Originally Posted by
jsnydcsa
That rule, language has been around since well B.C. (before Covid). I think since 2014. And, to be honest, I haven't heard - and you'd likely hear it in this thread - of anyone encountering a situation entering or departing SA during Covid restrictions based on passport/visa expiration due to closure of govt offices.
Regardless of why a passport may have been extended beyond its stated expiration (COVID or not), I think that's what the text refers to. It doesn't make sense that it would apply to a passport with extra pages sewn in, since until this year I had such a passport and never had any problem anywhere, even South Africa.
Originally Posted by
jsnydcsa
Again, as thoroughly discussed in this thread. It's the time of the first flight on the PNR that includes your flight into SA. You say your PNR that includes your flight into SA starts includes at least 2 days (~24 hrs + ~33 hours) of stops. Technically, true layovers shouldn't be a problem. And, why wouldn't you get all your BPs for your full long layover itinerary? In all of my flying over 20+ years, I cannot ever recall not getting all the BPs at the start of my journey on the PNR, even if I had long layovers. Granted some of those BPs may have become invalid and torn up b/c of delays, missed connections, rebookings, etc. If your layover is really a stop thus ending "part one" of your journey on your PNR and then you're restarting your journey after a "stop", one might experience problems or be required to test.
You've had much better experience with BPs than myself. Getting all BPs at the start has been the rare exception for me, going back many decades. Even simple trips such as LAX-LHR-ARN, I'm always unable able to get LHR-ARN BPs in LAX, due to it being more than 24 hours. I have some hope that QR might be an exception, as they can check-in and issue BPs 48 hours ahead (except for flights to US). I would love for "first flight" to mean literary the first flight in the record that takes me to South Africa, as that would allow me to do a much more convenient PCR test near home, rather than a more expensive test requiring Uber both ways at the first overnight. Regarding stops versus layovers, I know a connection is under 24 hours while a stop is 24 hours or longer, but I don't know if "layover" has a technical definition. In my case, I have two overnights, one just over 24 hours, the other 33 hours.