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International shipping solutions for your cargo, timeline and destination.
Customs clearing
Navigate South African import and export requirements with experienced clearing agents.
Road & distribution
Domestic collections, door-to-door delivery, warehousing and distribution coordinated by VIA.
Good to know
What information is needed for a freight quote?
Include collection and delivery locations, cargo description, weight, dimensions and preferred dates. The freight provider will confirm requirements and pricing.
Can I book or pay through this website?
Yes — search live flight fares and send a reservation request, or send a freight or holiday enquiry. Our team confirms every booking, quote and payment with you directly.
Declaring goods you carry
Since 1 July 2026, SARS requires travellers entering or leaving South Africa to declare online before travelling. The paper TD-01 and TGD1 below are the official backup for when online declaration isn't possible. Prepare them here, then print, sign and hand them to SARS Customs at the port. VIA does not submit declarations to SARS for you.
The online form runs entirely in your browser. Your passport numbers, dates of birth, addresses, goods and currency details are never sent to VIA, saved in our records or emailed to us. The filled PDF is created on your device and saved only where you choose. Closing the form clears your answers. If you share a computer, delete the downloaded file once you've printed it.
Traveller Goods Declaration
For travellers carrying goods to declare: imports, exports, temporary imports or exports, vehicles and trailers, samples, repairs, re-imports and currency or bearer instruments (BNI).
Have ready
- Tariff code and description of each item
- Quantity, serial numbers and Rand value
- Vehicle registration, VIN and make/model (if applicable)
- Currency amount, source of funds and reason for carrying
- Company details if carrying currency for an organisation
How to complete and submit
- The TGD1 goes with a paper TD-01 when you have goods to declare. It is also used only when you cannot declare online through the SARS Traveller Declaration system.
- Fill in the sections that apply to your goods, vehicle or currency. Leave the assessment number, duties, VAT, provisional payment and Officer Declaration blank. The Customs officer completes those.
- Print it, then sign the Traveller Declaration over the two lines of X's and enter the date. Use "Declaration on behalf of another person" if you completed it for someone else.
- Present the form with your TD-01, the goods, proof of value and any permits at the Customs traveller processing area. The officer records the outcome and calculates any duty or VAT on imports.
- Commercial traders are referred to the formal goods clearance process. VIA's clearing team can arrange this for you through a freight enquiry.
Traveller Declaration
For every traveller entering or leaving South Africa. Covers travel details, South African address, companions, reason for travel and a goods and currency declaration.
Have ready
- Passport or travel document
- Flight, vessel, vehicle or train number
- South African physical address
- Companion passport details
- Description and value of goods or currency to declare
How to complete and submit
- Since 1 July 2026, SARS requires most travellers to declare online before travelling, using the SARS Traveller Declaration portal, the SATMS app or the SARS MobiApp. Use this paper TD-01 only if the online system is down, there is no internet at the port, or you otherwise cannot declare online.
- Complete the form in English, in capital letters. Each traveller signs their own form. A parent or guardian completes and signs the form for a minor.
- Print it, tick the declaration, then sign over the two lines of X's and enter the date. SARS asks for the form to be completed in black or blue pen. If you're not sure a printed form is acceptable, ask the Customs officer at the port.
- Hand the form in at the Customs traveller processing area at your port of entry or exit. Keep your passport, travel documents and any permits ready for inspection.
- If you declare goods, you also complete a TGD1 at the port. At airports with red and green channels, travellers with goods to declare, or who are unsure, use the red channel.
Duty-free allowances (per person)
- Wine – 2 litres; other alcoholic beverages – 1 litre
- Cigarettes – 200; cigars – 20; tobacco – 250 g
- Perfume up to 50 ml and eau de toilette up to 250 ml
- New or used goods up to R5 000 (R25 000 arriving from Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia or Eswatini)
Allowances apply once per 30 days after 48 hours abroad. No alcohol or tobacco allowance under 18; crew have no consumable allowance.
Prohibited and restricted
Prohibited: narcotics, automatic or military weapons, explosives and fireworks, poisons, counterfeit or pirated goods, prison-made goods.
Permit required: firearms, animals and plants, medicine, herbal products, unprocessed minerals, and currency over the declaration limit. The printed form says R25 000, while SARS's current guide says R100 000, so check SARS's excess currency policy before you travel.
Failing to declare goods or under-declaring value can lead to seizure, penalties and prosecution. Customs enquiries: 0800 00 7277.
Official SARS sources
- Customs Online Traveller Declaration
- FAQs: required online traveller declarations from 1 July 2026
- Guide to Traveller Declaration (TD-01)
- Arrival in South Africa: red and green channels, prohibited and restricted goods
- SC-PA-01-11 Traveller Processing policy (PDF)
Checked against SARS guidance on 13 October 2026. SARS rules can change, so follow SARS's current guidance if it differs from this page.