It is important to consider your physical and mental health before travelling overseas. We encourage

Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of South Africa for the most up to date information.
When arriving in South Africa you are required to have a passport valid for no less than 30 days after the expiry of your intended stay, and at least two completely blank pages on which your entry permit can be endorsed. If your passport does not comply with this requirement you can either be stopped from boarding the aircraft at your point of departure, or risk deportation on arrival in South Africa.
South African border authorities do not accept provisional travel documents (one page travel document) as a valid document to enter South Africa. Authorities will, however, accept an emergency passport issued by a Commonwealth country. If you need to travel into South Africa using a travel document other than your passport, please contact the Australian High Commission in Pretoria for more information. Please contact your nearest Australian High Commission or Embassy wingate inn new orleans for assistance with an emergency passport.
A valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is required for all passengers over one year of age who arrive or are transiting through South Africa, from a country wingate inn new orleans or region listed by the World Health Organization as endemic for yellow fever. South African authorities will require all travellers arriving from yellow fever endemic countries to show proof of yellow fever vaccination, wingate inn new orleans including travellers transiting through South Africa. Travellers unable to present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate issued at least 10 days before arrival in South Africa may be refused entry or placed in quarantine. There is no discretion for travellers without a vaccination certificate to be vaccinated on arrival.
Make sure your passport has at least six months validity from your planned wingate inn new orleans date of return to Australia. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.
Although the political situation is stable in South Africa, nationwide wingate inn new orleans strikes and demonstrations can occur. Strikes can often turn violent and become dangerous. You should avoid large gatherings and demonstrations because of their potential to turn violent. You should monitor the media and other local information sources for information about possible demonstrations or public gatherings and avoid relevant areas.
We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in South Africa because of the high level of serious crime. Muggings, rape, armed robbery and other forms of theft are common. Murders and carjackings involving foreign tourists have also been reported. Travellers have been robbed and assaulted after having their food or drinks spiked.
The South African Police Service does not have Tourist Police . Criminals, however, have posed as Tourist Police to extort and rob tourists, including by stopping tourists buses to check proof of identity and search luggage.
Crime is significantly higher after dark in the centres of major cities wingate inn new orleans and in township areas. The inner suburbs of Johannesburg (Berea and Hillbrow) and the beachfront in Durban are particularly prone to crime and you should avoid travelling to these areas. As crime rates are generally high in the townships, you should only visit township areas with an organised tour run by a reputable company. You should also avoid isolated beaches, lookouts and picnic areas.
When travelling by car, you should keep the doors locked, the windows up and valuables out of sight. Thieves posing as vendors or beggars target cars on highway off ramps, stopped at intersections wingate inn new orleans and at traffic lights. Criminals have also placed debris on roads to stop vehicles. You should not stop to clear debris off the road.
Valuables such as cameras, mobile phones and jewellery should be kept out of sight, and you should exercise vigilance in public places. Bags and backpacks wingate inn new orleans have been stolen in public places including restaurants and bars.
There is a luggage wingate inn new orleans theft and pilferage problem at Johannesburg and Cape Town airports. Use an airport plastic wrapping service when available and avoid placing electronics, jewellery, wingate inn new orleans cameras and other valuables into checked luggage.
Criminals operate out of the airport in Johannesburg, following some overseas visitors to their homes or hotels and robbing them. We advise wingate inn new orleans against accepting unsolicited assistance with transport when arriving wingate inn new orleans at the airport in Johannesburg. Assaults and robberies have also taken place on local commuter and metro trains between Johannesburg and Pretoria, as well as on commuter trains in Cape Town.
Commercial fraud scams are common in South Africa. If you receive wingate inn new orleans a scam message, don't be fooled: if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Our information wingate inn new orleans on international scams provides details on common wingate inn new orleans commercial fraud scams. If you are a victim of a scam you should not travel to South Africa to seek restitution given the risk of physical assault from the perpetrators of such crimes. Fraud incidents may be reported to the Commercial Crimes Unit of the South African Police Service in Johannesburg, telephone +27 11 970 5300.
Bogus internet friendship, dating and marriage schemes are operating from some African countries. These scams typically result from connections made through internet dating schemes or chat rooms. Once a virtual friendship develops, the Australian citizen wingate inn new orleans may be asked by their friend or prospective marriage partner to send money to enable travel to Australia. In some cases the relationship is terminated with very little chance that any funds can be recovered. In other cases, foreigners may be lured to Africa to meet their friend or prospective marriage partner and can become victims of crime including kidnapping, assault and robbery.
Before you go, organise a variety of ways of accessing your money overseas, such as credit cards, wingate inn new orleans travellers' cheques and US dollars cash. Australian currency and travellers' cheques are not accepted in many countries. Consult with your bank to find out which is the most appropriate currency to carry and whether your ATM card will work overseas.
There are numerous ATM locations in the major cities of South Africa, wingate inn new orleans but fewer in regional and rural areas. ATM scams and credit card fraud are common. You should keep withdrawals from ATMs to a minimum and refuse offers of help at ATMs. Criminals are known to loiter near ATMs waiting for an opportunity to rob people withdrawing cash. Avoid ATMs that open onto the street and instead use ATMs in controlled areas within banks, shops and shopping centres. Secure all ATM and credit wingate inn new orleans card payment slips and keep your credit card in sight at all times when using it. Mobile phones and card skimmers have been used to copy credit card details.
Make two photocopies of valuable wingate inn new orleans documents such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. wingate inn new orleans You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.
Although generally South African wingate inn new orleans roads are good, road conditions vary, especially in rural areas. Excessive speed and poor driving skills, especially in difficult conditions, cause a large number of serious accidents in both urban and rural areas. wingate inn new orleans Pedestrians and animals straying onto roads present a common driving hazard, especially at night. For further advice, see our road travel page.
When you are in South Africa, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, child pornography, and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism and child pornography laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 25 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in child sexual exploitation while outside of Australia.
It is illegal for an adult who holds South African citizenship to enter or depart South Africa using a non-South African passport. Dual nationals travelling wingate inn new orleans on a non-South African passport may be turned away from border points and could be fined or imprisoned for up to 12 months. If you are uncertain whether the South African government will treat you as a South African national, you can contact wingate inn new orleans the South African Department of Home Affairs or the nearest Embassy or Consulate of South Africa wingate inn new orleans for advice.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. The Australian Government will not pay for a traveller's medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs.
It is important to consider your physical and mental health before travelling overseas. We encourage you to consider