We would like to give you some guidance on visas and other related information when you consider studying at one of our schools.
We would like to give you some guidance on visas and other related information when you consider studying at one of our schools.
Please note that all information on this website is for guidance only and you should always refer to the Department of Home Affairs website (1) or the nearest South African mission for the most up-to-date information. While we try to keep this information accurate, LAL Language Centres South Africa (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for any information on this website that is out-of-date, and we will not accept any responsibility for a student who travels without the correct visa.
LAL Language Centres South Africa (Pty) Ltd is made up of LAL Cape Town and is currently undergoing the provisional registration process with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) of South Africa.
An extensive list of visa exempt countries can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website at http://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/exempt-countries.
Students from all other countries will need to obtain a visa prior to arrival.
There are currently 2 main types of visas which can be obtained to study at our language school, as summarised below:
This is the standard visa issued to visa exempt nationals at the South African port of entry and for holidaymakers in South Africa. It is possible to study at LAL with this visa as long as the visa is valid and is available for both adults and young learners. Visitors from non-visa exempt countries will need to apply for this visa at the nearest South African embassy/consulate/mission in their home country and may apply for a visitor visa for either holiday or study purposes.
This visa can be extended for an additional 90 days at the local VFS visa facilitation centre in the Cape Town city centre.
The following documents need to be presented to apply for a Visitor Visa extension:
A visa extension application needs to be completed online at a cost of approximately EUR110.00. LAL will assist with the visa extension process.
Please adhere to the following visa extension application guidelines:
While the Visitor Visa may be extended once in South Africa, neither the condition/status of the visa nor the type of visa may be changed in the country.
A visitor visa is recommended for any student intending on staying in South Africa for a period of 180 days or less.
For students who intend on staying in South Africa for more than 180 days, it is necessary to apply for a study visa at the nearest South African embassy/consulate/mission.
The following documents are required to apply for a study visa:
A minor is defined as a person under the age of 18. The following requirements are valid for minors travelling in and out of South Africa from 1st June 2015.
For non-visa exempt travellers, these document requirements are applicable for the visa application process and should be shown at the relevant South African embassy/mission/consulate when applying for a visa as well as at the South African port of entry. For visa-exempt travellers, these documents will only need to be shown at the South African port of entry, usually the airport.
The following explanation relates to visa-exempt travelling minors. For non-visa exempt travelling minors, please consider that the documents will need to be presented at the relevant South African embassy/consulate/mission during the visa application process and at the South African port of entry.
The following documents are required for travelling minors to enter South Africa:
Please note that all South African embassies/consulates/missions will assist with providing certified travel authorisation affidavits free of charge and will further assist with the document requirements for travelling minors. It is strongly recommended to contact your local SA embassy for guidance on this matter.
Also note that any documents relating to travelling minors which are not in English need to be accompanied by a sworn translation with the exception of the birth certificate.
For more information regarding document requirements for travelling minors, please contact LAL directly.
Should you want to take a holiday in South Africa and study English, then a Visitor Visa for Holiday Purposes should be applied for but proof of holiday activities will need to be produced.
For students only intending to study English, a Visitor Visa for Study Purposes should be applied for unless you intend to study for more than 180 days or if you intend studying at a South African tertiary institute directly after your English course, in which case a study visa must be applied for.
A valid IELTS or TOEFL qualification is required for entrance to most South African universities. LAL provides preparation courses for both exams.
It will only be possible to attend university directly after your English course if you currently have a study visa. Should you be learning English while on a visitor visa, you will need to fly to your home country and apply for your study visa from your home country.
If you are still unsure as to what kind of visa you should apply for, please email our reservations team ([email protected]) and they can advise you. You can also check the Department of Home Affairs website for up-to-date information (1).
We will need to see a copy of your passport in order to process your booking with us. This can be a scanned copy sent via email. This enables us to supply you with an accurate letter to apply for your visa.
We will be able to send you a visa letter to support your application.
According to LAL’s terms and conditions, where a visa application has been refused and the student provides LAL with the document from the embassy stating the refusal, all fees will be refunded except for any courier or application fees.
All refusals are notified to the student in writing by the visa issuing office in your country so it is important that you obtain this and supply it to LAL.
If you wish to develop your English language skills, you should attend all lessons.
There is no legal requirement to attend the course, though it must be re-iterated here that LAL has an attendance policy for ALL students, and failure to attend the course to a certain level will lead to being asked to leave the course. Please see our terms and conditions for more information.
Processing times vary from country to country. We therefore advise that you apply for your visa as soon as possible.
You will need to contact your nearest South African embassy/consulate/mission to apply for your visa. You will then be advised on the procedure to follow.
It is important that you have enough money to support yourself in South Africa while you are studying as you will not be able to undertake any work. You will need to show that you have access to funds of approximately ZAR8000.00 per month for living costs, as well as whatever course fees you will need to pay.
You will need to provide bank statements that show this money is in your account or the cash amount for the full period of stay.
It is advised to get it translated and notarised as a true and proper translation.
Yes.
I’d like to take this time to say something about the time I spent in Cape Town, especially the accommodation. Even if my host family is away from here by walking, Ms Bev Lucraft and her mother are friendly and they did everything they could to look after me. I recommend to the LAL to choose that host family to the others students because it is a good stay.
Teachers are good at English and they gave me all English I’m looking for and other facilities to succeed. I’ll recommend other students to take part in LAL.
It could be in Portuguese, but I preferred to challenge myself and write my testimonial in English. I had Intensive English and it was four lovely weeks in LAL School. It was really good for me to interact with teachers and other schoolmates. My host mother, Bev and her mom were the best people that I met in Cape Town. I really felt at home. I will miss our conversation. Bev was a really mother for me . I have to say thanks for that.
I want to improve my English that’s why I’ve been staying for one month at LAL. It was a good experience because I met people from different countries, new friends and I can practice English everyday.
Cape Town is a lovely place, I really enjoy it. The teachers in LAL teach well and they are so cool. The staff in the school is also sociable. Concerning my accommodation, I like it, my room is clean and has enough space even I shared it.
I have been here for almost six months and it was the best experience of my life, because I’ve met a lot of people and from different countries. They are very friendly and lovely, not just the students but the staff and teachers as well.
Thank you for all. I really improved my English and I met a lot of amazing people. The room was perfect!