Online Traveller Declaration System from 1 July 2026

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Anyone crossing a South African border on or after 1 July 2026 will be subject to amended traveller declaration rules. SARS has gazetted rule amendments under sections 15 and 120 of the Customs and Excise Act, 1964, formally establishing the Electronic South African Traveller Management System (SATMS) as the primary declaration channel and replacing the old TC-01 and TRD1 paper forms with two new forms: the TD-01 (Traveller Declaration) and TGD1 (Traveller Goods Declaration).

What changes from 1 July

The amended rules require all travellers entering or leaving South Africa to submit a traveller declaration through SATMS before crossing the border. The system is accessible via the SARS website at sars.gov.za/travellerdeclaration, the SARS Traveller MobiApp, or a QR code scan on any internet-enabled device. Self-service kiosks at ports of entry are also available where installed.

Declarations submitted electronically must be completed no more than 24 hours before departure. If information changes after submission, the declaration must be updated before the traveller proceeds through the customs processing channel.

Paper forms TD-01 and TGD1 remain available as a fallback only, in cases of a SARS systems failure, no internet connectivity at the port of entry, or where a traveller has reasonable grounds for being unable to submit electronically.

What travellers must declare

The information segment of the declaration covers personal details, travel details, and a possession disclosure. The possession disclosure requires travellers to indicate whether they are carrying prohibited or restricted goods, commercial goods, goods for temporary import or export, goods exceeding duty-free allowances, or currency and bearer negotiable instruments above the threshold set under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act.

Where goods or excess currency are disclosed, a traveller goods declaration segment (TGD1) must also be completed. This covers item descriptions, quantities, serial numbers, values, and, in the case of currency, the source and purpose of the funds.

Travellers carrying commercial goods that do not qualify under the informal trader provisions must enter those goods on a SAD 500 form.

Green channel or red channel

After submitting a declaration, travellers follow instructions from SARS. Those with nothing to declare proceed through the green channel. Those who have disclosed goods or excess currency proceed through the red channel for further processing. Duties may be paid before arrival by EFT or at the port of entry by cash, EFT, or card.

Who is exempt

Air and sea travellers who are in transit through South Africa and do not leave the designated transit area of an airport or seaport are excluded from submitting a declaration.

Context

This formalisation builds on SARS's ongoing rollout of the traveller management system. As covered in Foreign Vehicles Must Be Declared on TMS from 1 June, SARS has been progressively digitalising border declarations. The 1 July amendment extends that framework to the full traveller declaration process and gives it a firm legal basis under the Customs and Excise Act.

What to do now

If you have clients who travel frequently for business, import or export goods personally, or carry commercial stock across borders, make sure they are aware of the new process and the 24-hour pre-departure submission requirement. The paper fallback exists for genuine emergencies, not convenience.

For further information download the SARS guide.