Apply For Australian Visa In South Africa
If you want to apply for a visa to Australia, you need to follow a step by step approach to ensure there is no category exclusion which will make your visa application unsuitable. You also need to ensure that you have ticked all the boxes and met all the criteria necessary to be granted a visa. The paperwork can be long-winded and difficult but with the right advice, it should not be a prohibitive process.
If you are a South African national and want to live and work long-term in Australia, your first step is to apply for an Australian visa. You’re probably asking yourself,
Visas and Migration
Welcome to the Australian Immigration Office at the Australian High Commission, Pretoria. We are an overseas office of the Australian Department of Home Affairs. Our office provides visa services to residents of South Africa and other countries in Southern and Western Africa. To see who is responsible for processing visa from your country of usual residence see: Country coverage – Africa
Global Service Centre (GSC)
From 1 March 2021, the Australian High Commission is unable to provide responses on visa, citizenship or customs enquiries. Visit the Department of Home Affairs website or call the Home Affairs Global Service Centre on +61 2 6196 0196, open Monday to Friday 0900 to 1700 (local time).
Travel Restrictions – Travel to resume for fully vaccinated travellers from 21 February 2022
On 7 February, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that from 21 February 2022, all fully vaccinated visa holders will be able to travel to Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption.
For information on what ‘fully vaccinated’ means for both adults and children – please see the department’s website: Vaccinated travellers | COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au).
If you are not fully vaccinated you will not be able to travel to Australia unless you are an Australian citizen, Australian Permanent Resident or have received a travel exemption. Further information on travel exemptions can be found on the department’s website: Travel restrictions | COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au)
Fully vaccinated travellers should also check the What I need to do before I travel | COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au) link for details on documents they should bring with them as evidence they are fully vaccinated and details on pre departure COVID testing and travel declaration requirements.
Quarantine on arrival requirements vary from state to state and travellers will need to comply with requirements of their arrival location as well as any other state or territories that they plan to travel to. This includes quarantine and post arrival testing requirements. These requirements can change at short notice and travellers should regularly check these requirements before travel. Further information can be found using the following link: States (australia.gov.au)