Italian visa for South African citizens

A visa is REQUIRED for South African passport holders visiting Italy for tourism and business purposes. See detailed requirements below:

Visa requirements:

Visa type Purposes Visa requirements Allowed stay
Tourist visa For South African citizens to enter Italy for a short-term tourism purpose. Visa required N/A
Evisa Italy e-visa for South African citizens Not Available
Visa on arrival Italy visa on arrival for South African citizens Not Available

Italy tourist visa requirements:

  • Holding South African passport that is valid for six months beyond the period of the intended stay in Italy.
  • Proof of onward travel (departure) from Italy.

If you are looking for Italy visa information, such as available types of visas, or how to apply from South Africa, we recommend you visit or contact the embassy or consulate of Italy nearest your place of residence.

  • Pretoria: The Embassy of Italy in Pretoria, South Africa (Working hours: Close now)
  • Cape Town: The Consulate of Italy in Cape Town, South Africa (Working hours: Close now)
  • Port Elizabeth: The Consulate General of Italy in Port Elizabeth, South Africa (Working hours: Close now)
  • East London: The Consulate General of Italy in East London, South Africa (Working hours: Close now)
  • Durban: The Consulate General of Italy in Durban, South Africa (Working hours: Close now)
  • Johannesburg: The Consulate General of Italy in Johannesburg, South Africa (Working hours: Close now)

Italy visa applications & requirements (For reference purposes only, please visit the nearest Italy diplomatic mission offices to South Africa for guidance)

Tourism Statistics Chart

The line chart shows the number of visitors from South Africa traveling to Italy from 2008 to 2018.

Year Number of visitors (South Africa) estimated Change (%)
2008 354,692 N/A
2009 358,884 1.18%
2010 362,096 0.89%
2011 382,788 5.71%
2012 384,788 0.52%
2013 395,943 2.90%
2014 403,181 1.83%
2015 421,076 4.44%
2016 434,688 3.23%
2017 483,500 11.23%
2018 511,008 5.69%

References: UNWTO.org, World Bank and multiple sources. (This data is for informational purposes only. Please see our disclaimer page for more information.)

Italy & South Africa comparison

Italy's area is approximately 294,140 km2 (113,568 sq mi), while the area of South Africa is approximately 1,213,090 km2 (468,376 sq mi). This means South Africa is 4.12 times bigger than Italy.

As of October 2025, Italy's population is ~60.0 million people - 3,096,084 fewer people than the population of South Africa.

We have highlighted Italy & South Africa’s relative positions on world's map for your reference.

Italy South Africa Difference
Population (est 2025) 60,008,362 63,104,446 3.1 million fewer people live in Italy than South Africa
Number of diplomatic missions abroad (est) 209 124 Italy has 85 more diplomatic representations abroad compared with South Africa.
Travel freedom (2025) 146 67 Italy passport holders can visit 79 more countries and territories without a visa.
Number of foreign missions hosted 549 197 Italian hosts 352 more foreign missions than South Africa.

Frequently asked questions, answered

How many visitors from South Africa travel to Italy in one year?

The number of visitors from South Africa visiting Italy in 2018 was approximately 511,008.

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Useful Information

  • Rome to Pretoria: 7321.06 km (4549.10 mi)
  • Travel time: 15 hours 15 minutes

This page was last updated on: October 2025