Immigration Regulations: Medical Report Requirement Waived
Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: The Department of Home Affairs has gazetted a directive granting temporary residence visa and permanent residence permit applicants a blanket waiver of medical report requirements under the immigration regulations.
In terms of the Immigration Act, No. 13 of 2002, and the regulations promulgated thereunder, the Department of Home Affairs has issued a directive that waives the requirement for applicants to submit medical reports. This blanket waiver applies to all applicants seeking either a temporary residence visa or a permanent residence permit.
The directive is retrospectively in force from 8 July 2026. This regulatory shift builds upon previous immigration reforms introduced in April 2023, during which the department waived the radiological report requirement for both temporary residence visa and permanent residence permit applications.
The combined effect of these reforms is the complete removal of both medical and radiological report submissions for standard residency applications, streamlining the administrative process for foreign nationals and employers alike.
What this means for you, your business, or your clients
- For yourself: No direct individual obligations; professional interest is limited to advisory and compliance roles.
- For your business: Update corporate global mobility, HR recruitment, and onboarding checklists to reflect that foreign candidates no longer need to obtain or submit medical and radiological reports for South African work visas.
- For your clients: Advise international clients and prospective foreign employees that they are exempt from these medical certification requirements, reducing the overall time, cost, and administrative burden of the visa application process.
Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/immigration-regulations-medical-report-requirement-waiver-gazetted