South Africa – Changes to Start Date of Visa Validity
September 15, 2016
Effective August 1, the temporary resident visa validity date has been changed from how it was previously calculated. To simplify the process, the visa validity period will now be specified in the visa application form. The visa will be issued with a “valid from” date instead of an “issue date” of when the visa validity was first calculated.
Previously, the visa was valid from the date it was issued. The change has now prolonged the visa validity by using the “valid from” format. This can enable foreign nationals to travel in a timely manner. When renewing the visa, the new visa will be valid once the old visa expires, rather than the date the new visa is issued.