Document checklist
Japan → South Africa: Study visa
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
13 itemsIdentity
Completed visa application form (Form 8)
RequiredFill in Form 8, the temporary residence visa application form, and hand it in yourself at a South African mission in the country where you normally live or hold citizenship.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Valid passport
RequiredA valid passport for each person applying.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Financial
Payment of the application fee
RequiredProof that you paid the visa application fee. Check the current fee with the mission where you apply.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Proof of enough money while you study
RequiredProof that you will have enough money to live on while you stay in South Africa. The regulations don't give a set amount, so check the current amount with the mission where you apply.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Purpose of travel
Letter of acceptance from your school or university
RequiredA letter from the learning institution confirming that you have been accepted (or provisionally accepted) and saying how long your course lasts.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Undertaking from the Registrar or Principal
RequiredA written promise from the Registrar or Principal of your institution that they will tell Home Affairs if you register, if you don't register in time, if you stop being registered, and when you finish or need more time to study.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Insurance
Medical cover with a South African registered medical scheme
RequiredProof of medical cover with a medical scheme registered under South Africa's Medical Schemes Act. It must be renewed every year for the whole time you study.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Travel
Yellow fever vaccination certificate (if you travel through a yellow fever area)
Needed if you travelled from, or plan to travel from or through, an area where yellow fever is common. You don't need it if you only pass straight through that area in direct transit.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Other
Documents for a spouse or children coming with you
RequiredFor a spouse: a copy of your marriage certificate or proof of your relationship. For children: proof of parental responsibilities and rights, or written consent from the other parent or legal guardian in the form of an affidavit.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Extra documents for learners under 18
RequiredA full (unabridged) birth certificate, a copy of your identity document if you have one, the address and phone number of the adult in South Africa who will act as your guardian plus a letter from that guardian confirming it, and consent for your stay from both parents (or from the parent or guardian who has a court order giving them full responsibility). Your parents or guardian must also promise that you will have medical cover for your whole study period.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Medical report and radiological (X-ray) report
RequiredA medical report and a radiological report for each person applying. Children under 12 and pregnant women don't need the radiological report.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Original or authenticated documents, translated if needed
RequiredYour supporting documents must be originals, or copies authenticated by the authority that issued them. Documents not in one of South Africa's national languages must be translated and certified by a sworn translator, at your own cost.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Police clearance certificate
RequiredA police clearance certificate showing your criminal record check.
Source: Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018)
Why applications on this route get refused
False or incorrect information
Anyone who knowingly gives an immigration officer incorrect or false information will be refused entry.
How to avoid it: Make sure every answer and document you give is true and matches your other papers.
Documents not original, authenticated or translated
Supporting documents must be originals or copies authenticated by the issuing authority, and translated by a sworn translator where needed. Plain photocopies or untranslated papers don't meet this rule.
How to avoid it: Get copies authenticated by the office that issued them, and use a sworn translator for anything not in one of South Africa's national languages.
Missing acceptance letter or institution undertaking
A study visa application needs both a letter of acceptance with the course length and a written undertaking from the Registrar or Principal. Leaving either out means the application is missing a required document.
How to avoid it: Ask your institution for both documents before you apply, and check that the letter states how long your course lasts.
Study visa lapses if you don't register
A study visa lapses automatically if you don't register with your institution, are de-registered during your studies, or if the institution's undertakings are not met.
How to avoid it: Register with your institution on time after you arrive, and stay registered for the whole period of your visa.
Sources
- Department of Home Affairs (South Africa), Immigration Regulations, 2014 (updated 2018) · checked 14 Sept 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the South Africa application fee.
Answer a few questions, add what you have, and get a report of what is missing or needs fixing. Documents you add are read on your device, never uploaded.
Check my documents