SA’s new mandatory traveller declaration

Effective, 1 July 2026, the South African Traveller Management System (SATMS) has become mandatory across all international airports, land borders, seaports, and the rail network. All travellers entering or leaving South Africa are now legally required to declare goods and currency in advance of travel, using the new system.

What is SATMS?

SATMS is a pre-arrival, digital declaration platform developed under the SARS Customs Modernisation SMART Border project, implemented in partnership with the Border Management Authority (BMA), the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). The system is designed to shift compliance processes away from physical border points, enabling travellers to fulfil their legal declaration obligations in advance, electronically.

It further incorporates an online payment capability that allows travellers to pay any applicable duties and VAT where required.

Key changes members should note:

Mandatory pre-arrival declaration: All travellers entering or departing South Africa are required to declare goods, including currency, in accordance with Section 15 of the Customs and Excise Act. Advance online declarations are now the prescribed method of compliance.

Revised cash declaration threshold: The cross-border cash declaration threshold has been increased from R25,000 to R100,000, in line with SARB regulations.

Amounts exceeding R100,000: Travellers carrying cash or bearer negotiable instruments in excess of R100,000 are required to obtain prior authorisation from the SARB and must comply with Section 30(1) of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) and Section 15 of the Customs and Excise Act.

The SATMS platform is accessible at no cost via: 

The SATMS mobile application (available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store)

The SARS website here. This comprehensive FAQ document provides further guidance.