Your Study Visa in South Africa
Your study visa from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) lets you live and study in South Africa. Learn how to keep it valid, renew it and move to a work visa.
South AfricaEXAMPLE: SOUTH AFRICAN STUDY VISA
Type: Study visa
ID#: Example
ID: Example
Status: Student
Example: Master's degree
Example: University of Cape Town (UCT)
Example card only.
Keeping Your Study Visa Valid
South Africa does not give students a separate residence card. Your study visa is your permit to live in South Africa while you study.
Visa and Entry Stamp
Given before you travel
Names your university
Issued for the length of your course
Given at the airport
Should say 'study', not 'visitor'
Dates should match your visa
How DHA Knows You Are Studying
Your university tells DHA within 30 days if you stop studying or finish. It gives you a letter of undertaking (a letter in which it promises DHA to report on your studies).
Key Papers
Study visa
The visa label in your passport. It names your university and the dates of your course.
Entry stamp
The stamp the officer puts in your passport when you arrive. It should say 'study' and match your visa's end date.
Medical aid card
Proof of your South African medical aid.
Letter of undertaking
A letter from your university, for each renewal.
If You Stop Studying
What You Must Do
Register at your university
Your university sends DHA proof that you registered, within 60 days of registering.
Keep your medical aid (South African health insurance)
Visa cover is for one year, renewed each year, or for your whole course.
Work only part time
Up to 20 hours a week.
Renew on time
Apply well before your visa ends. The steps are below.
Keep your passport valid
Your passport must be valid for at least 30 days after the date you plan to leave South Africa at the end of your studies.
Ways to Stay Longer
Renew your study visa while you study. After you graduate, you need a work visa to stay and work.
Target Times
Get your letter
Apply and pay online
Book and attend
DHA decides
60 working days
Collect
Application Types
Study visa renewal
Renew inside South Africa through VFS Global when your course runs longer than your visa.
Key Requirements:
- A letter of undertaking from your university.
- Your passport must be valid for at least 30 days after the date you plan to leave South Africa at the end of your studies.
- A police clearance certificate (a paper from the police that says you have no crime record), less than 6 months old.
- Medical aid for the time you will stay.
Critical skills work visa
For a graduate with a job offer for a job on the Critical Skills List. It can last up to 5 years at a time.
Key Requirements:
- A signed job offer or contract.
- Your job is on the Critical Skills List.
- Your foreign degree checked by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
- Membership of the right professional body, where one exists.
New study visa from your home country
If you go home and apply there (for example in India or Pakistan), it is a new application, not a renewal.
Key Requirements:
- Leave South Africa before your visa ends.
- Expect the full list of papers for a first study visa.
Renewal Steps Inside South Africa
Get your letter
Ask your university for a letter of undertaking for your renewal.
Apply and pay online
Fill in the VFS Global online form (VFS Global takes visa papers for South Africa) and pay the DHA and VFS fees.
Book and attend
Book a VFS appointment and hand in your papers in person.
DHA decides
How long DHA aims to take when you apply from inside South Africa.
Duration: 60 working days
Collect
Collect your passport and visa at the same VFS centre.
How to Renew
You renew online through VFS Global, then hand in your papers in person.
Main Steps
Get your papers
Ask your university for a letter of undertaking.
Get a police certificate if yours is older than 6 months.
Apply and pay
Fill in the VFS online form.
Pay the fee to secure your appointment.
Book your appointment
Choose a VFS centre and a time.
Download the form, checklist and appointment letter and bring them.
Hand in your papers
Go to the VFS centre in person.
Your file goes to DHA in Pretoria.
Collect your decision
Collect at the centre where you applied.
Bring your original passport and receipt.
Renewal Tips
Count back from your end date
Look at the end date on your visa. Count back to the day you must apply.
Ask for your letter early
The office for students from other countries at your university writes the letter of undertaking.
Check your renewed visa
Check your name, university and dates when you collect it.
From Study Visa to Work Visa
| From Status | To Status | Requirements | Processing Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study visa | Critical skills work visa | A job offer for a job on the Critical Skills List and a SAQA check of your degree | DHA target: 4 weeks | You cannot use it to look for a job. It can last up to 5 years at a time. |
| Study visa | General work visa | A contract of employment | DHA target: 4 weeks | A work visa for the length of your contract, up to 5 years. |
Papers for a Renewal
DHA's list of papers when you apply from inside South Africa.
Every renewal
Application form
Filled in fully and signed.
Passport and certified copy
Your passport with your visa, plus a certified copy (a copy stamped as true by an official). Your passport must be valid for at least 30 days after the date you plan to leave South Africa at the end of your studies.
Police clearance certificate
You need one from each country where you lived for more than 12 months in the last 5 years. VFS can arrange it for ZAR 185, paid on the day of your appointment.
Proof of payment
Proof that you paid the DHA fee.
From your university
Acceptance letter
Confirms your place and the length of your course.
Letter of undertaking
Signed by the university office that keeps student records.
Moving to a Work Visa
Critical skills work visa
- Job offer or contract signed by you and the employer
- Proof your job is on the Critical Skills List
- SAQA check of your foreign degree
- Professional body membership, where one exists
- Police clearance certificate
How Long It Takes
DHA tells you how long it aims to take, in working days, from its list for 2026 to 2027.
Renewal Steps
Prepare
Get your letter of undertaking, police certificate and medical aid papers.
Key Activities:
- The police certificate must be under 6 months old.
- Since 17 July 2026, DHA has waived the medical report for all visa applications. You do need a chest X-ray report (radiological report).
Apply and pay online
Fill in the VFS online form and pay to secure your appointment.
DHA decides (in Pretoria)
VFS sends your file to DHA in Pretoria.
Decision
You get an email when the decision is back at VFS.
Key Activities:
- Track it online with your reference number, last name and date of birth.
Collect
Collect at the VFS centre where you applied.
Key Activities:
- Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town: book a collection appointment.
- Bring your original passport and receipt.
What Changes the Time
Working days
Only working days count.
A full file
You cannot add papers after you hand in your application.
How Long DHA Aims to Take
Fastest Cases
Typical Cases
Complex Cases
Keeping Your Status
A few habits keep your study visa safe.
Good Habits
Watch your dates
Note when your visa and passport end.
Put the day you must apply for renewal in your calendar.
Renew medical aid
Keep cover for all the time you study.
Stay registered
Your university tells DHA if you stop studying.
Mistakes to Avoid
Plan Ahead
Start early. Do not wait for the last 60 days.
Questions About Your Study Visa in South Africa
Short answers about keeping and renewing your study visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Useful Links
Need More Help?
The office for students from other countries at your university gives you the letter of undertaking you need to renew.
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