With effect from Tuesday 03 March, South African passport holders will require a visa in order to visit or transit the United Kingdom. However, until mid-2009, South African nationals who have previously travelled to the UK on their current passport will be exempt from the visa requirement. This decision follows a global review of the UK's pre-entry immigration controls and reflects the UK government's commitment to strengthen its borders.

Commenting on the development, the British High Commissioner, the Rt Hon Paul Boateng said:

"The introduction of a visa requirement is in no way a reflection of any deterioration in our continuing and strong relationship with South Africa. The maintenance of warm and friendly relations and the close links between our two countries remains of paramount importance.

We are committed to continuing to welcome South Africans travelling for legitimate reasons to the UK. The UK remains a favourite destination for both business and tourism for South Africans and will continue to be so. Our aim is to provide a first class service to all. Visas will provide added security and protection for travellers to the UK.

This, together with the introduction of biometrics, will ultimately provide a safer and better experience for the ordinary travelling public."

Notes for Editors

• All South African nationals without evidence of previous travel to the UK in their current passport will be subject to the visa regime with effect from 3rd March 2009. South African nationals whose current passport contains evidence of previous travel to the UK will be exempt from requiring a visa until mid-2009.
• Contact details for more information:  www.vfs-uk-za.com or Tel: 082 234 4450. An extensive information campaign in the media will also commence this week.
• The global expansion of our visa processes is just one part of an on-going exercise to secure our borders. We have already rolled out the biometric capture of information, enabling us to fix someone's identity from the moment the visa application is made. This will deter many of those who seek to enter the UK under an assumed identity or on fraudulently obtained South African documents. It will also reduce the risk of South African passengers being unnecessarily delayed on arrival in the UK because of current concerns over the security of South African passports.
• South African nationals are not alone in requiring a visa before visiting the UK as a result of the global review. Indeed the decision to increase the number of visa regimes is a clear signal of our resolve to protect our border and our citizens from those who, for a variety of reasons, have sought to abuse our immigration rules. In total, nearly 75% of the world's population are subject to a visa requirement prior to travelling to the UK. We have excellent relations with the vast majority of those countries whose nationals are already subject to a visa requirement.
• It is important to point out that it is not just the UK that is seeking to strengthen its borders. For some time South African nationals have required a visa prior to travel to EU countries in the Schengen group, as well as to Canada and the USA. Our decision to implement new visa requirements has to be set against this international desire to strengthen borders.
• In March 2007, the UK government  announced that all countries outside of the European Economic Area would be subject to a Visa Waiver Test, part of a radical overhaul of the UK's immigration system. The Test used a wide range of criteria designed to determine the overall level of harm to the UK posed by a particular country. Criteria for this test were:
• Issuing secure passports,
• Co-operation in re-documentation and return of nationals being deported or removed from the UK for immigration and other offences;
• A sufficiently low incidence of identified immigration abuse. A sufficiently low risk posed by the country's nationals in terms of terrorism and criminality;
• The steps taken by the country to combat terrorism, crime and immigration abuse internally;
• The economic impact on the UK of the imposition of a visa regime; and
• The impact on political and cultural relations between the country and the UK and how this will affect the UK.
• Last July the UK government announced that in the case of eleven countries, including South Africa, a decision had been taken in principle to impose a visa regime. This was subject to a six-month period of mitigation. Each government was given a list of the main areas of concern to the UK and warned that unless there was significant progress in these areas by the end of the year, visa regimes would be implemented.
• Abuse of the South African passport remains a serious concern. It has been one of the most abused passports detected at UK border posts. South Africans also feature prominently amongst passengers being refused entry on arrival in the UK. In the last two years there has also been a significant increase in the number of South African nationals detected working illegally or overstaying after their leave to remain in the UK has expired.
• The UK authorities have been in regular contact with their South African counterparts at all levels. They are aware of the Department of Home Affairs' ambitious Turnaround programme. They recognise that if and when these plans are successfully implemented, the risk to the UK border originating in South Africa may be significantly reduced. Further global reviews of our visa operations will be conducted and there will be an opportunity to assess South Africa's progress.  
  
  

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