Complete your South Africa arrival card online

One declaration covers one journey in one direction, with one travel date. Arrival and departure are two declarations.

SARS says that if the information changes before you go through customs, the declaration has to be updated.

The declaration does not decide how long you may stay. That depends on the immigration rules that apply to you.

The filing window is short. The SARS FAQ says the declaration is submitted no more than 24 hours before departure from the country you are traveling from. On a journey with stops, that means no more than 24 hours before departure on the last leg directly to South Africa. The live form only accepts today or tomorrow as the travel date.

You can order earlier. We hold your application and submit it once the 24-hour window is open, so make sure your flight details are final.

After we submit your declaration, we send the confirmation to the email address given in your order.

The South Africa Traveller Declaration is the online customs declaration of the South African Revenue Service (SARS). It is submitted through the South African Traveller Management System.

The official SARS FAQ states that from July 1, 2026, all travelers entering or leaving South Africa through air, land, sea and rail ports of entry are required to submit an online declaration before traveling. According to SARS, this includes South African citizens, residents and foreign travelers, whether or not they have goods to declare.

SARS also says that nobody is turned away for not filing in advance. In the same FAQ, SARS states that travelers will not be denied entry into or departure from South Africa solely because they have not completed a declaration before arriving at a port of entry. Customs officials and self-service terminals are available there to assist travelers who could not submit it before traveling.

SARS says that each traveler is covered by a declaration, including children and infants, and that a parent or legal guardian may submit it for a child. The form lets an adult add minors and assisted travelers as travel companions.

According to SARS, air or sea travelers who only transit through South Africa and do not leave the designated transit area are excluded.

The declaration is made for arrival and again for departure. One order with us covers one direction. For a round trip, place two orders.

1. Declaration type: goods, vehicles or currency to declare, or nothing to declare.
2. Mode of travel: air, land or sea, the port, and the flight number or the vehicle, train or vessel details.
3. Traveler details: travel document type, number and country, nationality, names, date of birth, address in South Africa, occupation, mobile number and email address.
4. Travel details: personal or business travel, reason for travel, the countries you travel from, via and to, the travel date, and any travel companions.
5. Currency and goods: if you have something to declare, the currency and the goods, with descriptions and values.
6. Summary and declaration: confirm that the information is true and correct, then submit.

SARS states that failure to declare goods or currency, or a false declaration, may lead to delays, the detention or forfeiture of goods, and penalties.

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Filing too early: the form only accepts a travel date of today or tomorrow
• Forgetting the departure: leaving South Africa is a separate declaration and a separate order
• One declaration for a group of adults: SARS asks for a declaration and an email address for each traveler
• Treating the declaration as a visa: it is a customs form, and visa rules are separate