The Presidency has clarified a misunderstanding from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s opening remarks at the South Africa-Nigeria Bi-National Commission on Tuesday about changes to the visa application process for Nigerian nationals.

The confusion stemmed from Ramaphosa’s comments at the eleventh session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission held in Cape Town, that Nigerian tourists did not have to submit their passports when applying for a visa.

At the commission, Ramaphosa stressed the South African government’s commitment to facilitating business and leisure visits, thereby promoting increased investment and tourism between the two nations.

In a statement on Thursday, the Presidency clarified that prospective travellers could apply for their visas without submitting their passports along with their applications – at the time of application.

Prospective travellers are only required to submit certified copies of the biopage of their passports, and their actual passports should also be availed during the application process for verification and confirmation.

Once a visa has been approved, they are required to submit their passports for the process to be completed and for the visa to be affixed in the passport, it added.

The Presidency further pointed out that these changes had improved the customer experience while ensuring the security and integrity of the overall visa application process.

In a statement, the Presidency pointed out that South African missions in Nigeria had improved the efficiency and convenience of applying for a visa, as part of the work underway to modernise and streamline visa application processes worldwide.

“This is part of the visa reforms initiated by the South African government to enable economic activities and boost tourism while protecting our national security. The modernisation of the visa application process does not compromise the integrity of the visa system,” said the Presidency.