SARS Published 28 Travel FAQs. Here Is What They Mean for Your Clients.
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Your client is flying to Johannesburg from Dubai next week. Or crossing into Mozambique for a business meeting. Or coming back from a shopping trip in London. From 1 July 2026, all of them have a new legal obligation to submit an online traveller declaration before travelling to or from South Africa.
SARS published 28 official FAQs on the new online traveller declaration system at sars.gov.za/travellerdeclaration. SARS says the purpose of the online declaration system is to simplify Customs formalities before travellers reach the port, improve processing times, strengthen Customs risk management, and create a more efficient border experience. We have worked through all of them and pulled out what actually matters for your clients. Here is the full picture, grouped by theme.
The basics: who must declare, and when (FAQs 1, 2, 3, 5)
The new requirement is broad. Any person entering or leaving South Africa by air, land, sea, or rail must submit a traveller declaration. This covers South African citizens, residents, and foreign travellers alike. SARS confirmed this in FAQ 2, there is no carve-out based on nationality or how often someone travels.
The one exception is transit passengers. FAQ 3 confirms that air or sea travellers who are only passing through South Africa and do not leave the designated transit area are excluded. Everyone else must declare.
On timing, FAQ 5 is very specific: for inbound journeys with connecting flights, the 24-hour window is measured from the last leg directly to South Africa. If your client is flying via a connection, the 24-hour window starts from the final leg directly to South Africa, not from the first airport. This is a detail worth flagging to frequent flyers.
FAQ 1 also confirms that travellers will not be denied entry or departure solely for failing to submit a declaration before arriving. SARS will have officers and self-service terminals available to assist at ports. SARS clearly encourages travellers to complete the declaration before travelling wherever possible, with assistance at ports intended for those who could not reasonably do so in advance.
How to submit (FAQs 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15)
FAQ 6 sets out the three submission channels:
The SARS Customs Online Traveller Declaration Portal on the SARS website
The SATMS mobile app, available from your device's app store
A QR code scan on any internet-enabled device
Self-service kiosks at ports where installed
SARS also published a step-by-step video for travellers who need guidance on the process.
FAQ 7 lists what information is needed: passport or travel document details, travel itinerary, contact details, and details of travelling companions. Travellers must also indicate whether they are carrying goods, currency, or bearer negotiable instruments that need to be declared.
After submission, FAQ 9 confirms that SARS sends a confirmation with instructions for what to do at the port. Clients should keep that confirmation on their phone or in printed form.
If details change after submission — a rerouted flight, goods added to luggage — FAQ 10 is clear: the declaration must be updated before the traveller proceeds through the customs processing channel. Submitting and forgetting is not enough.
For clients who cannot submit online before they travel, FAQ 11 allows for assistance at the port via an officer or self-service terminal. FAQ 12 narrows this further: a paper declaration is only available where there is a SARS systems failure, no internet connectivity at the port, or another reasonable ground for being unable to submit electronically. The paper option is not a convenience fallback.
FAQ 14 covers train travel specifically: declarations for rail crossings must be submitted electronically before reaching the first or last railway station in South Africa, depending on the direction of travel.
FAQ 15 covers non-designated border crossings — places without a customs presence. Travellers using these must submit the online declaration before travelling and indicate the non-designated crossing. SARS will then confirm whether they may proceed there or must use the nearest designated port. This will be relevant for clients involved in cross-border land transport to or from neighbouring countries.
What to declare: goods and allowances (FAQs 8, 24, 25, 26)
FAQ 8 draws an important line: ordinary personal effects for personal use do not need to be declared. Everything else that exceeds the traveller allowance or requires customs attention does.
FAQ 26 sets out the duty-free thresholds every travelling client should know:
Goods up to R5,000 per person may be imported without duty or VAT
Additional goods up to R20,000 may be allowed but may be subject to duty and VAT
Total value above R25,000 means normal customs duties and VAT apply
This allowance applies once per person in any 30-day period. It does not apply to travellers returning from a trip of less than 48 hours — so day trips and quick turnarounds do not qualify.
FAQ 25 closes a common assumption: allowances cannot be combined or transferred between travellers. A family of four cannot pool their R5,000 allowances into one R20,000 exemption.
FAQ 24 confirms that once goods above the threshold are declared, customs will assess them and calculate duties and VAT payable, then advise on next steps at the port.
Cash and financial instruments (FAQs 19, 27)
FAQ 19 confirms that cash and bearer negotiable instruments above the applicable legal threshold must be declared. The system will ask for the type of instrument, the amount, the rand value, and the source of the funds.
FAQ 27 gives the specific limit: travellers may carry a maximum of R100,000 in local or foreign currency, or bearer negotiable instruments, without prior approval. Amounts above this require approval before travel.
Clients who carry large amounts of cash for business purposes, particularly those in trade, hospitality, or events, need to know this number.
Business and commercial travellers (FAQs 20, 21, 22, 23, 28)
This section has the most direct relevance for practitioners with business-travelling clients.
FAQ 20 confirms that business travellers must complete the declaration and indicate they are travelling in a business capacity. If they are carrying commercial goods or goods for business purposes, further customs requirements may apply.
FAQ 21 defines commercial goods broadly: anything brought into or taken out of South Africa for trade, sale, business use, or another commercial purpose. Crucially, goods may also be treated as commercial if due to their nature, quantity, or volume, they reasonably appear to be intended for business use, even if the client does not intend to sell them. This is a risk point. A client carrying 20 identical items may reasonably be regarded by Customs as commercial goods.
FAQ 22 covers goods for temporary importation, exportation, re-importation, or re-exportation, including foreign-registered vehicles travelling by road. These must all be declared. The system may ask for item descriptions, serial numbers, and values, and customs may require supporting documents at the port. This affects clients who regularly carry equipment, samples, or stock across the border.
FAQ 23 answers a question your VAT-savvy clients will ask: yes, you can still claim a VAT refund through the online system. Declare the relevant goods through the traveller declaration, then present yourself to customs at the port for the verification process. After that, proceed to the VAT Refund Administrator office where available.
FAQ 28 covers the carnet process: the online traveller declaration does not replace it. Vehicles travelling under a carnet are not required to be declared on the platform, but drivers must still declare any other goods not covered by the carnet. As covered in Foreign Vehicles Must Be Declared on TMS from 1 June, the TMS framework for cross-border vehicles has been building progressively and this FAQ confirms where carnets fit within it.
Children and third-party declarations (FAQs 13, 18)
FAQ 18 confirms that children and infants are not exempt. Every traveller must be covered by a declaration.
FAQ 13 confirms that a parent or legal guardian may submit on behalf of a minor. A caretaker or assisting person may submit on behalf of someone who cannot do so because of age, ill-health, or physical or mental disability. Whoever submits takes responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided.
Penalties and false declarations (FAQ 16)
FAQ 16 does not leave room for interpretation. Travellers are legally required to make a proper and true declaration. Failure to declare goods, currency, or other relevant items — or making a false declaration — may result in delays, detention or forfeiture of goods, penalties, or other enforcement action under customs legislation.
The risk is real. Brief your clients accordingly.
Where to get help (FAQ 17)
Clients who need help completing the declaration can get assistance at a customs service counter or self-service kiosk at the port, or email SARS directly at travellerescalations@sars.gov.za. The full FAQ list is available at sars.gov.za/travellerdeclaration.
The practical takeaway
SARS has answered 28 questions. The ones that matter most for your practice are: the 24-hour pre-departure window, the R5,000 / R25,000 duty-free thresholds, the R100,000 cash limit, the commercial goods definition, and the fact that allowances cannot be combined between travellers.
Brief your business-travelling clients before their next trip. Print this article or share the SARS FAQ link directly. Clients who arrive at the border uninformed will not thank you after the fact.