South Africa's Digital Nomad Visa for Families: Requirements, Dependants and Which City Suits Kids
Last checked: September 2026. South Africa's remote work visa is still new, and Home Affairs checklists, processing times and tax guidance keep changing. Treat figures as a starting point for your own research.
South Africa's digital nomad visa, officially called the remote work visa, lets you live in South Africa for up to three years while you keep working for an employer outside the country. You need a gross income of at least R650,796 a year (roughly US$40,000 or €35,000 in September 2026), a contract with a foreign employer, a police clearance and a medical report. You apply from outside South Africa, at an embassy, consulate or VFS Global centre. Your partner and children can come with you on accompanying visas, but your partner cannot take a local job on that visa, and school-age children usually need a study visa.
What is South Africa's digital nomad visa?
"Digital nomad visa" is the name most people search for. In South African law it is a remote work visa, a type of visitor's visa issued under section 11 of the Immigration Act. The rules came into force in May 2024. The first version set the income bar at R1 million a year. In October 2024 a set of amended regulations, published in the Government Gazette, lowered it to R650,796 and clarified the tax registration rules. As of September 2026 those are still the rules in force. The government's March 2026 immigration policy paper kept the remote work visa and its three-year length.
Because it is a visitor's visa, not a work visa, you cannot work for a South African employer on it, and changing to another visa from inside South Africa is only allowed in narrow cases.
If you are still deciding whether South Africa is right for you at all, start with our complete guide to moving to South Africa with family. For a wider view of how this visa compares with other countries' remote work routes, see digital nomad visas for families.
Who qualifies for the remote work visa?
You qualify if all of these are true:
- You work for an employer based outside South Africa. You need an employment contract signed by you and that foreign employer. If you are self-employed, ask an immigration practitioner whether your set-up counts.
- You earn at least R650,796 a year, gross. That is about R54,230 a month. You prove it with your last three months of bank statements.
- You plan to stay longer than three months. Shorter stays use an ordinary visitor's visa or visa-free entry.
The official threshold, set out in the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) remote work visa requirements, is a gross income of at least R650,796 a year.
| Remote work visa at a glance | What to expect (September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Official name | Remote work visa (a type of visitor's visa) |
| Minimum income | R650,796 a year gross, about US$40,000 or €35,000 |
| Employer | Must be outside South Africa |
| Length | More than three months, up to three years |
| Where to apply | South African embassy, consulate or VFS centre outside South Africa |
| Government fee | About R425 per applicant, plus the VFS or mission service fee |
| Processing time | Roughly 3 to 10 weeks, depending on where you apply |
| Family | Partner and children can apply for accompanying visas |
| Partner can take a local job? | No, not on an accompanying visa |
| Children at school? | School-age children usually need a study visa |
| Tax | Register with SARS after 183 days in any 12 months (sooner in some cases). Tax residency is a separate test. |
What documents does the main applicant need?
Each mission publishes its own checklist, and they differ slightly. Download the current one from the embassy or VFS centre where you will apply. Most ask for:
- A completed and signed visa application form (DHA-1738).
- Your passport, plus certified copies of the photo page, and two passport photos.
- Your employment contract, signed by you and your foreign employer.
- Three months of recent bank statements showing your salary.
- A police clearance certificate from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the last five years. It must usually be less than six months old when you apply. Some of these take weeks or months to arrive, so order them first.
- A medical report on the DHA form, completed by a doctor and less than six months old.
- A letter on the purpose and length of your stay, proof of first accommodation and a travel itinerary (many missions say not to buy tickets before approval).
- A yellow fever certificate, if you travel from or through a country with yellow fever risk.
Radiology reports: South Africa dropped the chest X-ray (radiological report) for most temporary residence applications in April 2023. Some older checklists and agency websites still list it. If your mission's checklist asks for it, provide it. If it does not, you should not need it.
Health insurance: the regulations do not clearly list it for this visa, but many missions and agencies ask for proof of health insurance covering the whole stay. Whether or not it is checked, you need it: international families use private healthcare in South Africa, and it is expensive without cover.
Can your partner and children come with you?
Yes. Your spouse or life partner and your dependent children can apply for accompanying visas, which are also visitor's visas. Apply for the whole family together, so your visas start and end at the same time.
Each family member needs their own application, fee and supporting documents. Expect to provide:
- A marriage certificate, or proof of a life partnership. For unmarried couples this usually means evidence that you have lived together for at least two years, such as a joint lease, shared bills or bank accounts, and sworn statements.
- Full (unabridged) birth certificates for each child, showing both parents' names. Short birth certificates are often refused.
- Parental consent, if only one parent is travelling with the child or the parents are separated. This is usually an affidavit from the other parent, a court order, or a death certificate.
- A medical report for each family member, and a police clearance for adults. Children under 18 generally do not need one.
- Apostilles or translations. Documents not in English need a sworn translation, and many missions want certificates apostilled. This can take months.
Families are usually slowed down by these certificates, not the visa itself. Our guide to visas for moving abroad with a family has a general document checklist you can adapt.
Planning your own move? Get our free 120-task family relocation checklist and cost planner, so you can see every step before you start. Get the free checklist
Can your partner work in South Africa?
Not on an accompanying visa. It lets your partner live with you, but not take a job with a South African employer or run a local business. There are two ways around this:
- Your partner gets their own remote work visa. If they also work for a foreign employer and earn above the threshold on their own, they can apply in their own right. Then both of you hold the same visa.
- Your partner gets a work visa. If they want a local job, they need a work visa of their own, such as a critical skills visa or a general work visa. That normally means a job offer and, in most cases, applying from outside South Africa.
A partner freelancing for clients abroad is in a grey area, so ask an immigration practitioner first. A December 2025 draft policy proposed easier work rights for spouses of skilled workers, but as of September 2026 it is still a proposal, and it was not written for remote work visa families.
For many couples, the partner's career is the hardest part of this visa. Read can your partner work there? for the questions to ask.
Can your children go to school on this visa?
Children under school age can usually attend a nursery, crèche or pre-school on their accompanying visa. Once a child reaches school-going age, they generally need a study visa. Immigration practitioners usually put the cut-off at around age six or seven. Schools will ask to see the child's visa before they confirm a place, and public schools are strict about this.
For remote work visa families there is one more catch. The rules that let an accompanying child switch to a study visa inside South Africa mention children of work visa and business visa holders. They do not clearly include children of remote workers, who hold a visitor's visa. So the safest plan is to apply for your school-age children's study visas at the same time as your own visa, from abroad.
A study visa application needs a letter of acceptance from the school, so you need a school place before you apply. In practice:
- Choose your city and shortlist schools.
- Apply to schools and secure an offer letter.
- Gather the whole family's documents.
- Submit your remote work visa, your partner's accompanying visa and the children's study visas together.
Think about the school year too. Public and most independent schools run from January to December. In 2027 they start on 13 January and finish on 10 December. American and some international schools run from August to June. Our guide to choosing a school abroad helps you narrow the list.
How do you apply, and how long does it take?
- Check your mission's checklist. You usually apply in your country of nationality or where you legally live, at an embassy, consulate or VFS Global centre.
- Order police clearances and certificates first. These take the longest.
- Book medical reports for every family member, close enough to your submission date that they are less than six months old.
- Secure school places if your children need study visas.
- Submit in person with originals, copies and fees.
- Wait for the decision before you book flights or sign a long lease.
Processing times vary by country. The South African embassy in Washington quotes up to three to four weeks; agencies commonly quote four to ten weeks elsewhere. Plan for two to three months from submission to approval.
Fees: the Home Affairs fee is about R425 per application, but the amount charged varies by mission and currency. VFS centres add a service fee, which is often several times the government fee. For a family of four, police clearances, medical reports, translations and apostilles can easily cost more than the visa fees.
Can you apply from inside South Africa? Generally no. Visitor's visa holders can only change status inside South Africa in exceptional circumstances.
Can you renew? Practitioners disagree on whether the visa can be renewed after three years, and the rules have not been fully tested. Plan as if you have three years, and check the position about a year before it ends.
Can you switch to another visa later?
The remote work visa does not lead to permanent residence on its own. Time spent on it does not count towards permanent residence the way time on a work visa does.
If you want to stay longer, the usual routes are a critical skills visa or general work visa (if you take a South African job), a business visa, a retired person's visa, or permanent residence through a qualifying route. Because you hold a visitor's visa, expect to apply for any of these from outside South Africa, and get professional advice first.
What about tax?
This is not tax advice. Tax is where remote work visa families most need a qualified adviser who knows both South Africa and your home country. There are two separate rules, and people often mix them up:
- The visa rule on registering with SARS. If you are tax resident in a country that has a double tax agreement with South Africa, you must register with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) once you have been in South Africa for more than 183 days in any 12-month period. If your country has no such agreement, you must register regardless of how long you stay.
- The tax residency tests. Registering with SARS does not decide whether you are tax resident. South Africa uses two tests. You are resident if South Africa is where you "ordinarily" live, your real home. You can also become resident by counting days: more than 91 days in the current tax year and in each of the five previous years, and more than 915 days in total over those five years. South African residents are taxed on their worldwide income.
Questions to take to a qualified tax adviser:
- Does my home country have a double tax agreement with South Africa, and what does it say about employment income?
- Once I register with SARS, will I owe South African tax on my salary, and from when?
- Will I stay tax resident in my home country, and how do I avoid paying tax twice?
- Does my employer have a risk of creating a taxable presence in South Africa because I work from here? Should they check this first?
Also tell your employer's HR and payroll team before you apply. Some employers do not allow long-term work from another country.
Which South African city suits families with children?
Remote work visa families can live anywhere in South Africa, but most choose one of four cities. Each is covered in more depth in our South Africa family guide.
Cape Town
The first choice for most remote-working families: mountains, beaches and a relaxed pace. Expect the highest rents in the country, wet winters and school waiting lists. Families often look at Rondebosch, Claremont, Constantia, Durbanville or Somerset West.
Johannesburg
The widest choice of international schools, including two offering the IB Diploma, the best flight connections in Africa and more house for your money. Expect a car-based life, more visible security and water interruptions in some suburbs. Families often look at Sandton, Bryanston, Fourways and the northern estates.
Pretoria
Calmer and more affordable than Johannesburg, with a large diplomatic community, but fewer international schools.
Durban
Warm sea all year and lower costs than Cape Town, with Umhlanga, Ballito and the green inland suburbs popular with families. There are fewer international schools and long-haul flights.
| City | Best for remote-working families who want | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | Outdoor life, the sea, a slower pace | Highest rents, school waiting lists |
| Johannesburg | School choice, flights, more space for the money | Car-based life, more security |
| Pretoria | A quieter, more affordable suburban life | Fewer international schools |
| Durban | Warm weather and a beach lifestyle at lower cost | Smaller international community, fewer direct flights |
Torn between the two biggest cities? Our Cape Town vs Johannesburg for families guide compares schools, suburbs, rents, flights and daily life side by side.
Wherever you choose, check backup power and fibre internet on every rental. National load-shedding has been suspended since May 2025, but local cuts still happen, and your job depends on staying online.
Not sure whether South Africa is right for your family? Take the 2-minute family destination quiz. It matches your family's priorities to the destinations that fit them, so you can see how South Africa compares with your other options.
If you are also weighing up South Africa's neighbours, compare Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Mauritius in our guide to moving to Southern Africa with a family.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I need to earn for South Africa's digital nomad visa?
At least R650,796 a year gross from a foreign employer, roughly US$40,000 in September 2026, shown with three months of bank statements.
Can I bring my children on the South African remote work visa?
Yes, on accompanying visas. School-age children usually also need a study visa, which requires a school acceptance letter. Apply for everything together, from abroad.
Can my spouse work while I hold the remote work visa?
Not on an accompanying visa. Your spouse can apply for their own remote work visa if they also work for a foreign employer and meet the income threshold, or for a work visa if they want a local job.
Do I pay tax in South Africa on a digital nomad visa?
It depends on your home country's tax agreement with South Africa and how long you stay. You must register with SARS after 183 days in any 12 months, or sooner in some cases. Ask a qualified tax adviser before you move.
Can I apply for the remote work visa from inside South Africa?
Generally no. You apply at a South African embassy, consulate or VFS centre abroad, usually in your home country or where you legally live.
How long does the remote work visa last?
Up to three years. Whether it can be renewed after that is not yet clear, so check with a registered immigration practitioner well before it ends.
Is the remote work visa the right route for your family?
For a family with a foreign salary, South Africa's remote work visa is one of the more accessible long-stay options in Africa. The income bar is moderate, the stay is long, and your family can come too. The limits are real: your partner cannot work locally, school-age children need study visas, the visa does not lead to permanent residence, and tax needs planning. Settle those four questions early, choose your city and school, then build your application around them.
Want the whole move in the right order? The Global Relocation System takes your family through all five stages, Decide, Prepare, Transit, Arrive and Thrive, with a master checklist, planning templates and a budget tool. See what is inside the system
Comparing visa routes? Our Visa Guide for families sets out visa types, costs, processing times and family rules for ten destinations.