SA’s fully digital visa system will go live in September, enabling visitors to apply online and store their QR-coded visas on their mobile phones, reports News24.

All applications will be done online and involve scanning a passport and other necessary documents, a declaration, uploading a selfie, and making a payment.

An AI engine will verify the authenticity of the applicant’s passport using dozens of different parameters based on their country’s passport.

The AI tool also has the capability to check domestic and international security databases and will match the face on the selfie to the biometrics on the passport to verify the applicant’s identity.

Successful applicants will get their visa on the spot as a digital document with a secure QR code that can be stored in a smartphone wallet.

When the traveller arrives at an airport, they will look into a camera to verify that they match the selfie and the passport biometrics provided at the time of application.

Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber says the electronic travel authorisation will revolutionise the security and efficiency of SA’s immigration system.

‘No more fraud, no more queues, just a seamless, secure, tech-driven and world-class experience where an application can be submitted without travelling anywhere or waiting months for a paper outcome that can be manipulated,’ he says.

Full News24 report