If you are flying overseas, driving through a land border or arriving back home from a trip abroad, there is a new step you can no longer skip. From 1 July 2026 the South African Revenue Service (SARS) requires every traveller entering or leaving South Africa to submit an online traveller declaration before they travel. The declaration is submitted through the South African Traveller Management System (SATMS) and replaces the old paper forms that many of you will remember completing at the airport.

The system was piloted on a voluntary basis from 2022. It is now a formal legal requirement under the Customs and Excise Act and it applies at all air, land, sea and rail ports of entry.

 Who must complete the declaration?

In short: everyone. The requirement applies to South African citizens, South African residents and foreign travellers alike. Each person travelling must have their own declaration, including children and infants. A parent, legal guardian or another assisting person may submit the declaration on behalf of a minor or a person who cannot complete it themselves.

The only exclusion is for transit passengers. Air or sea travellers who are simply passing through South Africa and who do not leave the designated transit area of the airport or seaport do not need to submit a declaration.

Does it apply to both directions?

Yes. The declaration is required when you leave South Africa and again when you return. It is triggered every time you cross a South African border in either direction. This means a single overseas holiday involves two declarations: one before your outbound trip and one before your journey home.

Domestic flights are not affected. A flight from Durban to Johannesburg involves no port of entry or exit, so no declaration is needed. Equally, the rule is not limited to flights. Land border crossings into neighbouring countries, sea travel and rail travel are all covered.

When must it be submitted?

The declaration must be submitted no more than 24 hours before departure from the country you are travelling from. On your return journey with connecting flights, the declaration must be submitted no more than 24 hours before departure on the final leg directly to South Africa.

If your details change before you pass through Customs, you must update your declaration so the information remains correct.

How to complete the declaration: step by step

The process is quick and can be done on any device with an internet connection. Have your passport, travel details and details of any goods or currency you are carrying ready before you start.

1. Access the system. Go to sars.gov.za/travellerdeclaration and click Complete Declaration, or download the SATMS app from your device’s app store. Scan-to-declare QR codes and self-service kiosks are also available at certain ports.
2. Capture your traveller details. Enter your personal and identification details, including your passport or travel document information, your contact details and a valid email address. The email address is important because your confirmation is sent there.
3. Confirm your travel details. Select whether you are entering or leaving South Africa, choose your port of entry or exit and capture your travel date. If you are travelling on behalf of a business, select the entity option and complete the entity fields.
4. Add travelling companions. Add each companion, including children and infants, with their travel document details. Remember that every traveller needs a declaration.
5. Declare goods and currency. Indicate whether you have goods, currency or bearer negotiable instruments to declare. If you have nothing to declare, select the nil option. If you do have items to declare, capture the details the system prompts for, such as descriptions, values and for currency the amount, source and reason for carrying it.
6. Pay any duties or VAT. Where duties or VAT are payable, these can be paid online before you arrive or at the port by EFT, card or cash.
7. Confirm and submit. Tick the declaration to confirm the information is true and correct, complete the CAPTCHA and submit.
8. Keep your confirmation. You will receive an email or SMS confirming your declaration together with instructions on what to do at the port. Print it or save it on your phone so you can show it to a Customs officer if requested. Travellers with nothing to declare proceed through the green channel and those with declared goods or excess currency proceed through the red channel.
9. What you will need. Passport details, Travel details, Contact details, Details of travel companion, Entity details for business travel

What must actually be declared?

You do not need to declare ordinary personal effects for your own use. You must declare goods and currency that exceed your allowances or that require Customs attention. The key thresholds per traveller are:

Item	Position
Goods up to R5,000	May be brought in without paying duty or VAT.
Goods of R5,000 to R25,000	A further R20,000 in goods may be allowed but duty and VAT may apply.
Goods above R25,000	Normal Customs duties and VAT apply.
Cash and similar instruments above R100,000	Must be declared through SATMS. These declarations are shared with the Financial Intelligence Centre.

The duty-free allowance is valid once per person in a 30-day period and does not apply if you return after being away for less than 48 hours.

Practical points worth knowing

• You will not be turned away at the border. SARS has confirmed that travellers will not be denied entry or departure solely because they did not complete the declaration beforehand. Officers and self-service terminals can assist at the port. That said, submitting in advance is the expected process and will save you time in the queue.
• Paper forms are a fallback only. A paper declaration may be used only where there is a SARS systems failure, no internet connectivity or another reasonable ground. The old TC-01 and TRD1 forms have been replaced by the new TD-01 and TGD1 forms.
• Registering goods before you leave. If you are travelling with valuables such as laptops, cameras or jewellery, you may register these with Customs before departure so that you are not questioned about them on your return.
• Commercial goods. Travellers carrying commercial goods that do not qualify under the informal trader provisions must clear those goods on a SAD 500 Customs declaration.
• Foreign registered vehicles. Since 1 June 2026 foreign registered vehicles used by travellers must also be declared on the Traveller Management System.

 

What this means for you

If you or your family are travelling internationally, build the declaration into your pre-travel checklist alongside your passport and boarding pass. Frequent business travellers, clients working offshore on rotation and clients relocating to or from South Africa should take particular note of the 24-hour submission window and the R100,000 currency threshold.

Once you have completed the South African Traveller Declaration, a confirmation of your declaration will be emailed to you. It will contain instructions of what you need to do once you are at the relevant port of entry, be it a land, sea- or airport.