19 May 2026 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) will, from 1 June 2026, require all foreign-registered vehicles to be declared on the SARS Traveller Management System (TMS) prior to them entering or leaving South Africa.
SARS Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu said that this measure aligns South Africa with established international Customs practice and forms part of SARS’ ongoing programme to modernise customs operations at ports of entry, strengthen compliance and protect the integrity of the country’s ports of entry. He further indicated that it delivers clear benefits which include “enabling better risk‑based screening, strengthening coordination with other authorities and improving the overall traveller experience. It also supports South Africa’s financial transparency obligations and enhances national security by ensuring goods, currency and vehicles are properly declared and assessed before entry or exit.”
Where foreign vehicles are temporarily imported, temporary import permits with a validity period of six months may be issued, and such permits may be used for multiple crossings during that period without the need to reapply at each entry. Frequent cross-border travel for work, study, business, medical care or other lawful reasons does not affect the validity of the permit, provided it remains in force and is renewed before it expires. The process is designed to make compliance straightforward while improving oversight, consistency and fairness at the border. Information on Customs temporary importation requirements is available at https://www.sars.gov.za/customs-and-excise/.
While SARS’s expectation is that travellers will declare their foreign-registered vehicles on the Traveller Management System (TMS) before they arrive at the border to take advantage of the simplified and expedited processing on offer, Dr Makhubu reiterates that SARS will continue to support travellers who are unable to complete the declaration online and will deploy dedicated officials at ports of entry to guide travellers through the process. He further noted that while online declarations improve processing times, it does not replace physical border controls, and all travellers are still required to present themselves to Customs for verification, processing, and inspection (where required).
The Commissioner emphasised that “Compliance is not optional; vehicle owners who do not declare foreign registered vehicles or who provide false or incomplete information expose themselves to enforcement consequences and prolonged processing at the border. I also wish to reaffirm that where vehicle owners comply with all the legal requirements, the process will be seamless, however where compliance is low, this may lead to delays in border crossings”.
SARS encourages foreign vehicle owners and cross-border operators to make use of official SARS sources for accurate guidance and to understand the new declaration procedures before the 1 June 2026 implementation date.
Further information is available at https://www.sars.gov.za/travellerdeclaration/ and https://www.sars.gov.za/customs-and-excise/, or via the SARS MobiApp.
Media enquiries may be directed to [email protected].
