As Covid-19 cases decline and more people are vaccinated, countries are slowly starting to reopen their borders to travellers from South Africa.
Canada said it would allow fully vaccinated foreign nationals to enter the country for non-essential purposes from Tuesday (7 September), provided they meet certain conditions.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also eased travel restrictions for vaccinated South Africans.
While South Africans arriving on tourist visas must still take a mandatory rapid PCR test at the airport, the change means that passengers will be allowed to travel to their final destination through Dubai from South Africa – subject to specific requirements.
Parts of Europe have also begun opening up travel for vaccinated South Africans, with Germany, France, and Spain relaxing some restrictions in recent weeks for those who have had a jab.
Saudi Arabia has also removed South Africa from its list of banned countries.
While South Africa has mostly kept its borders open to international tourists since easing its first hard lockdown in mid-2020, other countries have not reciprocated, and South Africans still face strict travel restrictions.
This also impacts travellers who are dissuaded from visiting South Africa because of their difficulties returning to their own countries.
A mapping tool developed by travel website Skyscanner shows that as of 8 September, South Africa has 79 ‘major restrictions’ from other countries in place. This is up from around 60 major restrictions before the third Covid wave hit.
These countries have suspended travel, may be closed to entry, or entry may only be possible if you are a citizen/meet strict entrance requirements.
By comparison, there are currently 31 moderate restrictions for South Africa, where travel is possible, but only if travellers meet certain entry requirements, including taking Covid-19 tests.
The below table gives an overview of some of the major travel restrictions still in place for South…