South Africa Work Visa Fees for Indians (2026, in Rupees)

All amounts below are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. VFS Global accepts South African visa applications on behalf of the South African High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate General in Mumbai. You pay the visa fee and the logistic fee per applicant at submission, in cash or by card.

Which South Africa work visas cost INR 8,375?

The remote work visa is a visitor's visa for working remotely for a foreign employer, and it does not allow employment in South Africa. It needs a gross salary of no less than the equivalent of R650,796 a year, shown by three months' bank statements.

Two other rows are worth knowing. The volunteer/charity work visa sits in the INR 2,342 group with study, treaty, relative and retired-person visas. And if your employer in India is sending you for a short assignment rather than a job, the short-term categories (business meeting, training, conferences and short-term projects) are gratis for Indian nationals, with a minimum processing time of 5 working days in New Delhi and Mumbai and 7 working days at other centres. Training and conference visas are only for travellers not paid by an entity in South Africa; paid work there needs a work visa.

What does VFS add at each centre?

VFS charges a logistic fee per applicant, inclusive of all taxes, and the amount depends on where you submit:

• New Delhi and Mumbai: INR 2,040.
• Gurugram, Jaipur, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, Goa and Bengaluru: INR 2,301.
• Convenience fee: INR 160 for all payment modes, including cash.

No appointment is needed. You walk into a VFS centre in your jurisdiction during operating hours. The High Commission in New Delhi covers North and East India (centres in New Delhi, Gurugram, Jaipur and Kolkata). The Consulate General in Mumbai covers Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka (centres in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bengaluru and Goa). So a Hyderabad or Chennai resident files in the Mumbai jurisdiction and pays the INR 2,301 rate unless they submit in Mumbai itself.

Which optional VFS charges can you skip?

• SMS updates: INR 55.
• Courier Assurance: INR 885.
• Premium Lounge: INR 2,000.

VFS lists its logistic fee and these optional charges as non-refundable. You can track the application free online through VFS 'Track your application', so the SMS service is a convenience rather than a need.

Does the Trusted Employer Scheme change the cost?

Not the fee: TES categories carry the same INR 8,375 visa fee. What changes is time and paperwork. TES applications have a minimum processing time of 15 to 20 days from submission, against a minimum of 90 days for other long-term work visas. Under a Ministerial waiver, the Department of Labour certificate and the SAQA evaluation are not required for TES general work visas; the employer confirms your skills and qualifications instead. You still need a police clearance certificate for every country you lived in for more than 12 months in the last 5 years, not older than 6 months.

Which document costs sit on top of the visa fee?

Each work route asks for documents that carry their own charges. The official sources do not publish these amounts, so ask the issuing body before you budget:

• SAQA evaluation of your foreign qualification, with a sworn translation (general work and critical skills, unless TES).
• Department of Labour certificate confirming the employer's search, that your qualifications match and that pay is not inferior to citizens in similar roles (general work, unless TES).
• Professional body confirmation of your skills from a SAQA-recognised body, council or board, and registration where the law requires it (critical skills).
• Police clearance certificates for applicants aged 18 and over, for every country lived in for a year or more since turning 18; the Indian PCC comes from the Regional Passport Office.

One cost has gone. From 1 October 2026, the High Commission in New Delhi no longer requires medical reports for long-term visa categories. VFS one-pager checklists may still list them, and the change was not confirmed for the Mumbai jurisdiction, so check at your centre.

What will a family moving with you pay?

The dependant visa for an accompanying spouse and dependent children is gratis for Indian nationals, but the VFS logistic fee is charged per applicant. From 1 October 2026, children aged 18 or above can no longer apply under the long-term dependant category in the New Delhi jurisdiction, except disabled children. For the tourist, ETA and other visa routes, see our South Africa visa guide for Indians, and check the current fee table on the VFS South Africa visa types page.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visa files. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for a reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter together. Reach us on WhatsApp at +91 95230 91018 or through the contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use South Africa's online ETA instead of a work visa?

No. The ETA issues a port of entry visa for short-stay visits. Paid work in South Africa needs a work visa, and even the short-term training and conference visas are only for travellers not paid by an entity in South Africa.

Is there a separate fee for a South Africa critical skills visa?

No. The critical skills work visa costs the same INR 8,375 as the general work, intra-company transfer and corporate work visas. It needs a job offer and an occupation on the latest Critical Skills List.

Can I pay South Africa visa fees by card at VFS?

Yes. The visa fee and logistic fee are paid per applicant at submission in cash or by card, according to VFS India. A INR 160 convenience fee applies to every payment mode, including cash.

How much does a South Africa intra-company transfer visa cost an Indian employee?

The visa fee is INR 8,375, plus the VFS logistic fee for your centre. It needs an employment contract with the Indian company of not less than six months and is issued for a maximum of 4 years.