Australia is a dream destination for South Africans — and home to one of the world's largest South African diaspora communities. The Visitor Visa (subclass 600) costs AUD 250 visa fee (~ZAR 2,870; ZAR 3,260 total with service fee) and allows up to 12 months. Unlike EU passport holders who get a free eVisitor visa, South Africans must apply and pay — but the process is fully online.
Key Warnings
Insider Tips
Go to immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. Create an ImmiAccount (free). Select 'Visitor Visa (subclass 600)' — do NOT select eVisitor 651, which is not available to South Africans.
Fill in all sections of the online form — personal details, travel history, purpose of visit, character and health declarations. This takes 30–60 minutes.
Upload bank statements (3–6 months), employment letter, travel itinerary, accommodation bookings, and ties-to-SA evidence. PDF format preferred.
Pay the non-refundable AUD 250 visa fee (~ZAR 2,870; ZAR 3,260 total with service fee) application fee online by credit card. Approval is not guaranteed.
You may receive a request to provide biometrics at VFS Global in Johannesburg or Cape Town. Book and attend the appointment promptly — the 28-day processing clock starts only after biometrics are received.
75% of applications are processed within 29 days. Some take up to 8 weeks during peak season (November–February). You will receive an email with a visa grant or refusal.
The subclass 600 turns on whether the department accepts you intend a genuine temporary stay. It is the criterion most refusals cite, and it is assessed on the whole file rather than any one document.
Fix: Show what you are returning to — employment with approved leave, property, dependants, study — and keep the stated purpose and the itinerary consistent.
Applicants must show they can support themselves without working. Australia reads bank statements over months rather than a balance on the day of application.
Fix: Provide several months of statements plus proof of income. If a sponsor is funding the trip, document who they are and their capacity.
ImmiAccount will accept a lodgement that is missing supporting documents, and the department may decide on what it has rather than asking for more.
Fix: Attach everything at lodgement rather than waiting to be asked — there is no guarantee of a request.
No published rejection rate. Australian Home Affairs publishes visitor visa grant totals but no refusal rate by nationality, so no figure exists for South African applicants. Checked August 2026.
Visa fee rose to AUD 250 on 1 July 2026
The subclass 600 visitor visa charge for applications lodged outside Australia rose from AUD 200 to AUD 250 on 1 July 2026 — a 25% increase, larger than the annual CPI indexation of previous years, applied across most Australian visa categories. It is charged at lodgement and not refunded if the visa is refused. Applying from inside Australia costs considerably more.
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