Embassy of the United States

Important Note: Instructions for scheduling an appointment are also available on the Visa Information Service Center (VISC) website:  and as a printable document (PDF 29K)

General Instructions

• Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate their strong social, economic and/or family ties to South Africa as well as their purpose and duration of travel.
• Plane Tickets: Applicants should obtain a visa BEFORE purchasing tickets or making irrevocable travel plans.
• Visa Interviews are by appointment only. We suggest that appointments be scheduled at least 60 days before the travel date wherever possible.
• Appointments are available most weekdays.
• Wait times: You may get an indication of how long you will need to wait for an appointment and how long it will take for the visa to be processed here »
• Closures:
  • All U.S. Consulates in South Africa are closed on South African holidays and U.S. holidays.
  • The Consulates General in Cape Town and Durban are closed to the public every Friday.
  • The Consulate General in Johannesburg is closed to the public on the last Friday of every month.
• Cell phones and other portable electronics are not allowed in the Consulate. Arriving at the Consulate with these items will delay your entry.
• Paid Parking is available in the vicinity of the Consulates. There is no public parking at the Consulates.
• CONTACT: The Visa Information Service Center (VISC) is open Monday to Friday, 8:00-20:00, for telephone calls to answer questions, accept payments, and book appointments.
   
  National: 087 550-2160
  
  Cape Town: 021 300-9700
  Durban: 031 100-3000
  Johannesburg: 010 500-8800
  Website: http://southafrica.usvisa-info.com

The Application Process

STEP ONE: Complete the visa application form

Each applicant must complete the DS-160 visa application form online. Upon completion you need to print out the bar-code confirmation page. You will need this barcode number to schedule the appointment and this page must be produced at the Consulate on the day of your interview.

STEP TWO: Payment (by cash or credit card) and scheduling appointment

FEES:

• Student and tourist visas: USD $160
  
  June 2013:     R1 536.00    ($1=R9.60)
  May  2013:     R1 472.00    ($1=R9.20)
  
  
• Temporary workers/ "petition-based" visas: USD $190
  
  June 2013:     R1 824.00    ($1=R9.60)
  May 2013:      R1 748.00    ($1=R9.20)
  
  
• Certain visa categories are subject to a reciprocity fee which must be paid at the Consulate.

CREDIT CARD: Contact the Visa Information Service Center (VISC) (contact information above) via telephone or visit their website to make payment and to schedule your appointment. As part of scheduling your appointment, you will be required to pre-select a DHL office to which your passport can be delivered, free of charge, before an appointment can be made.

CASH: After completing the DS-160 application form, you will need to contact the call center website  to obtain a unique deposit slip instruction sheet for cash payment at an ABSA branch which you will receive by email for you to print out. It has unique numbers you will need to make the deposit. At this site you will also be required to select a DHL office to which your passport will be delivered, free of charge, before an appointment can be made.

If paying by cash, take the deposit slip to an ABSA branch to make payment. Processing and validation of the payment may take up to four hours or, if you pay near close of business, it may only be completed the next morning. Once your payment has been validated, you may make an appointment online through the website or by calling the Visa Information Service Center (VISC). The deposit receipt MRV number is necessary to schedule an appointment.

Note: You must follow instructions to pay by cash OR credit card. Please do not use both methods

STEP THREE: Appointment Date

After successfully scheduling an appointment, you will receive an appointment confirmation letter by e-mail.  You must print the appointment confirmation and bring it with you to the appointment.

STEP FOUR:  Your Interview

Bring these documents to your interview:

• A valid passport which has unused visa pages (not amendment pages). Please bring all prior passports.
• The application confirmation page from the DS-160.
• The appointment confirmation page.
• A recent front-facing, 50 mm x 50 mm photograph of each applicant.
• Please bring all prior passports.

Passport delivery after a successful visa interview:  

Successful applicants may choose from the following three options:  

• Free delivery to the DHL office that you have pre-selected, where you will pick it up after 5 business days.
• Pay 90 Rand for standard home/office delivery, which usually takes 3-5 business days.
• Pay 288 Rand for expedited delivery to one of three specified DHL locations, where you will pick it up. In general, applicants who opt for the expedited delivery option are able to pick up the passport the next 2-3 business days after the interview, but this cannot be guaranteed.

The fees for options 2 or 3 must be paid at the Consulate DHL in-house counter on the day of your interview. If you are applying in Durban, you must go to the Berea Road DHL office to make payment. Any application may be subject to additional review or processing resulting in additional time before the visa is returned.

Further Information

The following are websites that may be helpful to visa applicants and travelers to the U.S. Please note that only websites that end in ".gov" are official U.S. Government websites.

Applying for a Non-Immigrant Visa

• The U.S. Visa Information Service Center (visa appointment call center/website): Provides general information about the visa application process. This is the sole website where visa applicants may book visa interview appointments in South Africa: http://southafrica.usvisa-info.com
• U.S. Diplomatic Mission to South Africa: general information about the U.S. Mission in South Africa, and U.S. Government programs.
• U.S. Department of State travel site: information for foreigners traveling to the U.S., U.S. citizens traveling abroad and consular information.
• U.S. State Department's Electronic Visa Application Forms: visa application and supplemental forms, information on visa policies and regulations.

Visa Waiver Program Information

• U.S. Department of State travel site: information for foreigners traveling to the U.S., U.S. citizens traveling abroad and consular information.
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security website for "ESTA", the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.
• U.S. Embassy London website with a "visa wizard" that helps travelers determines if they qualify for the Visa Waiver Program for travelers from countries in the Visa Waiver Program to register and receive their travel authorization. The ESTA program will be mandatory beginning in January of 2009.

Student Visas

• Student and Exchange Visitor Program: to pay the mandatory SEVIS fee for F, M, and J applicants.

  U.S. Diplomatic Mission to South Africa: general information about the U.S. Mission in South Africa, how to apply for visas in South Africa, and U.S. Government programs.

• U.S. Department of State travel site: information for foreigners traveling to the U.S., U.S. citizens traveling abroad and consular information.

• U.S. State Department's Electronic Visa Application Forms: visa application and supplemental forms, information on visa policies and regulations.