The Presidency has defended President Cyril Ramaphosa’s opening remarks at the SA-Nigeria Bi-National Commission earlier this week regarding the simplified visa process for Nigerian nationals, calling it a “misunderstanding”.
Ramaphosa said that qualifying Nigerian businesspeople could be granted a five-year multiple-entry visa. In addition, tourists from Nigeria were now able to apply for a visa without submitting a passport.
“It does not compromise the integrity of the visa system,” the Presidency said.
“As part of the work to modernise and streamline visa application processes worldwide, South African missions in Nigeria have improved the efficiency and convenience of applying for a visa. This is part of the visa reforms initiated by the South African government to enable economic activities and boost tourism while protecting our national security.”
Prospective travellers can apply for their visas without submitting their passports along with their applications – at the time of application, they are only required to submit certified copies of the biopage of their passports, and their actual passports should also be made available during the application process for verification and confirmation.
Once a visa has been approved, they are required to submit their passports for the process to be completed and for the visa to be affixed in the passport.
“These changes have improved the customer experience while ensuring the security and integrity of the overall visa application process,” the Presidency said.
