VERIFIED

Entry route for South Africa

Primary entry route for the specified passport and passport variant.

Direct answer

Ordinary passport holders covered by this rule may use the published visa-free route, subject to the conditions shown below.

Published value

Visa-free route

Conditions

Ordinary passport route: Max stay days: 90; Aggregate max stay days: 90; Aggregate period: calendar_year; Aggregate limit effective from: 2025-01-01; Permitted scope: entry, stay, transit; Excluded purposes: work, study, residence

Exceptions

Official statutory treaty or extension exceptions may apply: Yes

Official evidence

Only official Russian MFA, KD MID or official Russian mission sources are accepted as factual evidence for published rules.

Russian MFA Consular Department

Visas — Embassy of Russia in South Africa

Open official source

South African ordinary-passport holders may enter, stay, or transit visa-free when not travelling to work, study, or reside. From 1 January 2025, the general temporary-stay limit is 90 days in total during a calendar year, subject to applicable official exceptions.

Authority: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation / official Russian mission
Last checked: 18 Sept 2026