New SARS Travel Declaration Requirement: A Detailed Guide for UK-South Africa Travellers

If you travel between the UK and South Africa - whether for family visits, business, or managing property and financial affairs back home, there's a new SARS Travel Declaration Requirement compliance step to be aware of before your next trip.

From 1 July 2026, all travellers entering or leaving South Africa by air, land, sea or rail must submit an online traveller declaration before they travel.

This applies to South African citizens, residents and foreign travellers alike - so it catches most people moving between the UK and South Africa, regardless of passport.

Background: Why This Is Happening

This isn't a brand-new obligation appearing out of nowhere. Travellers have always been legally required to declare certain goods and currency to South African Customs. What has changed is how that declaration is made.

SARS has been piloting the South African Traveller Management System (SATMS) at airports since 2022, gradually expanding it to land, sea and rail ports. Until now, using it was voluntary, with paper customs forms still widely used. From 1 July 2026, SATMS becomes mandatory and paper forms are retired for all but limited exceptions.

SARS has also formalised this change legally: rule amendments were gazetted under sections 15 and 120 of the Customs and Excise Act, 1964, establishing 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).

The stated aims are to strengthen data integration across government agencies (including the Border Management Authority, the Financial Intelligence Centre and the South African Reserve Bank), improve risk management, reduce delays at ports of entry, and move compliance activity away from the point of entry itself.

Who Needs to Complete THENew SARS Travel Declaration Requirement

The requirement applies broadly:

●      South African citizens and residents

●      Foreign travellers, including UK passport holders

●      Business travellers

●      Children and infants (completed on their behalf by a parent, legal guardian or another assisting person)

The only real exemption is for air or sea passengers who are purely transiting through South Africa and remain within the designated international transit area without leaving it. If you clear immigration, collect luggage, or otherwise leave the transit area, the declaration requirement applies.

A separate declaration is required for every individual travelling - there's no single combined form for couples, families or groups. Each person (or their parent/guardian, for children) needs their own declaration and a valid email address to receive their confirmation.

If your route crosses into or out of South Africa more than once - for example, an overland trip through several countries - a fresh declaration is required at each individual border crossing.

Timing: The 24-Hour Window

The declaration must be submitted no more than 24 hours before arrival in South Africa. If you're travelling to South Africa on a route with connecting flights, that 24-hour window applies to the final leg directly into South Africa, not your original departure time.

If any of your details change after you've submitted your declaration but before you clear the Customs processing channel, you're required to update the declaration so the information on file stays accurate.

What You'll Need to Declare

The declaration covers:

●      Passport or travel document details

●      Travel itinerary and contact details

●      Details of anyone travelling with you

●      Whether you're carrying goods, currency or bearer negotiable instruments requiring declaration

Ordinary personal effects, clothing and standard luggage for your own use generally don't need to be declared. What does need declaring includes:

●      Goods exceeding your duty-free allowance

●      Commercial goods or items intended for business use

●      Goods for temporary import or export

●      Prohibited or restricted items

●      Cash or bearer negotiable instruments above the relevant threshold

A change worth flagging for clients moving money between the UK and South Africa: the cash declaration threshold has increased from R25,000 to R100,000, in line with South African Reserve Bank regulations. Amounts above R100,000 require prior SARB authorisation and must be declared in line with the Customs and Excise Act and the Financial Intelligence Centre Act.

Duty-free allowances remain in place alongside this: travellers generally get up to R5,000 in goods duty and VAT free, with a further R20,000 that may attract duty and VAT.

How to Complete the Declaration

There are several ways to submit:

●      The SARS Traveller Management System on the SARS website

●      The SATMS mobile app, downloaded from your device's app store

●      A Scan-to-Declare QR code, available at some ports of entry, on any internet-enabled device

●      Self-service kiosks, where installed at ports

Once submitted, SARS emails a confirmation with instructions for what to do on arrival or departure. Keep this accessible on your phone or as a printed copy, and follow the instructions and signage at the port.

What to Do at Arrival and Departure

On arrival: proceed to immigration first, then to the Customs Control area as instructed in your declaration confirmation, before exiting the port of entry.

On departure: proceed to the Customs office to register goods for re-importation, or follow the instructions in your declaration confirmation. This is also the point at which you can claim a VAT refund or acquit goods previously registered for temporary importation.

If you plan to use a non-designated place - somewhere without a Customs presence - you must indicate this in your online declaration before travelling. SARS will then confirm whether you can proceed there or need to report to the nearest designated port instead.

What If You Forget, or Can't Get Online?

SARS has confirmed travellers won't be denied entry or exit solely for not completing a declaration in advance. Customs officials and self-service kiosks are available at ports to help you complete it on the spot.

Paper forms (TD-01 and TGD1) haven't been permanently scrapped either - they remain available as a fallback for genuine cases: a SARS systems failure, no internet connectivity at the port, or another reasonable ground for being unable to submit electronically. This is a fallback for emergencies, not a convenient alternative to the online process.

Why This Matters for UK-South Africa Clients

If your life spans both countries - whether you're managing tax affairs, property, or family matters across the UK and South Africa - travel compliance is just one more piece of a bigger cross-border picture. Getting the smaller, practical things right (like this declaration, and the new cash threshold) sits alongside the same discipline that matters for tax residency, exchange control and reporting obligations.

If you have questions about how your travel, residency or financial arrangements between the UK and South Africa fit together, get in touch with the SAUK Tax team.