---
title: "New Customs declarations: what you need to know before you travel"
description: "Travellers entering or leaving South Africa now have another piece of pre-travel admin to add to their passport, boarding pass and ‘did I pack my charger?’ checklists."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "BORDER ADMIN"
author: "Neesa Moodley"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/neesa-moodley/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-07-03-new-customs-declarations-what-you-need-to-know-before-you-travel/"
published: "2026-07-03T16:12:14"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 363
---

# New Customs declarations: what you need to know before you travel

> Travellers entering or leaving South Africa now have another piece of pre-travel admin to add to their passport, boarding pass and ‘did I pack my charger?’ checklists.

By Neesa Moodley · Published 3 July 2026, 18:12 SAST

## Key points
- New travel requirements for South Africa mandate online declarations for all entering or leaving the country starting 1 July 2026.
- This initiative, part of the South African Traveller Management System, aims to enhance border monitoring and data-sharing to streamline customs processes.
- Travellers can submit declarations via an online portal, mobile app or QR codes, but failure to do so won’t bar entry or departure.
- It’s advised to complete declarations prior to travel to avoid delays, especially during busy travel times.

## Content

From 1 July 2026, all travellers moving through South Africa’s air, land, sea and rail ports of entry are required to submit an online traveller declaration before they travel.

The declaration forms part of the South African Traveller Management System, known as SATMS. It is being rolled out as a whole-of-government system aimed at improving the monitoring of cross-border movement, strengthening data-sharing between state agencies and supporting risk management at ports of entry.

In plain English, the state wants better information, earlier, about who is moving across South Africa’s borders and what they are carrying.

For travellers, the system is meant to make it easier to meet the legal obligation to declare goods in their possession. This includes currency, as well as other goods that must be declared to customs.

Declarations can be submitted through the South African Revenue Services’s (SARS) Customs Online Traveller Declaration Portal, the SATMS mobile application or by using Scan-to-Declare QR codes.

SARS has urged travellers to familiarise themselves with the new requirements and complete their declarations ahead of time. You can watch the SARS video guide:

[YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9I5KBIo_Fs)

SARS says the system is intended to make the customs process more convenient, more accessible and less dependent on paper forms. It also says the digital declaration process is aimed at encouraging voluntary compliance and improving the overall border experience.

However, travellers who do not complete the online declaration before reaching a port of entry will not be refused entry into or departure from South Africa for that reason alone.

That is an important point for anyone who only discovers the new requirement while standing in a queue with a suitcase, a grumpy child and 12% phone battery.

![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/h3UMLildFQSy6JR0wxlOiYqu68g=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2994/WhatsAppImage2026-07-02at220955_151042.jpeg)

SARS Customs officials will be available at ports of entry to assist travellers who were unable to submit their declarations before travelling. Self-service declaration terminals will also be available.

But the practical advice is simple: do it before you travel.

You can find the online SARS declaration form [here](https://tools.sars.gov.za/sarsonlinequery/traveller).

Completing the declaration in advance should reduce the risk of delays, confusion or extra admin at the border, particularly during peak travel periods when queues can already test the limits of human patience. **DM**