Reality Brief: Cape Town

Current alerts

• Mandatory online declaration

  Since 1 July 2026, all travellers must declare goods and currency online on entry and exit.

  Published on September 14, 2026 · France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, latest news and alerts

Alerts checked on October 2, 2026 against the sources cited.

Essentials before you arrive

• Passport: France

  French passport holders do not need a visa for tourist stays under 90 days; a 90-day permit is issued at the border. Check the date on the entry stamp: overstaying leads to a 1 to 5-year entry ban.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, entry and residenceGuide: Entry and residence

• Passport valid for at least 30 days after your planned departure, with 2 blank pages: otherwise, you will be refused entry.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, entry and residenceGOV.UK (FCDO), South Africa travel advice: entry requirementsGovernment of Canada, Travel advice: South AfricaGuide: Entry and residence

• Since 1 July 2026, all travellers entering or leaving must declare goods and currency online (the revenue service's SATMS app), preferably within 24 hours before departure. Amounts above 25,000 rand or 10,000 USD in foreign currency must be declared. Foreign-registered vehicles must also be declared.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, latest news and alertsGOV.UK (FCDO), South Africa travel advice: entry requirementsGovernment of Canada, Travel advice: South AfricaFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, useful informationGuide: Entry and residence

• All emergencies from a mobile: 112. Police 10111, ambulance 10177. Sea rescue in Cape Town +27 21 449 35 00, mountain rescue +27 21 948 99 00.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, useful contactsGOV.UK (FCDO), South Africa travel advice: getting helpGovernment of Canada, Travel advice: South AfricaGuide: Health

• Travellers have been followed and robbed from Johannesburg's OR Tambo airport: prefer a daytime flight, book your transfer or take the Gautrain, do not withdraw cash at the airport and watch for vehicles following you.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

• The whole country is under heightened vigilance. Do not go out alone after dark, withdraw cash in shopping centres, leave nothing visible in the car and do not blindly follow GPS, which can lead into townships.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

• The currency is the South African rand (ZAR). Exchange is easy at banks and bureaus, on presentation of your passport.

  Government of Canada, Travel advice: South AfricaGuide: Money and banking

Living in Cape Town

• In Cape Town, avoid walking near the station, Long Street alone at night, and take care in Woodstock, Observatory and Bo-Kaap. Hike in groups on Table Mountain and Lion's Head. Do not go to the Cape Flats (Khayelitsha, Langa, Nyanga, Gugulethu, Mitchells Plain) without someone who knows the area well. Do not swim at Diaz Beach (currents).

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

• The whole country is under heightened vigilance. Do not go out alone after dark, withdraw cash in shopping centres, leave nothing visible in the car and do not blindly follow GPS, which can lead into townships.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

• Power cuts (load shedding) can occur at any time, sometimes for long periods: they affect telecoms, alarms, ATMs, petrol stations and traffic lights. Water cuts are also possible.

  Government of Canada, Travel advice: South AfricaGuide: Daily life and local laws

Field experience

• Tip

  Pharmacies, clinics and hospitals

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): pharmacies (71), clinics (37), hospitals (24). Locate those near your home in the first days and check opening hours and on-call services locally.

• Tip

  Where to shop for food

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): markets (10), supermarkets (155). Compare a few basic prices between market and supermarket before settling into habits.

• Tip

  Banks, cash machines and exchange

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): banks (74), currency exchange (3). Withdraw and change money at these official places, preferably during the day, never in the street.

• Tip

  A shop for your SIM card

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): phone and internet (16). Go with your passport: SIM registration is often mandatory.

• Tip

  A furnished flat for the first weeks

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): furnished apartments (25). A furnished flat gives you time to visit several neighbourhoods before signing a lease.

• Tip

  A coworking space as a fallback

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): coworking (5). Useful for remote work when the connection or power fails at home.

• Tip

  Consulates in the city

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): consulates (9). Note the address of your country's consulate or the nearest embassy.

• Emergency numbers

  All emergencies from a mobile 112; police 10111; ambulance 10177.

  1121011110177

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, useful contactsGOV.UK (FCDO), South Africa travel advice: getting help· Oct 2, 2026

• National Sea Rescue Institute

  Sea rescue, Cape Town.

  +27 21 449 35 00

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, useful contacts· Oct 2, 2026

• Mountain Rescue

  Mountain rescue, Cape Town.

  +27 21 948 99 00

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, useful contacts· Oct 2, 2026

• Netcare Christiaan Barnard Hospital

  Hospital.

  181 Longmarket Street, 8000+27 21 480 61 11

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, useful contacts· Oct 2, 2026

• Mediclinic Cape Town - Gardens

  Hospital.

  21 Hof Street, Oranjezicht, 8001+27 21 464 55 00

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, useful contacts· Oct 2, 2026

• Victoria Hospital

  Hospital with an emergency unit for rape survivors.

  Alphen Hill Rd, Wynberg, 7800+27 21 799 1111+27 21 799 1235

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, useful contacts· Oct 2, 2026

• Life Kingsbury Hospital

  Hospital.

  Wilderness Road, Claremont, 7700+27 21 670 40 00

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, useful contacts· Oct 2, 2026

• Consulate General of France in Cap

  Passport: France

  French consulate general.

  78 Queen Victoria Street, Gardens, Cape Town 8001

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: South Africa, entry and residence· Oct 2, 2026