Foreign-registered vehicles will have to be declared on the South African Revenue Service’s Traveller Management System (TMS) before entering or leaving South Africa from 1 June 2026, under new customs requirements announced by the revenue service.
SARS said on 19 May that the measure aligns South Africa with established international customs practice and forms part of its broader programme to modernise customs operations at ports of entry, strengthen compliance, and protect border integrity.
According to SARS Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu, the system will support better risk-based screening, improve co-ordination with other authorities, and enhance the traveller experience.
He said the process would also support South Africa’s financial transparency obligations and strengthen national security by ensuring that goods, currency, and vehicles are properly declared and assessed before entering or leaving the country.
SARS said temporary import permits valid for six months may be issued for foreign vehicles temporarily brought into South Africa. The permits may be used for multiple border crossings during that period without requiring travellers to reapply at each entry point.
Frequent travel across the border for work, study, business, medical care, or other lawful purposes will not affect the validity of the permit, provided it remains in force and is renewed before expiry.
SARS said it expects travellers to complete declarations online before arriving at the border to benefit from simplified and faster processing. However, officials will be deployed at ports of entry to assist travellers who are unable to complete the declaration process electronically.
The revenue service said that online declarations will not replace physical border controls, and travellers will still have to present themselves to Customs for verification, processing, and inspection where necessary.
Makhubu warned that vehicle owners who fail to declare foreign-registered vehicles, or who provide false or incomplete information, could face enforcement action and prolonged delays at border posts.
He said compliant travellers should experience a seamless process but added that low levels of compliance could lead to delays in border crossings.
SARS urged foreign vehicle owners and cross-border operators to consult official SARS channels ahead of the implementation date to familiarise themselves with the new declaration procedures.
More information is available at www.sars.gov.za/travellerdeclaration and www.sars.gov.za/customs-and-excise.
