Long-Term Study Visa Verified 2026-06-09South Africa Study Visa (Long Term)
Long-term study visa for Indian students enrolled at a South African school or higher-education institution. Applied on Form BI-1738; processing is a minimum of 90 days. Apply via VFS Global India.
No visa is ever guaranteed — the final decision always rests with the South Africa visa authority. We make sure your file is presented at its strongest.
Processing
Minimum 90 days
Stay Duration
Duration of the course
Starting Fee
₹2,342
Apply At
9 VFS centres
Your whole South Africa Student Visa,
handled for one honest price.
A strong South Africa file clearly explains your travel purpose, funds, and ties to India. We structure and submit everything properly — so your case is presented clearly and professionally.
All-in · 18% GST included · no hidden charges
File-ready in 3–5 working days after documents
5★ · 100+ reviews · reply in 5 min
Everything below — included, nothing extra
- Document checklist
- Application form guidance
- Document review
- Cover letter
- Purpose of travel structure
- Financial proof review
- Sponsor document guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Post-submission guidance
Not sure you qualify? Start with a refundable ₹499 possibility report — an honest Yes / Maybe / No, credited to this fee.
Price is for our consultancy service only and includes 18% GST. No agency can guarantee a visa — the final decision rests with the visa authority.
Your fee, in one glance
What the ₹24,999–₹34,999 fee covers for a South Africa file
- We work out what your case actually is, before touching a form
- We build the checklist around your profile, not a template
- We read your documents against each other, not against a list
- Financial proof review
- Purpose of travel structuring
- Cover letter / explanation support
- Return ties review
- Sponsor / invitation guidance
- Application form guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Biometrics guidance
- Post-submission support
Government, VFS, insurance, ticket and hotel costs are separate and charged at cost. Read what each item means, in full.
Good to know before you apply
Rules that apply to every South Africa visa type — worth a quick read so nothing trips up your file.
- 1The study visa uses Form BI-1738 (DHA-1738) — NOT the visitor Form 11 (DHA-84).
- 2Processing takes a minimum of 90 days — apply well before the course start date.
- 3Medical cover with a registered South African medical scheme must be renewed annually for the full study period.
- 4A Police Clearance Certificate is required for every country where an applicant aged 18+ resided for 12 months or longer since turning 18.
- 5Higher-education study visas are issued for the course duration up to 4 years; school visas up to 8 years (primary) / 5 years (secondary).
Who Can Apply
- Indian students with provisional acceptance or acceptance at a South African school or higher-education/training institution
- Students who can show sufficient funds (about ₹13,650 per month of living means) and full tuition payment
- Applicants with valid medical cover (registered SA medical scheme) for the study period
- Minors under 18 with a designated guardian in South Africa and consent from both parents
Not eligible under this visa:
- Short courses or study trips of 3 months or less — apply under the short-term visitor (study purpose) category instead
- Applicants without provisional acceptance / acceptance from a recognised SA institution
- Anyone primarily intending to work rather than study (work requires a separate work visa, which SureshotVisa does not process)
What it costs
Government & VFS fees
Paid directly to South Africa / VFS — these are not our service fee, and we never mark them up.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| South Africa Study Visa fee | ₹2,342 |
| VFS Global logistic fee — New Delhi / Mumbai | ₹2,040 |
| VFS Global logistic fee — other centres | ₹2,301 |
| Convenience fee (multiple payment modes) | ₹160 |
The study visa carries a visa fee of ₹2,342 per applicant (unlike the gratis visitor visa), plus the VFS logistic charge (₹2,040 at Delhi/Mumbai, ₹2,301 elsewhere) and a ₹160 convenience fee for multiple payment modes. Optional services (SMS ₹55, courier ₹885, premium lounge ₹2,000) are extra. All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. The INR visa fee is set at the current exchange rate and can change without notice — confirm live amounts on the VFS Global South Africa India page before applying.
Flights · Hotels · Insurance · Itinerary
What South Africa actually requires — and what it does not.
South Africa assesses purpose, funds and your reason to return — this paperwork exists to make those three answerable.
0 of 4 are compulsory for South Africa
Flight reservation
A return reservation covering your stated dates. A real held PNR is enough; paying for a ticket before a decision puts money at risk.
Where people slip: Dates that do not match the application form.
How to hold a flight without payingHotel booking
Accommodation for the stay, or a host's invitation carrying their address and status.
Where people slip: Nights with nothing shown against them.
Refundable hotel booking, explainedTravel insurance
Check the specific requirement for South Africa before buying — it varies, and being sold cover you do not need is common.
Where people slip: A policy that does not cover the full length of the stay.
What the cover must actually sayTravel itinerary
A short plan tying the trip to a real reason and a return date.
Where people slip: A plan longer than your approved leave.
The letter your itinerary attaches toWe arrange all four for your South Africa file.
We are a B2B travel agency as well as a visa consultancy, working with partners including Riya Travel — so the flight, the hotel and the policy all come from us, issued the same day, and you deal with one team instead of four. Every booking is a real one under your own name.
What to gather
Documents required
Having a document isn't the same as presenting it right — that's the part we handle.
Core Documents
5 items- Form BI-1738 (DHA-1738) — completed in full and signedRequired
In BLACK ink, signed by the applicant. For minors (below 18), a parent signs.
- Valid passportRequired
Valid at least 30 days beyond intended departure, with at least 2 unused/blank visa pages.
- Passport-size colour photographs (35×45mm)Required
One photo for North & East India; two for South & West India. 35mm × 45mm (3.5cm × 4.5cm), colour, white background, no border, face 70–80% of frame, looking directly at the camera, ≤1 month old. No headgear (except on religious grounds with face fully visible), no hat/cap, no staple marks. Scanned/photocopied photos are NOT accepted.
- Copies of passport bio-data pages (photo + address/parents page)Required
Indian passports.
- Original covering letter signed by the applicantRequired
Stating the purpose of visit and the applicant's home address and contact details.
Admission & Institution
4 items- Official letter confirming provisional acceptance or acceptance and the course durationRequired
From the learning institution where you intend to study.
- Undertaking by the Registrar/Principal of the institutionRequired
To provide proof of registration within 60 days, notify Home Affairs of failure to register within 7 days, of de-registration within 30 days, and of completion/extension of study.
- Proof of total tuition fees paid to the institutionRequired
- Educational qualification certificates (notarised)Required
Financial Means & Medical
4 items- Proof of sufficient financial means — bank-certified statements for the last 3 monthsRequired
To the value of about ₹13,650 per month (South & West India). If a sponsor bears costs, a notarised sponsorship letter + the sponsor's bank statement (SA statements certified by SA bank and SA police; Indian statements with bank stamp and signature).
- Proof of medical cover with a registered SA medical scheme, renewed annually for the study periodRequired
Plus an undertaking by parents/guardian (for minors) to maintain cover for the full study period.
- Medical report on prescribed form BI-811Required
Issued by a registered medical practitioner on letterhead, not older than 6 months at submission.
- Proof of insurance for the entire study duration or proof it is renewableRequired
Police Clearance, Civil Status & Minors
4 items- Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) for applicants 18 and olderRequired
From each country where you resided 12 months or longer since turning 18 (Indian PCC from the Regional Passport Office).
- Marriage certificate / proof of spousal relationship, where applicable
- Divorce decree, court order on parental rights, or death certificate of a parent — where applicable
- For learners under 18: unabridged birth certificate + consent from both parents + guardian details in SA
Proof of physical address and contact of the SA-resident guardian, with a confirmatory letter from that guardian; consent from both parents or the parent/guardian holding a court order.
Required · optional / if applicable
The journey.
5 steps from intake to approval. Curved spine on the right shows the natural pace — never as linear as government sites pretend.
- 01
Secure admission
Obtain a provisional acceptance or acceptance letter from a recognised South African learning institution, confirming the course duration.
- 02
Arrange funds, medical cover & PCC
Pay tuition, arrange annually-renewable SA medical-scheme cover, complete the BI-811 medical report, and obtain your Police Clearance Certificate (if 18+).
- 03
Complete Form BI-1738
Fill the study-visa form in BLACK ink and sign it. For minors, a parent signs and the guardian/consent documents are prepared.
- 04
Book a VFS appointment
Book at your jurisdiction's VFS Global South Africa VAC at visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/zaf.
- 05
Submit at VFS
Submit the file and pay the ₹2,342 study-visa fee + VFS logistic fee + ₹160 convenience fee. Processing is a minimum of 90 days.
What works
5 levers that flip a borderline case.
- Start early — study-visa processing takes a minimum of 90 days, far longer than the visitor visa.
- Pay tuition in full and keep the institution's acceptance letter + Registrar's undertaking ready — both are mandatory.
- Arrange SA-registered medical-scheme cover that renews annually; generic travel insurance alone is not sufficient.
- Get your Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from the Regional Passport Office well in advance — it is required for applicants 18 and older.
What kills cases
Top 3 refusal triggers we see.
- 1No provisional acceptance/acceptance letter or missing Registrar's undertaking
- 2Insufficient proof of funds (below the ~₹13,650/month benchmark) or unpaid tuition
- 3Missing or expired BI-811 medical report (older than 6 months), or no registered SA medical-scheme cover
Download official forms
Each link opens the official South Africa page on VFS Global (we never host third-party forms): pick your visa category there and use its "Download Form" section for the current version.
Form BI-1738 (DHA-1738) — Application for a Study Visa / Temporary Residence Visa
Completed in full in BLACK ink and signed by the applicant (a parent signs for minors). Download the current form and the study-visa checklist from the VFS Global South Africa India page.
VFS Global South Africa (India) appointment booking
Book the document-submission appointment at your jurisdiction's VFS South Africa VAC. In some cases a personal appearance at the South African High Commission, New Delhi or the Consulate General, Mumbai may be required.
VFS application centres
Quiz not yet available for this visa type
We're actively building per-visa quizzes. For now, the best way to assess your eligibility for South Africa Study Visa (Long Term) is a 1-on-1 consultation with our team.
Frequently asked
Questions, answered straight
The study visa is applied for on Form BI-1738 (DHA-1738), not the visitor Form 11. Unlike the gratis visitor visa, it carries a visa fee of ₹2,342 per applicant, plus the VFS logistic charge (₹2,040 at Delhi/Mumbai, ₹2,301 elsewhere) and a ₹160 convenience fee.
A minimum of 90 days from the date of submission at the VFS centre — significantly longer than the visitor visa. It can take longer at the discretion of the High Commission/Consulate, so apply well ahead of your course start date.
You must show bank-certified statements for the last 3 months demonstrating sufficient means — about ₹13,650 per month of living costs (South & West India guidance) — in addition to proof that your full tuition has been paid to the institution.
Yes. You need a medical report on the prescribed BI-811 form (issued by a registered practitioner, not older than 6 months) and proof of SA medical-scheme cover renewed annually. Applicants aged 18 and older also need a Police Clearance Certificate from every country they lived in for 12 months or more since turning 18.
Reviewed by Paramjit Singh, SureshotVisa — a government-licensed consultancy (Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024). Verify us.
How we get it done
Your South Africa South Africa Study Visa, from your first message to your passport back.
5 questions about this visa specifically. The first two are open — tap any other to read it.
Refused? Our full service fee comes back.Government and visa-centre fees are the one part nobody can refund.
+What does South Africa want to see about my funds as a student?
That the money for tuition and living costs exists, is available to you, and came from somewhere explainable. Depending on the country that is a blocked account, a fixed deposit, a sanctioned education loan or a sponsor's income — and the sponsor's relationship to you has to be documented. The most common failure is not a small amount, it is an unexplained one: a large transfer landing shortly before the application, with no trail behind it, reads worse than a smaller balance with history.
+Do I still have to prove I will come back?
Yes, on most study routes — and it surprises people, because the whole point is a multi-year stay. The officer is asking whether the study plan is genuine and whether you intend to comply with the visa, not whether you will never emigrate lawfully later. What answers it is coherence: the course matching your academic history, the cost matching your funding, and a plan that makes sense for someone who intends to finish it.
+How long does a South Africa South Africa Study Visa take, start to finish?
Three things sit between today and your trip: preparing the file properly, waiting for an appointment, and the mission's own processing. South Africa currently states Minimum 90 days from the day of submission at the VFS centre. Indicative only — the High Commission/Consulate may take longer. Apply well ahead of the course start date. for the decision itself. We control the first, which is usually days. The middle depends on slot releases. The third is entirely the mission's and no consultant can shorten it — anyone telling you otherwise is selling something they cannot deliver. Tell us your travel date and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic.
+How much of what I pay for the South Africa visa is actually your fee?
Most of it is not ours. The South Africa government fee (currently ₹2,342) goes to the mission and the visa-centre fee goes to VFS — both charged to you at cost, never marked up, and shown as separate lines on one GST invoice in the registered company name. Our service fee is the only part we set, and it is published rather than quoted case by case.
+How does SureshotVisa handle my South Africa South Africa Study Visa, from first message to passport back?
You send what you have on WhatsApp and a licensed consultant says the same working day whether the case is ready. We build the file around your profile, check every document against the others, write the cover letter to match them, and hold the file complete so the first workable appointment can be taken the moment it appears. You attend biometrics; we track the file to the decision (South Africa currently states Minimum 90 days from the day of submission at the VFS centre. Indicative only — the High Commission/Consulate may take longer. Apply well ahead of the course start date.). Government and visa-centre fees (₹2,342 for this visa) are charged at cost; our own fee is published, and if the visa is refused that fee comes back in full.
Before you file
A South Africa South Africa Study Visa goes one of two ways.
Filed on a guessed checklist, the government fee is gone on a refusal and the refusal follows every future application. Filed after a licensed consultant has read the papers against each other, the file answers the officer's questions before they are asked. Same South Africa rules, different outcome. How we do that is written once, in full, on the method page rather than repeated here.
Other South Africa Visa Types
South Africa Tourist Visa (Visitor's Visa — Holiday / Family Visit / Sports)
Visitor's visa for Indian citizens travelling to South Africa for tourism, holidays, visiting family or friends, and sports events — typically up to 90 days. Visa fee is GRATIS for Indians; you pay only the VFS logistic charge. Apply via VFS Global India.
View guideSouth Africa Business Visa (Visitor's Visa — Business Meeting / Conference)
Visitor's visa for Indian professionals visiting South Africa for business meetings, conferences and trade fairs. Visa fee is GRATIS for Indians; you pay only the VFS logistic charge. Apply via VFS Global India.
View guideSouth Africa Work Visa / Permit (Information Only)
Information only — South Africa work visas (General Work, Critical Skills, Intra-Company Transfer, Corporate) are long-term work categories. SureshotVisa guides you through this route and, once you hold your own job offer or employer sponsorship, prepares and files the visa application — we are not a recruiting agent, so the offer must be yours.
View guideSource & Disclaimer
Data on this page is sourced from the official VFS Global South Africa website and Embassy of South Africa. Last verified 2026-06-09. Always verify with the official embassy before applying — fees and requirements change without notice.
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