Before we jump into the adventure, we should make sure that we have thought of everything: Official documents, medical preparations, info about money exchange rates, cell phone contract and local laws.
Visa
Germans, Austrians and Swiss do not need to apply for a visa. They will receive a “Visitor’s Visa” upon arrival, which is valid for up to 90 days. All they need is their machine-readable passport. This passport must be valid until at least 30 days after your return(!) and must contain at least two free pages.
Children need a passport with a photo. The same requirements apply to the passport.
The complete list of required documents can be found here.
For more information, please visit the South African Embassy’s website: https://www.suedafrika.org/.
Customs regulations
The currency in South Africa is called “Rand”. It is abbreviated as “ZAR”. The import of foreign currency (e.g. Euro) is only declarable if the value exceeds 10,000 dollars.
declarable. The import of Rand is declarable from 25,000 ZAR. When exporting, no more than 5000 ZAR can be taken. The export limit for foreign currency is measured against the declared amount at import.
The import and export of food, plant and animal products is not allowed. Also, no weapons, drugs or merchandise may be imported.
When exporting, the value of the items must not exceed 430,-€.
Vaccinations
Everyone should have these vaccinations before traveling to South Africa:
– Diphtheria
– Yellow fever (only if traveling through an outbreak area)
– Hepatitis A (recommended for outbreak areas)
– Whooping cough
– measles
– tetanus
– rabies
– Meningococcal meningitis (recommended in risk areas).
You should have these vaccinations if you belong to a risk group:
– Cholera
– Hepatitis A
– Hepatitis B
– influenza
– Meningococcal meningitis
– pneumococcus
Malaria
Malaria infection areas are mainly in the north and northeast of South Africa. Risk-free are the cities and all other areas. Our travel routes in and around Cape Town are therefore free of malaria.
Dengue fever
Dengue fever occurs throughout the country and is transmitted by mosquitoes. Protect yourself with the usual methods: long-sleeved clothing, mosquito nets, creams and sprays. Please avoid bringing insecticides into the wild.
Rift Valley Fever
This disease is transmitted from wounded animals and animal products. WHO recommends not consuming raw animal products (raw meat, unpasteurized/uncooked milk, raw eggs) and staying away from bleeding animals.
Food and drinking water hygiene
Do not drink water from the tap! The heat and lack of water hygiene put you at risk of contracting these diseases:
– Hepatitis A
– cholera
– Various intestinal infections (parasites and bacteria; worms, salmonella, amoeba, viruses)