Travellers entering or leaving South Africa will now be required to complete an online traveller declaration before beginning their journey.

According to Polokwane Review, the new rule came into effect yesterday (July 1), as the South African Revenue Service (SARS) officially made its online traveller declaration system compulsory after several years of pilot testing.

The declaration forms part of South Africa’s customs process and is designed to simplify border procedures while improving the monitoring of goods, cash and other items being brought into or taken out of the country.

People required to complete the declaration

The requirement applies to almost everyone travelling across South Africa’s borders by air, land, sea or rail, including:

• South African citizens
• permanent residents
• foreign nationals

Parents or guardians may complete the declaration on behalf of children or anyone unable to do so themselves.

Exemptions for transit passengers

The only general exemption is for air and sea passengers who are simply passing through South Africa and remain inside the designated international transit area without entering the country.

Submission timeframes

Travellers must submit the declaration no more than 24 hours before departing for South Africa or before leaving the country.

Those travelling on connecting flights should complete the declaration within 24 hours of the final leg of their trip to South Africa.

What happens after submission

After submitting the form, travellers will receive an email confirming their declaration, along with instructions from customs.

SARS advises travellers to either print the confirmation or keep a digital copy on their mobile device to present if requested by customs officials.

Reasons for the digital shift

The digital system is intended to reduce paperwork, speed up border processing and strengthen customs risk management at ports of entry.

The online declaration also allows customs officials to assess declarations before travellers arrive at the border.

The traveller declaration system was first introduced on a voluntary basis at selected airports in 2022 before being expanded to land and sea ports. It is now mandatory nationwide.

Information required for the online form

Here is what travellers may need to prepare before entering or leaving South Africa:

1. Declaration type
   Travellers must indicate whether they:

• have goods and/or currency to declare
• have no goods and/or currency to declare

2. Mode of travel
   You will need to provide:

• mode of travel (air, land, sea or rail)
• port of entry or exit
• mode of transport (eg commercial flight or private vehicle)

3. Personal details
   Such as:

• travel document type (passport, ID, etc.)
• travel document number
• name and surname
• date of birth

4. South African address
   Travellers must also provide their address in South Africa or where they will be staying.
   
5. Travel details
   Information about the trip, possibly including:

• whether you are travelling for personal or business purposes
• where you are travelling from
• any transit country or stopover
• your final destination

6. Currency declaration (if applicable)
   If you are carrying currency that must be declared, you will need to provide information like:

• the amount
• currency type
• source of the funds
• reason for carrying the money

7. Goods declaration (if applicable)
   If you have goods to declare, the form may ask for:

• description of each item
• quantity
• serial numbers (where applicable)
• value

---

Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.

Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.