anabolism

I'm flying QR. Timatic says the test must be "at most 72 hours before departure from the first embarkation point". I have two domestic flights, then a 24 hour and 15 minute overnight stop before a flight into DOH, then a 33 hour stop before the flight into South Africa. All flights in the same PNR. Is the "first embarkation point" literally the first flight in the PNR? Or do stops (24 hours or more) reset it?

Also, just out of curiosity since I assume it doesn't apply, what does "extended machine readable passport" mean? (The Timatic text says "Visitors with an extended machine readable passport are not allowed to enter or transit South Africa.")

jsnydcsa

There's something about that here:
https://webcache.googleusercontent.c...=firefox-b-1-d
But, I think what that means is no "extended pages" sewn into the passport after the fact. The pages in your passport must be original pages not added in pages to extend the useful life of the passport. There also could be something about a machine readable passport with expiry date X not being valid if it is extended to a new expiry date by some "add in" to the passport.


That's a LOT of of long layovers. In theory, first flight on the PNR is the start time. But, for those long layovers (mention "stop") are you sitting in the airport or leaving and re-checking in after your "stop"? I could see a check in agent at those "stop" airports not understanding when your PNR "started" and giving you a hard time saying you need to test within 72 hrs of the flight your getting on to leave your "stop."

anabolism

That's what worried me, but I think it means a passport that's been extended to remain valid beyond it's stated expiration. Apparently, with so many government offices of various countries being closed so much due to COVID, a number of countries have blanket extended their passports. So I think this text just means that if anyone has a machine-readable passport that's past its expiration date but has been extended by decree, South Africa won't accept it.

My best guess now is that it all depends on where and when I get BPs. QR can often do check-in and provide BPs for flights up to 48 hours away (not including flights to the U.S.), while many airlines are limited to 24 hours in most cases. So, I think I need to assume that I won't be able to get a BP for CPT until I'm in DOH, so I need to ignore all the earlier flights and just count the DOH one as the first, even though it'll be the fourth.

hfly

It must mean that, as the last country to add pages to passports was the US, and the US stopped doing this at the end of 2015, meaning that there are less and less of these around every day.

tpsmith82

Not that SA travel blogs or the travel industry makes any rules, but is anyone hearing anything new about the possibility of getting rid of testing for inbound pax? Seems many parts of the world have been dropping this requirement in the last couple of weeks and wondering if SA is thinking the same possibly?

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.



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.

anabolism

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.

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.

hfly

Or especially as extra pages before being eliminated were actually NOT "sewn in" since the late 1950's.

jsnydcsa

Safe travels folks.

Jaydm101

Lots of talk in SA that pre entry tests could soon be scrapped for fully vaccinated passengers. Apparently the state of disaster covid regs could be abolished this week.

drwook

Sounds great news

HarryHolden68

i do hope so. The fear of catching Covid, however mild, in the weeks up to travel is most stressful. Having had 3 vaccines the likelihood of being ill is low.

catwood

i was in Durban and this mornings paper said it may end March 15.

A4K

I can't find any article online. Did they give any details?

tpsmith82

As far as I can tell no definitive decisions. Just found a bunch of articles about the TBCSA recommending to get rid of the testing. But sounds as if they have formed some new regs and are thinking of implementing them, but no details of those regs.

I'm hoping the 15th sticks as we are scheduled to travel on the 19th to Cape Town. Although being so close to a change in law makes me nervous thinking airlines might not be up to date as quick....

We shall see
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