Foreign Vehicles Must Be Declared on TMS from 1 June

Written By Eszter Rapanos, Quality Assurance, Public Sector and Publication Manager, Chartered Institute for Business Accountants (CIBA)

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On 19 May 2026, SARS issued a media release announcing that from 1 June 2026, every foreign-registered vehicle entering or leaving South Africa must be declared on the SARS Traveller Management System (TMS) before the border crossing. There are no exceptions.

New SARS Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu said the change aligns South Africa with established international Customs practice and forms part of the SARS programme to modernise operations at ports of entry, strengthen compliance, and protect the integrity of the country's borders. The Commissioner cited benefits including better risk-based screening and stronger border controls.

What this means in practice

From 1 June 2026, the driver or operator of any vehicle registered outside South Africa must complete a TMS declaration online before arriving at the border post. The declaration is part of the same TMS used for traveller declarations, which has been live for personal cross-border travel for some time. Failure to declare risks delays at the port of entry and penalties under the Customs and Excise Act.

Who it affects

The change has direct operational impact for any client whose business depends on cross-border road movement, including:

  1. Cross-border road freight and logistics operators

  2. Tour operators running self-drive vehicles, coaches, or rental fleets into and out of SADC

  3. Mining and construction businesses moving heavy vehicles or plant across borders

  4. Vehicle rental and recovery businesses

  5. Owner-managed SMEs with company cars registered in another SADC country

What to do this week

Practitioners with any affected client should:

  1. Forward this announcement to those clients today

  2. Confirm whoever drives the vehicle understands they must complete the TMS declaration before reaching the border post, not at it

  3. Build the TMS step into the client's cross-border standard operating procedures before 1 June

Eszter Rapanos, Quality Assurance, Public Sector and Publication Manager, Chartered Institute for Business Accountants (CIBA)
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