No visa needed

Do citizens of Russia need a visa for South Africa?

Citizens of Russia don’t need a visa for South Africa and can stay up to 90 days. You need a valid passport; border officers may ask for a return ticket and accommodation. For a longer stay you need a visa or an extension.

For citizens of Russia: the passport opens 79 countries visa-free; Moscow — Pretoria: ≈ 9,110 km, about 12 hours of flying.

Checked by visa analyst Albert Brown, 13 years of experience · September 26, 2026

At a glance

No visa needed

Stay: 90 days

Can I travel to South Africa without a visa on a Russia passport?

Yes, citizens of Russia don’t need a visa for South Africa for up to 90 days. A valid passport is enough.

South Africa visa rules at a glance

With a Russia passport you can visit 79 countries visa-free, 27 with a visa on arrival and 31 with an e-visa; 61 more require an embassy visa.
By the number of visa-free destinations, the Russia passport ranks 79th of 199.
Russia passport: visa-free access to 79 countries; South Africa passport: 60.
Citizens of Russia and South Africa can travel together visa-free to 48 countries, for example: Georgia, Palestine, Tunisia, Seychelles, Thailand, Macau, Angola, Malawi, Malaysia, Philippines, Mauritius, Namibia, Botswana, Antigua and Barbuda, and Mozambique.
Citizens of South Africa, in turn, don’t need a visa for Russia. Russia visa for citizens of South Africa

Travelling to South Africa: good to know

Moscow — Pretoria: about 9,110 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 12 hours.
Time difference with your country’s capital: −10 hours.
Local time: Moscow 12:00 — Pretoria 02:00.
Local currency: South African Rand.
Languages: Afrikaans, English, South Ndebele, and Northern Sotho.
Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ ZAR 16.
South Africa is the 148th closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of Russia.