Relative's & Life Partner Visa South Africa [2026]

A relative's visa for South Africa is a temporary residence visa under Section 18(4) of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002. It allows immediate family members of South African citizens or permanent residents to live in the country for up to two years at a time, with the option to renew in-country. This 2026 guide covers who qualifies, the R8,500 financial requirement, the full document checklist, costs, processing times, and the Constitutional Court ruling that now allows working parents to earn while on a relative's visa.

If you are the spouse or life partner of a South African, our spousal visa South Africa guide covers that route specifically. The relative's visa, by contrast, is for parents, biological children, and siblings within the first step of kinship.

What Is a Relative's Visa in South Africa?

The relative's visa is a temporary residence permit issued under Section 18(4) of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002. It is intended for foreign nationals who are immediate family members of a South African citizen or a permanent resident.

The Department of Home Affairs may issue a relative's visa for up to two years at a time. The visa can be renewed in South Africa, and after five years of continuous relative's visa status, the holder may apply for permanent residence under Section 26(b).

A relative's visa is a residence visa, not a work or study permit. The holder cannot work, run a business, or study at a registered institution unless an additional endorsement is obtained. This is the single biggest difference between the relative's visa and the spousal visa, which can carry a Section 11(6) endorsement that grants working rights.

Who Qualifies as an "Immediate Family Member"?

The Immigration Regulations restrict the relative's visa to family members within the first step of kinship from the South African citizen or permanent resident. That means:

• Biological or adopted parents of a South African citizen or permanent resident
• Biological or adopted children (over the age of majority or in financially dependent status)
• Biological siblings (brothers and sisters)
• Spouses and life partners — but these are usually issued a separate spousal visa rather than a relative's visa, because the spousal route allows for the Section 11(6) work endorsement

Aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws are not within the first step of kinship and do not qualify. Step-parents, step-children, and foster children are usually excluded unless legal adoption can be evidenced.

Relative's Visa vs Spousal Visa

If the family connection is a marriage, a long-term life partnership, or a customary union, the foreign partner should apply for a spousal visa under Section 11(6) rather than a relative's visa. The spousal route is structurally similar but carries the option of a work, study, or business endorsement on the same visa, which is more flexible than the standalone relative's visa.

Relative's Visa for Parents — the 2024 Constitutional Court Ruling

In May 2024, the Constitutional Court of South Africa handed down a unanimous judgment that materially changed the relative's visa landscape for parents of South African children. The court held that parents who are caring for a minor South African citizen are entitled to a relative's visa endorsed with the right to work, conduct business, or study. This brought the relative's visa for parents into line with the spousal visa's Section 11(6) endorsement.

The Department of Home Affairs adjusted its application processing to reflect the ruling. Parents of minor South African children should expressly request the work endorsement at the application stage and provide proof of the South African child's citizenship (an unabridged birth certificate plus the child's identity document or smart ID).

The R8,500 Financial Assurance Requirement

The single most common reason for a relative's visa to be refused is the financial assurance test. The South African sponsoring relative must demonstrate that they can financially support the applicant during the visa period.

The minimum threshold is R8,500 per month, per applicant. If a parent and two adult siblings are all applying, the sponsoring South African must show an income equivalent to R25,500 per month above their own essential living costs.

The financial assurance can be evidenced by any of:

• Three months of bank statements showing the income (salary, pension, or rental)
• A signed undertaking by the sponsor confirming the income source
• Investment, retirement annuity, or trust statements where the income is drawn from passive sources
• An attorney's escrow undertaking where the funds are guaranteed for the visa duration

The R8,500 financial requirement is waived for spouses, life partners, and dependent minor children of South African citizens or permanent residents. It is also waived for parents under the 2024 Constitutional Court ruling where the parent is caring for a minor South African citizen, on the basis that the parent will have the right to work and support themselves.

Document Checklist

The standard document set for a Section 18(4) relative's visa application includes:

Personal documents from the applicant

• Passport valid for at least 30 days beyond the intended date of departure from South Africa, with at least two unused pages
• Two recent passport photographs (35 mm x 45 mm, white background)
• Completed DHA-1738 application form
• Visa application fee receipt

Proof of kinship

• The applicant's full unabridged birth certificate
• The South African relative's unabridged birth certificate or unabridged marriage certificate, depending on which document establishes the chain of kinship
• Adoption order or court order, where adoption is the basis for the relationship
• Where kinship is through a parent, the parent's South African ID or smart ID card

Proof of the sponsor's South African status

• Certified copy of the South African sponsor's identity document or smart ID
• Where the sponsor is a permanent resident, a certified copy of the permanent residence permit and current passport
• Sponsor's signed undertaking of financial support and accommodation

Health and security

• Police clearance certificate from every country the applicant lived in for 12 months or longer after the age of 18
• Medical and radiological reports (BI-811 and BI-806 forms), each issued within six months of the application
• Yellow fever certificate, where the applicant has travelled from a yellow fever risk country

Financial documents

• Three months of the sponsor's bank statements showing the minimum R8,500 per applicant
• Sponsor's most recent salary slip or income confirmation letter
• Where applicable, retirement annuity or investment statements

Every supporting document not originally issued in English must be accompanied by a sworn translation. Every photocopy must be certified within the last three months by a Commissioner of Oaths.

2026 Fees and Costs

The figures above are 2026 estimates and exclude any cost incurred outside South Africa, such as foreign police clearances and apostille fees. Immigration practitioner fees, where used, typically add R8,000 to R25,000 depending on complexity.

The Application Process Step by Step

The application process differs depending on whether the applicant is currently in South Africa on a valid visitor's visa or applying from abroad.

Step 1 — Confirm eligibility and gather documents

Before booking a VFS Global appointment, confirm that the relationship is within the first step of kinship and that all documents listed above are in hand. Missing documents are the most common reason for application rejection at the VFS biometric stage.

Step 2 — Complete the DHA-1738 form

The DHA-1738 form is the universal temporary residence application form. The form must be completed in black ink, signed in the applicant's hand, and submitted with original supporting documents.

Step 3 — Get medical and police clearance documents

Medical and radiological reports must be issued within six months of submission. Police clearance certificates from foreign countries can take 4 to 16 weeks to issue, so start these early. Our police clearance certificate guide covers the SAPS process in detail.

Step 4 — Pay the DHA visa fee and book a VFS Global appointment

Pay the R425 DHA application fee at FNB or via the VFS Global portal, and book a biometric submission appointment at the nearest VFS Global visa application centre. Centres are located in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, and a number of smaller offices.

Step 5 — Submit biometrics at VFS Global

At the VFS appointment, the applicant submits original documents, has fingerprints and a photograph captured, and pays the VFS service fee. The application is then forwarded to DHA for adjudication.

Step 6 — Wait for adjudication

DHA processing typically takes 6 to 10 weeks for an in-country application and 4 to 8 weeks for a missions-abroad application. The applicant cannot leave South Africa during the adjudication of an in-country application without abandoning the application.

Step 7 — Collect the visa

When the application is approved, VFS Global notifies the applicant by SMS and email. The visa is collected in person at the VFS centre, and a passport with the visa endorsement is returned.

Applying from Inside South Africa

Since 2019 the Department of Home Affairs has allowed relative's visa applications to be lodged in-country, provided the applicant is in South Africa on a valid visitor's visa and has not overstayed. This is the most common application route for parents and adult children who entered on a 90-day visa exemption and now wish to extend their stay.

In-country applicants should ensure that the visitor's visa or visa-exemption stamp is still valid on the date of submission. Overstayers face being declared "undesirable" for one to five years and being barred from re-entry, which can derail the entire application.

Applying from Abroad

Applications lodged abroad are submitted through the nearest South African mission (embassy, consulate, or high commission) or through the VFS Global visa application centre that services the country of residence. Document requirements are the same as for in-country applications, but the medical and police clearance documents may have local equivalents that should be confirmed with the mission in advance.

Processing at a mission is typically faster than in-country processing because the workload is lower at each post, but applicants should expect 4 to 8 weeks of adjudication time.

Validity, Renewal, and Path to Permanent Residence

A relative's visa is issued for a maximum of two years at a time and may be renewed indefinitely so long as the relationship continues to qualify and the financial assurance can be maintained. Renewal applications must be lodged at least 60 days before the visa expires.

After five years of continuous relative's visa status, the holder may apply for permanent residence under Section 26(b) of the Immigration Act. Permanent residence is materially more flexible than a relative's visa, granting full work and study rights and a clear path to South African citizenship after a further five years.

Common Reasons for Rejection

• Insufficient financial assurance — bank statements show less than R8,500 per applicant per month, or the income source cannot be evidenced over a three-month window
• Missing or expired police clearance — a single foreign country missed in the clearance set, or a clearance older than six months at submission
• Uncertified document copies — Commissioner of Oaths certification older than three months
• Unverified kinship — abridged rather than unabridged birth certificates, or birth certificates from civil registries that the DHA cannot verify against international standards
• Overstayed visitor's visa — an in-country applicant whose original visitor's visa has expired, leading to an "undesirable person" declaration
• Inconsistent medical reports — a tuberculosis screen flagged on the radiological report without a follow-up clearance letter

Life Partner Visa: The Section 11(6) Route for Unmarried Partners

Not every family relationship is a marriage or a blood tie. If you are the foreign partner of a South African citizen or permanent resident and you are not married, the relative's visa is not the right fit. The route you need is the life partner visa, a visitor's visa issued under Section 11(6) of the Immigration Act. It is the same legal mechanism that covers foreign spouses, which is why immigration practitioners often advertise "life partner and relatives visas" together, even though the qualifying relationship and the proof you must submit are different.

A life partner visa recognises a permanent, established relationship between two people who live together as partners but are not formally married. This includes same-sex partners, who apply on an equal footing because South African law treats same-sex life partnerships the same as opposite-sex ones. The visa can be endorsed to let you work, study, or run a business in South Africa, exactly like the spousal endorsement.

How the Life Partner Visa Differs from the Relative's Visa

The two visas sit in different parts of the Immigration Act and suit different people:

• Life partner visa (Section 11(6)): for an unmarried partner in a permanent relationship with an SA citizen or permanent resident. Work, study, and business endorsements are available. There is no fixed financial deposit, but you must prove the relationship is genuine and financially interdependent.
• Relative's visa (Section 18(4)): for a relative by blood or formal adoption, such as a parent, adult child, or sibling. It carries the R8,500 monthly financial assurance covered earlier on this page and does not grant work rights by default.

If you are legally married, you should follow the spousal route instead. Our spousal visa guide sets out the full Section 11(6) process, document checklist, and endorsement steps that apply equally to married spouses and registered life partners.

Proving a Life Partnership

Because there is no marriage certificate to rely on, the Department of Home Affairs scrutinises life partner applications closely. Applicants are usually expected to show a relationship of at least two years and to prove that the partnership is permanent and exclusive. Typical supporting evidence includes:

• A notarised affidavit confirming the relationship and that you live together;
• Proof of a shared home, such as a joint lease or utility accounts in both names;
• Evidence of financial interdependence, such as joint bank accounts, shared policies, or reciprocal beneficiary nominations;
• Photographs, correspondence, and travel records that show the history of the relationship.

Both partners must also be able to confirm each other's identity. A South African partner can check that their own ID number is valid and correctly captured in seconds with our free ID number validator before certifying documents for the application.

Relative's Visa vs Other South African Visas

If the relative's visa does not fit, several alternative routes may be available depending on the applicant's circumstances. Our non-citizen ID guide outlines the full residency-status landscape, and the table below summarises the main alternatives:

How idchecker Helps Sponsoring South Africans

If you are the South African citizen or permanent resident sponsoring the application, you will need to attach certified copies of your South African ID, smart ID card, or PR permit. A quick check that the sponsor's ID number is structurally valid avoids embarrassing rejection at the VFS counter. Use the free South African ID validator on our homepage to confirm the Luhn checksum and the embedded date of birth on the ID before submission. Sponsors who recently received a new smart ID card should verify both their old book number and the new smart ID match the expected format before certifying copies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my parents work in South Africa on a relative's visa?

By default, no. But following the 2024 Constitutional Court ruling, parents who are caring for a minor South African citizen are entitled to a relative's visa endorsed with the right to work, conduct business, or study. The endorsement must be expressly requested in the application, and proof of the South African child's citizenship is required.

How long does a relative's visa take to process?

DHA processing for an in-country application typically takes 6 to 10 weeks. Missions abroad usually process in 4 to 8 weeks. These timelines exclude the time needed to gather foreign police clearances, which can themselves take 4 to 16 weeks.

Can I renew my relative's visa in South Africa?

Yes. Renewal applications must be lodged at least 60 days before the current visa expires. The same documents are required at renewal as at first application, plus the most recent three months of the sponsor's bank statements and any change-of-circumstance evidence.

What is the difference between a relative's visa and a relative's permit?

In 2014, the Immigration Amendment Act replaced the word "permit" with "visa" for temporary residence and reserved "permit" for permanent residence and certain admission categories. The two terms are still used interchangeably in older guidance, but the modern legal term under Section 18(4) is "relative's visa".

Can siblings really qualify for a relative's visa?

Yes. Biological brothers and sisters of a South African citizen or permanent resident are within the first step of kinship and qualify. The R8,500 per month financial assurance applies in full, and the sibling cannot work, study, or run a business on the visa without a separate endorsement.

What happens if my sponsor's income drops below R8,500?

The financial assurance is tested at application and again at renewal. A temporary dip in monthly income that is offset by savings, a bond, or a co-sponsor will usually be accepted. A sustained drop below the threshold with no alternative funding source is grounds for rejection at the next renewal. Some applicants use a trust or attorney's escrow undertaking to lock in the funds for the visa duration.

What is the difference between a life partner visa and a spousal visa in South Africa?

Both are issued under Section 11(6) of the Immigration Act, and both allow work, study, or business endorsements. The spousal visa is for couples who are legally married or in a recognised customary or civil union, while the life partner visa is for unmarried couples in a permanent, established relationship, including same-sex partners. The application process and supporting documents are otherwise very similar.

Can same-sex partners apply for a life partner visa in South Africa?

Yes. South African immigration law treats same-sex life partnerships on an equal footing with opposite-sex relationships. A same-sex foreign partner of an SA citizen or permanent resident can apply for a life partner visa under Section 11(6) and qualify for the same work, study, and business endorsements.

Get Help with Your Application

The Department of Home Affairs publishes the official forms and fee schedule at dha.gov.za, and VFS Global publishes the in-country submission process at visa.vfsglobal.com. The full text of Section 18 of the Immigration Act is available at gov.za.

If you are starting the relative's visa journey, give yourself a four to six month lead time. Foreign police clearances and unabridged birth certificates are the two documents most likely to slip the schedule. Confirm the sponsor's South African ID is valid using our free ID checker, gather the kinship documents first, and book the VFS appointment only once everything is certified within the three-month window.