South Africa experiencing a surge in visa application volumes

With the post-Covid world having seen a strong surge in outbound travel, South Africa has experienced a hike in visa volumes, far exceeding the 2021 statistics – last year standing at 70%, according to a travel expert.

Speaking at a travel media session in Johannesburg yesterday, VFS Global sub-Saharan Africa head Hariprasad Viswanathan, said the number of visa applications processed in 2022 from South Africa, had risen by over five times, compared to 2021.

Number of visa applications

Viswanathan said other global trends to emerge from this year onwards, included:

• Contactless traveller experiences at international borders – artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics, set to fundamentally change border management, enabling smart borders.
• Increased focus on traveller data privacy, due to merely securing the algorithms and data sets, not being enough, with an end-to-end approach in applying security by design, being recommended for adoption and being managed on an ongoing basis.
• Rise in eco-conscious travellers, seeking to travel sustainably – changing how businesses and locations operate.
• Demand for personalised services, which prioritise safe and healthy travel.

“The surge in travel activity in 2022 took the industry by surprise – exceeding the conservative recovery projections and is continuing into 2023 with visa application volumes in South Africa nearly tripling – compared to 2021.

ALSO READ: Taiwanese tourists struggle to obtain visas in SA

“Into the first five months of 2023, there is convincing evidence that reveals global travel will continue to be on the rise, including in countries like South Africa.

Italy and The Netherlands top locations

“Schengen locations like Italy and The Netherlands have emerged as the top locations for outbound travel in terms of visa application volumes along with Canada and Australia,” said Viswanathan.

Explaining the increase for visas, he said: “Due to the high pent-up travel demand, we expect the increase in international travel from last year to continue this year as well.

ALSO READ: SA’s visa crisis jeopardises internationalisation efforts of universities, businesses

“With the opening of international borders and easing travel restrictions, the industry is witnessing peak ‘revenge’ travel.

“When planning their travels, applicants need to apply for their visas in advance like their flight and hotel bookings.

“Seeing the surge in demand for outbound travel in the initial part of this year and with limited appointment slots available, we encourage our applicants to apply for their visas as early as possible.”

Asked about how the visa application processing could be expedited, said Viswanathan: “The time taken for visa processing differs with each mission.

“We recommend you check the turnaround timelines before applying. Opting for any optional, value-added services such as Prime Time Services or form-filling, does not guarantee a quicker or more positive decision by the concerned embassy or consulate.

ALSO READ: Here are 11 more countries South Africans can travel without a visa

“On the other hand, these premium services like Visa at your doorstep, have seen a significant increase last year – as more applicants seek the ease and convenience these services offer in their travel planning – at an additional cost.”

Visa rejections

On why some visa applications were being rejected, he explained: “The most common reason why visa applications get rejected is due to incorrect or insufficient information submitted while applying for a visa.

“We advise our applicants to check their respective country websites by visiting our website www.vfsglobal.com under the document checklist section.

“We also offer an optional form-filling service at an additional cost for certain locations, which applicants can avail to ensure the correct information is updated.”

-brians@citizen.co.za