The Minister of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) recently issued Ministerial Immigration Directive No 11 of 2026, extending the temporary immigration concessions available to passengers and airline crew members whose travel has been disrupted by the ongoing conflict and airspace closures across the Middle East and Gulf region.
The concession, which was originally introduced under Immigration Directive No 6 of 2026, will now remain in effect until 30 November 2026 or until a formal declaration that travel in the affected region has resumed, whichever occurs first.
Background
The original concession was implemented in March 2026 to assist foreign nationals who were unable to depart from South Africa due to widespread flight cancellations and airspace closures affecting several countries in the Middle East and Gulf region, including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Oman.
As the security situation and travel disruptions continue, the DHA has recognised that affected travellers remain unable to comply with normal immigration requirements through no fault of their own.
What concessions continue to apply?
The extension preserves the concessions introduced under Directive No 6 of 2026. Accordingly, affected passengers and airline crew members who were lawfully admitted into South Africa and whose travel has been disrupted by the affected airspace closures may continue to benefit from the following measures:
- long-term visa holders whose visas expire during the concession period may apply for a visitor's visa in terms of section 11(1)(a) of the Immigration Act on or before expiry, provided they meet the prescribed requirements, with no change of status or conditions permitted;
- visitor's visa holders who have reached the maximum validity period may apply for a further visitor's visa in terms of section 11(1)(a) of the Immigration Act for a period not exceeding three months, notwithstanding the normal legislative restriction on renewals, with no change of status or conditions permitted;
- temporary residence visa holders whose visas have expired may submit renewal applications without first obtaining a Form 20 (authorisation for an illegal foreigner to remain in South Africa pending adjudication);
- individuals from countries mentioned above with pending applications who are unable to depart from South Africa due to the travel disruptions should not be declared undesirable solely due to an overstay arising from these exceptional circumstances; and
- foreign nationals from countries mentioned above who have already been declared undesirable after 26 February 2026 because they were unable to depart due to the airspace closures may submit an appeal to the DHA via email (middleeast.overstay@dha.gov.za), supported by reasonable evidence demonstrating that the overstay resulted from the ongoing travel restrictions.
Extended validity
The only substantive amendment introduced by Immigration Directive No 11 of 2026 is the extension of the concession period.
The concession, previously due to lapse on 31 May 2026, has been extended until 30 November 2026 or until the declaration of a ceasefire that enables the full reopening of travel in the affected region, whichever occurs first.
Practical considerations
Foreign nationals should be mindful that the extended concession period will come to an end in approximately six weeks; whether a further extension of the concession period will be granted is unknown at this stage. Those depending on the concession should retain documentary evidence demonstrating that they have been affected by the ongoing flight disruptions, including airline notifications, cancelled flight itineraries and correspondence with airlines where applicable.
Importantly, the concession remains limited to passengers and airline crew members who:
- were lawfully admitted into South Africa through a port of entry; and
- are directly affected by the specified airspace closures.
Individuals who do not fall within the scope of the Directive remain subject to the ordinary provisions of the Immigration Act and Regulations.
The extension provides certainty for foreign nationals who continue to experience travel disruptions arising from the ongoing instability in the Middle East and Gulf region. While the concession offers important temporary relief, affected individuals should continue monitoring developments and seek immigration advice where necessary to ensure ongoing compliance with South African immigration laws once normal travel resumes.
