Abu Dhabi: South Africa has waived visa charges for World Cup fans who have valid tickets for the championship scheduled to kick off on Friday.
In an interview to Gulf News, Yacoob Omar, the South African ambassador to the UAE, said: "A normal visit visa which allows a traveller to stay in South Africa for three months costs Dh250, but this charge is waived for those who have tickets to the games. Each visa normally takes between two to four days to be processed."
Omar expects more applicants as the event progresses. He added that 360,000 foreign arrivals are expected in South Africa during the World Cup.
"So far, about 500 applications have been received and processed by the South African embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consular offices in Dubai," he said.
Omar also assured fans that their security will be accorded priority.
