South Africa Intra-company Transfer Work Visa Checklist
The Intra-company Transfer Work Visa lets a multinational transfer an existing employee from an overseas branch to a South African branch, subsidiary or affiliate. It is for a temporary secondment, valid for no more than 4 years and non-renewable. Based on the official guidance (dha.gov.za), September 2026.
Who it is for
- A multinational transferring an existing employee from an overseas branch to a South African branch, subsidiary or affiliated company.
- Senior management, key personnel or technical transfer staff.
- Temporary secondment only. No proof of recruiting South African citizens or permanent residents is required.
Duration
- Valid for no more than 4 years.
- Cannot be renewed or extended.
Core documents
- Completed and signed application form.
- Original passport plus a copy certified by an authority in the issuing country; valid for at least 30 days beyond the intended departure date.
- Apply in person at least 60 days before the current visa expires (within 7 working days if the current visa has less than 30 days).
- Medical report not older than 6 months.
- Police clearance from countries where you lived more than 12 months in the past 5 years, issued within 6 months.
- Yellow fever vaccination certificate where applicable.
Secondment documents
- An employment contract with the overseas company valid for at least 6 months.
- A letter from the overseas company confirming the transfer.
- A letter from the South African branch confirming the transfer, stating the occupation and post.
- The employer's undertaking to use the visa only for the issued post, and to notify the Director-General if the Act is breached.
- A skills transfer plan for South African citizens or permanent residents.
- The employer's undertaking to cover repatriation costs.
- Proof of payment of the applicable fee.
Family documents (where applicable)
- Marriage certificate, or official recognition of a foreign marriage, or proof of a life partnership.
- Spousal affidavit, proof of cohabitation and shared finances, customary marriage proof, divorce decree, custody court order, deceased spouse's death certificate, both parents' consent or sole-guardianship proof, adoption certificate, or legal separation order.
Not published
The specific application fee amount and the format or timing of the skills transfer plan are not published here, so neither is asserted here. The official page repeats the police clearance and yellow fever items; check each item against the official text.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the Intra-company Transfer Work Visa for?
A multinational company transferring an existing employee from an overseas branch to a South African branch, subsidiary or affiliated company — for senior management, key personnel or technical transfer. It is for temporary secondment only.
How long is it valid?
It is valid for no more than 4 years and cannot be renewed or extended.
Do I need to prove no local skills are available?
No. This visa does not require proof that efforts were made to recruit South African citizens or permanent residents.
Where do I apply?
Through a VFS centre nationwide or the nearest South African mission.
What is the skills transfer plan?
The employer must have a skills transfer plan for South African citizens or permanent residents.
What is not published?
The page does not give a specific application fee amount or the format and timing of the skills transfer plan, so neither is asserted here.
Related: the Ireland short-stay visa documents checklist (as a general structure reference), document translation and copies, and the checklists hub.
Source: Department of Home Affairs, South Africa (dha.gov.za), "Types of visas" — retrieved 2026-09-29. Requirements change, so confirm the current position on the official page before you apply.