding four years and not renewable or extendable.
Can I work on the Intra-company transfer?
Limited. Work only for the transferee employer in the specified position.
Can I bring my family on the Intra-company transfer?
Spouse and dependants may be issued appropriate visas.
Does the Intra-company transfer lead to permanent residence in South Africa?
Direct permanent residence under section 26(a) needs five years on a work visa, but this visa is limited to four years and cannot be renewed. Time on the Intra-company transfer doesn't count toward citizenship. The stay itself ends after 48 months and can't be extended.
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.
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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
- 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
- Permanent Residency · 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.