CAPE TOWN- After six months, South Africa has begun to gradually reopen some its international borders from 1 October, however, there are a number of regulations that travellers need to adhere to before jetting in or out of the country.
International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor, together with her colleagues from the Home Affairs, Transport and Tourism departments - fleshed out details for international travel on Wednesday, during a briefing on the easing of international travel restrictions.
Amoung the restrictions includes a list of 57 countries from which leisure travellers will not be allowed into the country.
Pandor said that the list was drawn up in terms of World Health Organization criteria and will be reviewed every two weeks, taking into account changing rates of infection and death around the world.
SEE ALSO: TRAVELLERS FROM THESE COUNTRIES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO VISIT SA
Here are 10 things you need to know now that South African has begun to reopen international borders:
- Travellers from
all African countries are allowed and must possess relevant travel documents.
- South Africa has developed a
risk categorisation model for different international travellers. This model classifies international travellers according to a scale of high, medium and low risk. High-risk travellers are those who come from countries with higher numbers of COVID-19 infections and reported deaths compared to South Africa.
- There are
57 countries considered to be ‘high-risk’. People from those countries cannot come in, and South Africans may not travel to those countries, unless travellers possess high-skilled visas.
- If the passport of the traveller from a high-risk country indicates that he/she
has spent 10 days or more in a low risk country before departure, he/she will be considered to be arriving from a low risk country.
-
Business and some leisure travel will take precedence as the country welcomes international travellers in a staggered approach.
- The
only airports that will be open for international travel are: OR Tambo, Cape Town International and King Shaka.
- Those coming into the country will be expected to produce a
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test that is not older than 72 hours from the time of departure from the country of origin to South Africa.
- Upon arrival in the port of entry,
travellers will be screened for any Covid-19 symptoms or for contact with people who have been infected with the Covid-19 virus.
- Travellers will also need to
provide an address or proof of accommodation should they need to self-quarantine at the time of arrival in the country.
- If the
Covid-19 test comes back positive, the traveller will be subjected to a 10-day quarantine at a designated site. The accommodation at a quarantine site will be at the traveller’s cost.
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