We know how easy it is to fall in love with our amazing country, not to mention the citizens of South Africa. We are all beautiful, nice and lovable. A combination that foreigners can’t resist.

So it happens often that you meet a South African while traveling our country or when we visit your country or meeting each other in a totally foreign place for both of us. Love at first site is debatable but theres a connection. You now realise you can’t spend two minutes apart and you decide to move to South Africa to continue this blooming relationship.

Theres two things that can happen when you meet on holiday. You are either responsible and continue the relationship as it is or do the irresponsible thing and get married instantly. If you decide to continue the relationship with marriage in the future, you apply for a life partner visa. This requires you and you partner to sign an affidavit that you are in a personal relationship. You also have to have other sufficient proof like friends and family confirming in a letter that you guys are indeed in a relationship. Other proof can be a child as well. With a life partner visa same sex couples can also apply for temporary residency.

If you decided upon the irresponsible option you can directly apply for a spousal visa. You will then have the correct documentation to proof your relationship so affidavits won’t be necessary. After being married for five years you can apply for permanent residency, regardless how long you have had your spousal visa.

These two visas have one thing in common and that is that both fall under the law of temporary residency. The same basic documentation is needed only difference is if you’re married by law or not.

Stay tuned for more #SAVisa101 lessons.