All travellers entering or leaving South Africa will from 1 June 2026 be required to declare personal goods and motor vehicles used for travelling at all ports of entry following the enforcement of new customs regulations by the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
The development was announced by the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS), which said the declaration requirement will apply at all South African ports of entry, including road, rail, air, and sea borders.
According to the ERS Director of Communications and Marketing, Ntobeko Manana, the declaration requirement is aligned with South African Customs legislation, which requires all goods, including motor vehicles, to be declared when entering or leaving South Africa.
To make the declaration process easier and accessible, SARS has developed the Traveller Management System, which is an online platform through which declarations are to be submitted. The ERS therefore encourages Emaswati travelling to South Africa to complete the online SARS Traveller Declaration before travelling.
Manana encouraged emaSwati travelling to South Africa to complete the online declaration in advance in order to avoid unnecessary delays at border posts.
“Completing the declaration in advance will help reduce delays at the entry points and facilitate smoother movement when travellers enter or leave the Republic,” she said.
Under the new system, travellers will be required to submit their declarations online and report to the relevant point of entry within 24 hours. Once the declaration has been successfully submitted, SARS will send a notification to the traveller showing their passport number, which will be used as the reference number for authentication.
Motor vehicles used for purposes of travel must be declared upon entry into South Africa as a temporary importation and subsequently declared as a re-export upon exiting the Republic of South Africa.
Travellers will be required to provide information such as their passport details, travel details, contact information, companion details where applicable, business details for business trips, and information relating to the goods, cash and bearer negotiable instruments of an amount equivalent to or above E25 000.00.
The declaration can be completed through the SARS Traveller Declaration webpage available at https://www.sars.gov.za/travellerdeclaration/ with support also expected to be available at the point of entry (at SARS counters). Travellers may also download and use the “South African Traveller Management System (SATMS)” app to register and lodge their declarations.
ERS reminded travellers that this is a SARS requirement for entry into or exit from South Africa. Travellers are urged to prepare before travelling by completing the declaration online and ensuring that all travel documents are in order.