New SA passport too late for UK
2009-02-11 08:32
Johannesburg - A South African family of five will now have to pay almost R5 000 more for a holiday in Britain.
The holiday visa, which South Africans will need from March 3, costs R991 (£65). Even if you intend only touching down on British soil while waiting for a connecting flight, you will have to pay R686 (£45) for a transit visa.
The British government on Monday announced that South African holidaymakers would soon need these visas.
South Africans with a stamp in their current passports indicating they have previously travelled to Britain, will be able to travel there without a visa until the end of June.
Passports illegally obtained
A spokesperson for the British High Commission, Apsara McNaught, said the country's biggest concern was that non-South Africans, who were not entitled to SA passports, illegally got hold of legal passports.
The safety of South African identity documents was "a big concern and an unacceptable threat to the United Kingdom's borders with regards to illegal migration and national security".
The standard holiday visa is valid for six months and a person may enter the country more than once with it. Applications are processed within five working days.
The visa is valid only for the UK and not for European countries following the Schengen visa system.
In July last year the UK gave 11 countries six months to address certain concerns. The countries were Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
Along with Bolivia, Venezuela, Swaziland and Lesotho, South Africa did not meet the requirements.
New passport
Siobhan McCarthy, spokesperson for the South African Department of Home Affairs, said they couldn't comply with the requirements within six months due to, among other reasons, the necessary technology and training.
A new passport, which meets the international civil aviation standards, will be released in March.
- Young people who in the past went to the UK on two-year working holidaymaker visas, will no longer be able to do this, reported Erika Gibson. Only those with qualifications and/or work experience will in future be able to apply for a working visa to be able to work in Britain.
- For more information, visit www.vfs-uk-za.com or call 082 2344450.