SADC Approves UNIVISA: A Joint Tourist Visa for Southern Africa Is Coming

On August 17, 2026, the heads of state and government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) took an important step toward establishing a common tourist visa for the region on the sidelines of their 46th ordinary summit in Durban, South Africa. In the summit’s final declaration, the agreement establishing the so-called SADC Tourism UNIVISA was officially endorsed, and member states were called upon to sign the agreement. This brings a project that has been under discussion for years significantly closer to practical implementation.

According to the SADC’s vision, the UNIVISA will enable travelers to visit multiple countries in southern Africa with a single visa, without having to apply for a visa separately for each country. The goal is to significantly simplify cross-border travel within the region, strengthen the tourism sector, and advance regional integration. According to the SADC, the joint visa is also intended to help increase the overall number of international visitors to the region by making multiple trips more attractive and less complicated.

For the initial phase of implementation, a rollout in a smaller group of countries is apparently planned, before the system is to be expanded to other SADC member states. Specific details regarding validity periods, costs, application procedures, or the exact timeline for implementation are not yet available—following approval by the heads of state and government, the individual member states must first sign and ratify the agreement before the UNIVISA can actually be applied for.

For travelers and visa applicants planning trips to Southern Africa, this decision is, for now, primarily an announcement of future simplifications—not yet an immediately available option. Until the UNIVISA is actually available, the existing national entry requirements of the individual countries remain in effect. For example, anyone planning a trip to South Africa should continue to follow the currently valid procedures; relevant information on the various visa options for South Africa is already available, as are details on the South African eTA, which serves as an electronic entry permit for certain nationals.

As soon as the UNIVISA officially launches and becomes available for practical use, we will adapt the application process for our customers accordingly and integrate it into our services. Until then, it’s worth keeping an eye on developments, especially for anyone who wants to combine multiple countries in Southern Africa into a single trip. A look at the overview of all visa types also shows which options are already available today for various travel destinations.

Overall, the approval of the agreement marks significant political progress for tourism cooperation in Southern Africa, even though several administrative steps—signing, ratification, and the establishment of practical application procedures—still need to be completed before the first UNIVISA documents are actually issued. Travelers planning trips on short notice should therefore continue to rely on the current national visa requirements.