One way flights

[Karment]

I live in Perth but was born in South Africa. Unfortunately I need to travel back to South Africa as my dad is dying but we are unsure as to how long he has. I don’t want to book a return flight as I need to stay with him until he has passed- does anyone know if this will be an issue when I leave Perth or arrive in South Africa? Although I was born in South Africa I no longer have a valid SA passport, only an Australian!

 

[avstand]

You won’t have a problem. Check smarttraveller etc but the last time I arrived in SA with no onward plan (I wanted to cross overland into Zim but hadn’t workes out the logistics) it was no issue - they will just give you the max visa term.

I’m sorry about your dad. Godspeed. And at least this is one less thing to worry about.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I live in Perth but was born in South Africa. Unfortunately I need to travel back to South Africa as my dad is dying but we are unsure as to how long he has. I don’t want to book a return flight as I need to stay with him until he has passed- does anyone know if this will be an issue when I leave Perth or arrive in South Africa? Although I was born in South Africa I no longer have a valid SA passport, only an Australian!

Here is the extract from TIMATIC, the international data base which is used by check-in staff to determine if they will allow you to board:

Visa Requirements​

Passengers must have a valid visa issued by South Africa.

Exemptions for Nationals​

Nationals of Australia do not need a visa for a maximum of 90 days. They can apply to extend their stay for an additional 90 days upon arrival. They must apply at least 60 days before their visa exempt period.

Visa Information​

Passengers with a visa issued by the Department of Home Affairs Head Office in South Africa must have proof that they were in South Africa at the time of issuance. Visa labels starting with control numbers B0028 and B0029 are fraudulent and will not be accepted.

Visas in an expired passport are accepted if the passenger has a new passport.

Return/Onward Ticket Information​

Visitors without a return/onward ticket could be refused entry. They must prove that they have sufficient funds to purchase a return ticket or to depart using another mode of transport.
- This does not apply to passengers with a visa valid for longer than 12 months and without an endorsement on the visa to have a return ticket.

Dual Nationals Information​

Nationals of South Africa with dual nationality must enter and depart South Africa using their South African passport.

Malaria Information​

Risk areas: in the low altitude areas of Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga Province, including the Kruger National Park, and north-eastern Kwazulu Natal.
Risk months: whole year. Risk is highest from October to May.
Due to: P. falciparum.
Recommended prevention: atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine chemoprophylaxis.

You ‘may’ be refused entry into South Africa is the key…

Once you get to South Africa you could show that you have sufficient funds etc to purchase an onward ticket, and may be allowed in. But check-in staff elsewhere in the world may not want to take that risk. If you get refused entry they will be liable for fines and have to bring you back.

I would say it’s safer to have some sort of onward ticket… maybe even somewhere close by? or a one year ticket, or an award ticket back to australia that you can easily cancel?

Then once in SA you can apply for an extension of the 90 days.

It ‘may’ be ok, as per avstand’s post, but then again, if the check-in agent is following TIMATIC, you could also easily be refused boarding.

 

[Haplo]

All of the US airline have no award cancellation fee, so you could book any flight out of SA and then cancel later for free.

 

[offshore171]

You could book a flex fare, with the return date set to say +3 months as a placeholder. Then if you need to come back earlier or later, just ring up and adjust the return date as required.

 

[Mwenenzi]

I live in Perth but was born in South Africa. Unfortunately I need to travel back to South Africa as my dad is dying but we are unsure as to how long he has. I don’t want to book a return flight as I need to stay with him until he has passed- does anyone know if this will be an issue when I leave Perth or arrive in South Africa? Although I was born in South Africa I no longer have a valid SA passport, only an Australian!

Are you still a RSA citizen? Albeit without a valid passport.

You could book a flex fare, with the return date set to say +3 months as a placeholder. Then if you need to come back earlier or later, just ring up and adjust the return date as required.

Indeed. Maybe cheaper than 2 one cash ways. Sometimes a one way is close to the same price as a return. But adding flexibility to change return flight date will come at a cost.
What airline/airline are you considering? Cash ~ award? A trip where a competent real travel agent would be of assistance.

AU govt does not care that you have no ticket to return.

All the best with this sad part of life.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Are you still a RSA citizen? Albeit without a valid passport.

Indeed. Maybe cheaper than 2 one cash ways. Sometimes a one way is close to the same price as a return. But adding flexibility to change return flight date will come at a cost.
What airline/airline are you considering? Cash ~ award? A trip where a competent real travel agent would be of assistance.

AU govt does not care that you have no ticket to return.

All the best with this sad part of life.

AU government doesn’t care, but check-in might!

 

[Mwenenzi]

AU government doesn’t care, but check-in might!

On the many one way trans Tasman AU-->NZ flights I have done no one cared. But then again NZ is in the AU federal constitution.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

On the many one way trans Tasman AU-->NZ flights I have done no one cared. But then again NZ is in the AU federal constitution.

But does TIMATIC specifically state that pax without an onward/return ticket might be refused entry?

I think Aussies can stay for an unlimited time in NZ? Free from immigration control.

Aussies can only stay 90 days (extendable) in asthma Africa.

 

[downgraded]

I had a similar issue a few years ago. Booked a normal cheap QF return fare to the UK based on an assumption on dates. When I had to extend my stay by a couple of weeks I rang QF and explained the situation. They cancelled my return flight/seat reservation (not the return ticket I guess) and said call back when you you're ready to return and they'd sort it out. Paid about an $80 fare difference after a 2 week extension but got on the flight I wanted 2 days after I'd called them back. YMMV.

Edit: (for clarity) when I "suspended" my return leg I didn't give a return date as I didn't know how long I was going to stay for, so the booking just sat there until I called back. This was the solution QF offered, I rang with no expectation as to how they would handle the situation.

Interestingly my FF year expired whilst I was away, but my non-renewing WP status stuck with me until after I returned.

 

[SYD]

I had a similar issue a few years ago. Booked a normal cheap QF return fare to the UK based on an assumption on dates. When I had to extend my stay by a couple of weeks I rang QF and explained the situation. They cancelled my return flight/seat reservation (not the return ticket I guess) and said call back when you you're ready to return and they'd sort it out. Paid about an $80 fare difference after a 2 week extension but got on the flight I wanted 2 days after I'd called them back. YMMV.

You can probably change the return flight online with applicable change fees / fare difference.

But going via QF and their “compassionate fare” process might be better. They provide flight discounts (10%?) - not sure about change fees.

Help and Support | Qantas

help.qantas.com

 

[Seat0B]

Sorry about your circumstances @Karment. Not a great way to start posting on AFf

I worry the you may have some issues about not having a South African passport.

Some South African friends of friends of mine are Australian citizens. They have let their SA passports expire but of course their Aussie passports showed place of birth as South Africa. My friend said her friends were refused boarding on QF in February this year and shown the requirement referenced above (like the Uk now has too) that they could only enter on their SA passport. Apparently they argued hard as they were go8ng for a family 90th birthday, said they’d been to SA many times on Aussie passport before etc etc. QF check in said it is a SA govt initiative being enforced and that they have been told to check anyone with a SA place of birth before allowing boarding.

My new DIL is also a multi citizenship person including SA and she has been allowed to board (she lives in Dubai) for SA using her preferred passport on EK but last visit (Nov 25) she was detained and interviewed/grilled and formally cautioned on arrival in SA before being admitted with an annotation in her preferred passport that it could not be used to enter SA in the future. It gave her a fright and so she used part of her visit to apply for her renewal of expired SA passport.

I’m very sorry for your situation, and border/passport stress is the very last thing you need right now, but it’s quite possible you will be stressed either way - for time if you have to renew the SA passport before you leave to see your Dad and risk of being denied boarding /immigration hassles if you go on the Aussie one. I’m not a lawyer, but I don’t think they can refuse you entry to SA if you are a citizen even if you don’t have a passport, so you might want to take the risk they won’t stop you at boarding in PER and you can sort your paperwork later on when you have more head space.

If you do renew your SA passport, you will not have to worry about the onward ticket - as a citizen, you can stay as long as you want. Other posters have shared some good ideas about how to meet requirements if admitted as an Aussie tourist. But whichever passport you use to enter SA, that’s the one you need to use to leave again later on or else the system will be very confused - a that’s never a good thing.

And finally, I hope you get there soon and spend some valuable family time with your Dad.