A relative’s visa lets a foreign family member of a South African citizen or permanent resident live in South Africa. It is issued under section 18 of the Immigration Act for up to two years. Your South African relative must prove R8,500 a month in support for you, and the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) fee is R435.
In summary
- Who qualifies: immediate family within the second step of kinship of a citizen or permanent resident, such as parents, children, and brothers and sisters.
- Financial assurance: your South African relative must show R8,500 per person per month. Not needed if the South African relative is a dependent child.
- DHA fee: R435 (no fee for a spouse or minor child). VFS fee: R1,750.
- Validity: up to two years, renewable inside South Africa.
- Work: not allowed, except for parents of South African children under the Rayment ruling (2023).
- No medical or X-ray report for applications inside South Africa.
- Official processing target: 120 working days (about six months) inside South Africa.
- Permanent residence: parents and children can apply under section 27(g). Brothers and sisters cannot.
Who Qualifies for a Relative’s Visa
The relative’s visa is for “immediate family” of a South African citizen or permanent resident. The Immigration Regulations require proof of kinship within the second step.
| Relative | Relative’s visa? | Permanent residence through the relative (27(g))? |
|---|---|---|
| Parent | Yes | Yes |
| Child (adult or minor) | Yes | Yes |
| Brother or sister | Yes | No |
| Spouse or life partner | Usually a spousal visa instead | Yes, under 26(b) after five years |
| Aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew | No | No |
| In-laws | No | No |
Step-parents, step-children and foster children usually need proof of legal adoption to qualify.
Spouses and life partners normally apply for a spousal visa, which can be endorsed for work.
The R8,500 Financial Assurance
Your South African relative must prove they can support you. The amount is R8,500 per person per month (Government Gazette 37716 of 3 June 2014). Proof is a current salary advice or a certified bank statement not older than three months.
- Per person: if your parent and two siblings apply together, your South African relative must show R8,500 for each of them.
- Not needed when the South African relative is a dependent child. For example, a foreign parent of a South African child does not need to show financial assurance from the child.
- Your own money can help. If you have your own income or savings, include proof, but DHA still expects the South African relative’s assurance.
Relative’s Visa Requirements
Document checklist
- Completed application form (VFS online form)
- Your passport, valid for at least 30 days after your intended departure, plus a certified copy
- Two passport photos
- Proof of kinship: an unabridged birth certificate (and paternity test results where needed)
- Proof of adoption, if applicable
- Your South African relative’s ID or permanent residence permit (certified copy)
- Financial assurance of R8,500 per person per month: salary advice or certified bank statements not older than three months
- Police clearance certificates from every country where you lived for 12 months or more after age 18, in the last five years. Not older than six months
- Written consent from both parents and proof of parental responsibilities, for a minor applicant
- Yellow fever certificate, if you have travelled through a yellow fever area
- Sworn translations of any document not in English
- Proof of payment
No medical or X-ray report is needed for applications made inside South Africa. The medical report was waived by Ministerial Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026 (8 July 2026), and the radiology report in April 2023. If you apply at an embassy abroad, check that mission’s checklist.
Unabridged birth certificates matter. An abridged certificate does not show parents, so it cannot prove kinship. See abridged vs unabridged birth certificates. If your relative is South African and needs their own unabridged certificate, see how to apply for an unabridged birth certificate.
Work Rights for Parents of South African Children
Section 18(2) of the Immigration Act says a relative’s visa holder may not work. The Constitutional Court changed this for parents in Rayment and Others v Minister of Home Affairs ([2023] ZACC 40, 4 December 2023).
- A foreign parent of a South African citizen or permanent resident child can get a relative’s visa with the right to work.
- Such parents can change status from inside South Africa, for example from a spousal visa that is ending after a divorce.
- Ask for the work endorsement expressly when you apply. Immigration attorneys report that some parents have been issued standard relative’s visas without it and had to apply for a correction.
All other relative’s visa holders cannot work, study or run a business on this visa.
Applying From Inside or Outside South Africa
- Parents of South African children can apply from inside South Africa under the Rayment ruling.
- Other relatives often apply from abroad, at the South African embassy, high commission or consulate for their country of residence. Immigration practitioners report that brothers and sisters must apply from abroad.
- Renewals are done at a VFS centre inside South Africa.
If you are in South Africa on a visitor’s visa and want to switch to a relative’s visa, get advice first. Changing status inside South Africa is only allowed in specific cases.
How to Apply: Step by Step
- Confirm you qualify using the table above.
- Get unabridged birth certificates for both you and your South African relative, so the link is clear.
- Prepare the financial assurance: your relative’s latest salary advice or certified bank statements.
- Get police clearances from each country you lived in for 12 months or more in the last five years.
- Complete the online application on the VFS Global website and pay the R1,750 VFS fee to book.
- Pay the DHA fee of R435 if it applies.
- Attend your VFS appointment for fingerprints, photo and document checks.
- Track your application online and collect the outcome at the same centre.
Relative’s Visa Fees in 2026
| Fee | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Relative’s visa (immediate family other than a spouse or minor child) | R435 | DHA |
| Relative’s visa for a spouse or minor child | No DHA fee | DHA |
| VFS service fee | R1,750 | VFS Global |
| VFS Premium Lounge (optional) | R750 | VFS Global |
DHA fees are from DHA’s official fee schedule, updated per Government Gazette 55209 of 17 August 2026. The VFS fee went up from R1,550 to R1,750 in June 2026. Fees are not refunded if your application is refused. Abroad, the mission charges its own fee in local currency.
How Long a Relative’s Visa Takes
DHA’s official target for a section 18 relative’s visa is 120 working days (about six months) for applications submitted inside South Africa (Immigration Circular No. 8 of 2026). Embassies abroad set their own timelines.
Renewing a Relative’s Visa
- A relative’s visa is issued for up to two years at a time.
- Renew at a VFS centre in South Africa at least 60 days before it expires.
- You need fresh financial assurance and proof that the relationship and your relative’s status have not changed.
From Relative’s Visa to Permanent Residence
| Your relationship | Permanent residence route |
|---|---|
| Parent of a citizen or permanent resident | Section 27(g), first step of kinship |
| Child of a citizen or permanent resident | Section 27(g), or 26(c) if under 21, or 26(d) if your parent is a citizen |
| Brother or sister | No permanent residence route through your sibling. You need another category, such as a work visa leading to 26(a) |
Under section 27(g), the DHA fee is R1,520, and DHA’s processing target is 240 working days (about 11 to 12 months). See how to apply for permanent residence.
What You Cannot Do
- You cannot work on a relative’s visa, unless you are the parent of a South African child under the Rayment ruling and your visa is endorsed for work.
- You cannot study or run a business on a standard relative’s visa.
- You cannot sponsor aunts, uncles, cousins or in-laws. They are outside the second step of kinship.
- You cannot use a sibling to get permanent residence. Section 27(g) covers parents and children only.
- You cannot let the financial assurance lapse. If your relative can no longer show R8,500 per person per month, renewal is at risk.
If Your Relative’s Visa Is Refused
Appeal to the Director-General within 10 working days of receiving the refusal (section 8(4) of the Immigration Act), through VFS. If that fails, appeal to the Minister within 10 working days (section 8(6)). Common refusal reasons are weak proof of kinship (abridged certificates) and financial assurance below R8,500 per person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for a relative’s visa in South Africa?
Immediate family members of a South African citizen or permanent resident, within the second step of kinship. This includes parents, children, and brothers and sisters. Aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws do not qualify.
How much is the financial assurance for a relative’s visa?
R8,500 per person per month, set in Government Gazette 37716 of 2014. Your South African relative proves it with a salary advice or certified bank statements not older than three months. It is not needed when the South African relative is a dependent child.
How much does a relative’s visa cost?
The DHA fee is R435 for immediate family other than a spouse or minor child. Spouses and minor children pay no DHA fee. Everyone pays the R1,750 VFS service fee.
Can I work on a relative’s visa?
Generally no. The exception is a foreign parent of a South African citizen or permanent resident child, who can get a relative’s visa with work rights under the Constitutional Court’s Rayment ruling of December 2023.
How long is a relative’s visa valid?
Up to two years at a time. You can renew it from inside South Africa if you still qualify. Apply at least 60 days before it expires.
How long does a relative’s visa take?
DHA’s official target is 120 working days, about six months, for applications submitted inside South Africa. Embassies abroad set their own timelines.
Can my brother or sister get a relative’s visa?
Yes, siblings are within the second step of kinship, so they can get a relative’s visa. They cannot get permanent residence through you, because section 27(g) only covers parents and children.
Can parents get permanent residence through their South African child?
Yes. A parent of a South African citizen or permanent resident can apply for permanent residence under section 27(g). The DHA fee is R1,520.
Do I need a medical report for a relative’s visa?
Not for applications made inside South Africa. The medical report was waived from 8 July 2026 by Ministerial Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026. If you apply at an embassy abroad, check its checklist.
What is the difference between a relative’s visa and a spousal visa?
A spousal visa (section 11(6)) is for husbands, wives and life partners, has no DHA fee and can be endorsed for work. A relative’s visa (section 18) is for other immediate family, costs R435 and does not allow work except for parents of South African children.
Related Guides
- Spousal and life partner visa
- How to apply for permanent residence
- Work visas in South Africa
- Citizenship for a child born in South Africa to foreign parents
- Unabridged birth certificate
- Birth certificate apostille
Official Sources
- Immigration Act 13 of 2002, sections 8, 18 and 27(g)
- Immigration Regulations, 2014, regulation 17 (relative’s visa)
- Government Gazette 37716 (3 June 2014): R8,500 financial assurance
- Rayment and Others v Minister of Home Affairs and Others [2023] ZACC 40
- DHA fee schedule, updated per Government Gazette 55209 (17 August 2026)
- Ministerial Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026 (medical report waiver)
- Immigration Circular No. 8 of 2026 (published turnaround times)