South Africa has officially launched its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system as part of a wider overhaul of the country’s immigration processes.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said approved applicants are expected to receive an ETA within 24 hours.
The system uses biometric verification and automated risk analysis to check travellers’ identities, passports and applications for possible fraud or security risks.
More than 6,000 fraudulent applications blocked
During its pilot phase, the ETA processed 216,204 applications.
Home Affairs said 6,126 applications were identified as fraudulent and rejected.
These included cases involving suspected fraudulent passports, manipulated documents and other indicators of fraud.
Schreiber said the system relies more heavily on biometric identity checks than physical paperwork, reducing opportunities for manipulated documents to be used.
Four airports included in initial rollout
Government said the ETA will initially be available to travellers arriving at OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport, King Shaka International Airport and Lanseria International Airport.
Home Affairs plans to expand the technology to land and sea ports over time.
The department also wants the ETA platform to eventually process more complex immigration categories, including study, spousal and work visas.
The official ETA portal says the authorisation is linked to a traveller’s passport and can be used by eligible visa-required travellers for tourism or visitor purposes. Visa-exempt travellers can also use the system to speed up processing at the border.
Visitors can apply to extend stays
The platform also allows eligible travellers who enter South Africa for stays of up to 90 days to apply digitally for an extension of up to another 90 days.
Schreiber said the goal is to create an immigration system that combines tighter security with faster processing for legitimate tourists and investors.
Home Affairs ultimately wants the ETA to become the central digital platform for South Africa’s immigration system.
The department said additional countries will be added to the platform progressively as the rollout expands.