South Africa · Business / Startup
South Africa Start-up visa (proposed)
Start-up visa (proposed standalone)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Start-up visa (proposed) is a business / startup route for South Africa. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- A standalone start-up visa is proposed in the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection (March 2026).
- Until a standalone visa exists, start-up founders apply under the business visa.
What you must show1
- A business visa capital waiver may be requested where the applicant lacks the minimum capital investment.
Documents4
- Under the business visa for a new business, a chartered or professional accountant certifies that the required cash is available.
- A letter of recommendation from the Department of Trade and Industry on the business's feasibility and national-interest contribution is required.
- A police clearance certificate, not older than six months, is required from each country of residence of over 12 months in the past five years.
- A medical report from a medical practitioner, not older than six months, is submitted.
After you arrive2
- An undertaking that at least 60% of staff will be South African citizens or permanent residents is submitted; proof is due within 12 months of issue.
- The applicant undertakes to register with SARS, the UIF, the Compensation Fund and, where legally required, the CIPC.
When you become tax resident
How South Africa decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- 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
No standalone start-up visa exists yet: start-up founders apply for the business visa, with a waiver available where the minimum capital investment is not met; the White Paper proposes a dedicated start-up visa. 1
Requirements
- A standalone start-up visa is proposed in the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection (March 2026). 1
- Until a standalone visa exists, start-up founders apply under the business visa. 1
- A business visa capital waiver may be requested where the applicant lacks the minimum capital investment. 1
- Under the business visa for a new business, a chartered or professional accountant certifies that the required cash is available. 2
- A letter of recommendation from the Department of Trade and Industry on the business's feasibility and national-interest contribution is required. 2
- A police clearance certificate, not older than six months, is required from each country of residence of over 12 months in the past five years. 2
- A medical report from a medical practitioner, not older than six months, is submitted. 2
- An undertaking that at least 60% of staff will be South African citizens or permanent residents is submitted; proof is due within 12 months of issue. 2
- The applicant undertakes to register with SARS, the UIF, the Compensation Fund and, where legally required, the CIPC. 2
Official sources
- Cabinet-approved Final Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, 26 March 2026 · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-03-26
- South African Visas (types of temporary residence visas) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
Start-up visa (proposed) and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start-up visa (proposed) | – | – | – |
| PR · Business | Needs an investment of ZAR 5M+ ≈ $302k | – | Yes |
| Business visa | Needs an investment of ZAR 5M+ ≈ $302k | 3 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Self-employed card Morocco | – | 10 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Innovator Occupation Permit Mauritius | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
More in South Africa
Business / startup 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 2 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.
- Cabinet-approved Final Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, 26 March 2026 · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
- South African Visas (types of temporary residence visas) · 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.