🇿🇦 → 🇹🇬

Togo Entry Requirements for South African Passport Holders (2026)

✓ Visa Free — No visa required for your passport
1/5 Difficulty
0–0d Processing

Togo no longer needs an e-visa from South Africans

Until October 2026 this page told South Africans to buy a USD 50 e-visa. Togo now admits all African nationals without a visa for up to 30 days, on condition that the online immigration form is completed at least 24 hours before arrival. Corrected 23 October 2026.

Last checked October 2026 — rules on this route can change at short notice, so confirm with your airline and the destination's immigration authority before you book or fly.

Quick Facts

Requirement Visa Free
Visa Fee
Processing Time 0–0 working days
Appointment Wait ~ weeks
Stay Duration Up to 30 days

Togo is a compact, underrated West African country — Lomé's markets, Kpalimé's green hills and an easy base for Benin and Ghana. Since May 2026 South Africans need no visa for stays of up to 30 days; the one thing to do before flying is the free online immigration form on voyage.gouv.tg, at least 24 hours ahead.

Key Warnings

  • File the free immigration form on voyage.gouv.tg at least 24 hours before arrival — being visa-free does not mean there is nothing to do before you fly.
  • French is the official language — English is uncommon. Download offline translation app.
  • Malaria is present — take prophylaxis throughout Togo.

Insider Tips

  • The Akodessewa Fetish Market in Lomé is the world's largest voodoo market — hundreds of stalls selling dried animal parts, skulls, and traditional medicine. Unique and genuinely fascinating cultural experience. Photography with permission is welcome.
  • Kpalimé in the Plateaux Region (120km north of Lomé by road) is a refreshing mountain escape — cooler temperatures, lush green hills, waterfalls, and butterfly farms. The Monkey Sanctuary and Aklowa Falls are highlights.
  • Togo's strategic location makes it ideal for West Africa multi-country trips: Lomé to Cotonou (Benin) is 2 hours by bush taxi/shared taxi; Lomé to Accra (Ghana) is 3 hours via Aflao border. Benin admits South Africans without a visa; check Ghana's rules separately.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. File the immigration form on voyage.gouv.tg

    Create an account on Togo's official travel platform and complete the immigration form (bordereau d'immigration) at least 24 hours before you land. It is free. There is no visa to apply for.

  2. Fly to Lomé

    Ethiopian Airlines connects Johannesburg (JNB) → Addis Ababa (ADD) → Lomé (LFW). Keep your return ticket and accommodation details to hand for immigration.

  3. Explore Togo — and Benin or Ghana next door

    Lomé's Grand Marché and Akodessewa market, Kpalimé's hills and waterfalls, Togoville on Lake Togo. Cotonou is about two hours away and Accra about three.

Required Documents

  • Valid South African passport (6+ months validity, 1+ blank page)
  • Togo online immigration form (voyage.gouv.tg) — filed at least 24 hours before arrival, free
  • Confirmed return or onward flight from Togo
  • Hotel booking in Lomé or destination in Togo

Recommended (Optional)

  • Travel insurance (recommended)

Health Requirements

⚠️ Yellow Fever Certificate needed for your return to South Africa. South Africa is not a yellow fever endemic country. South African passport holders do not need a yellow fever certificate to enter Togo when travelling directly from South Africa. If you transit through an endemic country (e.g., Ethiopia) for more than 12 hours before arriving in Togo, a certificate may be advisable. Separately from entry to the destination: South Africa requires a valid yellow fever certificate from anyone arriving — including returning South Africans — who has been in, or transited through, a yellow fever risk country. Togo is on that list. Without a certificate you can be refused entry or quarantined for up to six days at a South African port of entry. Get vaccinated at least 10 days before you fly home; the certificate is valid for 10 years. Source: South African Tourism, checked 2026-07-31.

No visa application is made on this route, so there is no refusal rate. Entry can still be declined at the border.

Latest Updates

2026-05

Togo lifted the visa requirement for all African nationals

Togo's official travel platform states that all African nationals with a valid passport may enter without a visa for up to 30 days, provided they complete the online immigration form (bordereau d'immigration) at least 24 hours before arrival. Visas on arrival and express visas are suspended. Secondary reports date the change to 18 May 2026. This page went on showing a USD 50 e-visa until October 2026.

2026-01

ECOWAS is down to 12 members after the Sahel departures

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger formally left ECOWAS in January 2026, taking the bloc from 15 states to 12. Togo remains a member and free movement for other ECOWAS nationals is unchanged, but anyone routing overland through the Sahel is now leaving the free-movement area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do South Africans need a visa for Togo?
No. Since May 2026 Togo admits all African nationals with a valid passport without a visa for up to 30 days, provided they complete the free online immigration form on voyage.gouv.tg at least 24 hours before arrival.

Data Sources & Verification

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