Border Control Operational Coordinating Committee

Border Control Operational Coordinating Committee

BCOCC

OR TAMBOINTERNATIONALAIRPORT

Enq: LM Labuschagne

Cell:079 506 8860

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS REQUIREMENTS

INDEXPage

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)

Department of Home Affairs (DHA) –

National Immigration Branch (NIB)

Department of Agriculture (DoA)

Department of Health (DoH) – Port Health

South African police Services (SAPS)

South African Revenue Services (SARS) – Customs
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)

GUIDELINES ON THE USAGE OF STATE PROTOCOL LOUNGES

MINISTER + 2
DEPUTY MINISTER + 1
Operational Hours: 06:00-22:00 and flights scheduled outside of these hours upon request
Reservation of the State Protocol Lounge (SPL) by fax on official reservation form obtainable from the SPL, by Note Verbale or in writing on official documentation from the requesting guest

ARRIVAL PROCEDURES

Flight arrival times are monitored on a flight monitor and verified telephonically through Flight Operations by the Protocol Officer assigned to each flight
VIP’s are met at the aircraft by a Protocol Officer and driven or conducted to the SPL
Accompanying greeting Embassy / Mission / International Organisation official to meet VIP at the aircraft limited to one (1)
Number of local Embassy / Mission / International Organisation officials allowed inside SPL limited to two (2)
Passports, tickets and luggage tags are handed to the Protocol Officer
Passports are taken to Immigration for processing by the Protocol Officer
Luggage is collected, identified and taken through Customs by the Protocol Officer
Passports are presented to Customs with the Customs Declaration Form together with the luggage and brought to the VIP in the SPL
In the event that luggage is lost, an official from the delegation / Embassy / Mission is conducted to the airline and has to complete all relevant documentation personally
VIP departs SPL

DEPARTURE PROCEDURES

VIP’s hand over passports, tickets and luggage to the Protocol Officer, if not already checked-in by a representative from their Embassy / Mission
Number of local Embassy / Mission officials inside the SPL is limited to two (2)
Excess luggage costs are covered entirely by the VIP
The Protocol Officer takes the passports and boarding passes to Immigration for processing
Boarding times are monitored on the flight monitor and verified telephonically through the airline boarding gates by the Protocol Officer
Boarding passes are taken to the allocated gates for pre-boarding
VIP’s are driven / conducted to their flights / aircraft by the Protocol Officer
Accompanying greeting Embassy / Mission / International Organisation official limited to one (1)
Airlines are not obliged to wait for VIP’s if they are late

Department of Home Affairs (DHA) – National Immigration Branch (NIB)

All visitors to South Africa must hold valid passports. All passports must be valid for at least 30 days beyond the expected date of departure from the Republic and must furthermore have at least one unused visa page when presented for endorsements.

PASSPORT HOLDERS WHO ARE EXEMPT FROM VISAS FOR SOUTH AFRICA

The citizen who is a holder of a national passport (diplomatic, official and ordinary) of the foreign countries / territories / international organisations listed below are not required to hold a visa when reporting to an immigration officer for an examination at a South African port of entry, subject to the terms and conditions set out in this list, including inter alia the intended period of stay in the Republic.

The holder of a national South African passport, travel document and document for travel purposes.

The citizen who is a holder of a national passport (diplomatic, official or ordinary) of the following countries / territories / international organisations is not required to hold a visa in respect of purposes for which a visitor’s permit may be issued or by virtue of being a person contemplated in section 31(3)(b) [diplomatic & official visit] for an intended stay of 90 days or less and when in transit:

African Union Laissez Passer

Andorra

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Botswana

Brazil

Canada

Chile

CzechRepublic

Denmark

Ecuador

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Iceland

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Liechtenstein

Luxemburg

Malta

Monaco

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Paraguay

Portugal

San Marino

Singapore

Spain

St Vincent & the Grenadines

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, BritishIslands Bailiwick of Guernsey and Jersey, Isle of Man and Virgin Islands.

Republic of Ireland

British Oversees Territories who are in possession of British passports namely: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St Helena and Dependencies (Ascension Island, Gough Island and Tristan da Cunha), Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and the Turks and Caicos Island.

Uruguay

Venezuela

United States of America

The citizen who is a holder of a national passport (diplomatic, official and ordinary) of the following countries / territories / international organisations is not required to hold a visa in respect of purposes for which a visitor’s permit may be issued or by virtue of being a person contemplated in section 31(3)(b) [diplomatic & official visit] for an intended stay of 30 days or less and when in transit:

Antigua and Barbuda

Barbados

Belize

Benin

Bolivia

Cape Verde

Costa Rica

Cyprus

Gabon

Guyana

Hong Kong[only with regard to holders of Hong Kong British National Overseas passports and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports]

Hungary

Jordan

Lesotho

Macau[only with regard to holders of Macau Special Administrative Region passports (MSAR)]

Malaysia

Malawi

Maldives

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Peru

Poland

Seychelles

SlovakRepublic

South Korea

Swaziland

Thailand

Turkey

Zambia

Zimbabwe[only in respect of government officials, including police on cross border investigations]

Agreements have also been concluded with the following countries for holders of diplomatic and official passport holders.

Citizens who are holders of diplomatic, official and service passports of the following countries do not require visas in respect of purposes for which a visitor’s permit may be issued or by virtue of being a person contemplated in section 31(3)(b) [diplomatic & official visit] for the period indicated and transit:

Albania(120 days) Madagascar (30 days)

Algeria(30 days) Morocco (30 days)

Angola(90 days) Mozambique (90 days)

Belarus(90 days) Paraguay (120 days)

Bulgaria(90 days) Poland (90 days)

Cyprus(90 days) Romania (90 days)

Comoros(90 days) Rwanda (30 days)

Croatia(90 days) Slovak (90 days)

Egypt(30 days) Slovenia (120 days)

Guinea(90 days) Tanzania (90 days)

Hungary (120 days)Thailand (90 days)

Ivory Coast(30 days) Tunisia (90 days)

Kenya(30 days) Vietnam (90 days)

Mexico(90 days)

Notwithstanding this Schedule, a foreigner whose visa exemption has been withdrawn shall comply with the visa requirements until notified by the Department that his or her visa exemption has been re-instated by the Department on petition or of its own accord.

Visas are not required by passport holders of Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Malawi who are entering the Republic as commercial heavy-duty vehicle drivers provide their visits do not exceed 15 days and on condition that they can produce a letter confirming their employment with a transport company on entry.

Staff members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) who travel on SADC laissez-passers are exempt from visa requirements for bona fide official business visits up to 90 days and transit.

8.The following categories of the UN as well as their spouses, dependent relatives and other members of the households are exempt from visa requirements when visiting the Republic for periods not exceeding 90 days for purposes for which a visitor’s permit may be issued, and for official business purposes and transits and when accredited for placement at a UN mission in the Republic for the duration of their accreditation, provided they are in possession of the relevant letters or identification documents to identify themselves at ports of entry as personnel of an UN agency.

Holders of United Nations Laissez-passers
Volunteers attached to the UN
Persons involved in any United Nations agency
Persons performing services on behalf of the UN

9.Members of military forces attending any military related matters with the South African National Defence Force are exempt from visa and study permit requirements; irrespective of their duration of stay provided they are in possession of letters of invitation from the SANDF as well as letters of consent from the military force of which they are members.

They are also permitted to enter the country without passports.

Department of Agriculture (DoA)

No regulated products are to enter South Africa without an import permit from the Department of Agriculture of South Africa. All imported products shall comply with the import conditions stated in the permit. Enhanced enforcement of regulatory services will ensure that regulated products without necessary documentation and inspection, are intercepted.

PLANTS AND PLANT PRODUCTS:

PRODUCTS REGULATED IN TERMS OF THE AGRICULTURAL PESTS ACT, 1983

PLANTS OR ANY LIVE OR DEAD PART THEREOF WHICH INTER ALIA INCLUDES:

Rooted plants
Propagation material (e.g. vegetative, seed, tissue cultures, etc)
Cut flowers
Dried plant material
Timber and unprocessed timber products
Bark
Vegetable fibres (e.g. cotton fibre)
Bamboo and rattan
Leaf tobacco
Any unprocessed part of a plant for consumption by humans or animals or for medicinal purposes or imported to prepare a product for human or animal consumption (e.g. fruits and vegetables whether fresh or dried, grains, herbs, spices, rice, nuts, beans, peas and other legume seeds, sugarcane, sprouts, coffee beans, etc)
Processed products of plant origin which by their nature or the nature of their processing may be a risk for the spread of pests (e.g. oil cake)

GROWTH MEDIUMS (E.G. SOIL, PEAT MOSS, COMPOST, ETC)

HONEY OR PRODUCTS CONTAINING HONEY

BEESWAX WHETHER GRANULATED OR NOT

USED APIARY EQUIPMENT

EXOTIC ANIMALS:Means any vertebrate member of the animal kingdom which is not indigenous to the Republic and include the eggs of such a member, but does not include an animal to which the Livestock Improvement Act applies (Example Rats)

INSECTS:Means any invertebrate member of the animal kingdom, irrespective of the stage of development thereof (Example Snails, Earthworm)

PLANT PATHOGENS:Means any algae fungus, bacterium, virus mycoplasm, spiroplasm, viroid or rickettsia-like organism, but does not include any pathogen that can cause a disease in man or animal only.

FRESH WATER FISH AND FRESH WATER CRUSTACEANS

ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS OR ANIMAL-DERIVED PRODUCTS

The animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No.35 of 1984) control the importation of the belowmentioned.

Where applicable, the Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act No40 of 2000), the animal Improvement Act, 1998 (Act No.62 1998) and Nature Conservation laws are enacted. The veterinary import permit and the health certificate stating all conditions of import should accompany importation of animals and animal products

Live animals

Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians

2Genetic material of animals

Semen
Embryos

Edible products of animals

Fresh meat, biltong, canned meat, stock powders, polony, ham
Fresh milk, milk powder, cheese, yogurt
Eggs, products containing eggs
Bone-meal, carcass meal
Kitchen refuse

Inedible products of animals

Hides, skins, wool, hair. feathers, hunting trophies, horns, hooves
Products intended for pharmaceutical use – glands, organs

Biological material

Pathology specimens – blood samples, biopsies, urine, any secretion or excretion of animals
Any virus, bacterium, protozoon, fungus, parasite or other organism, which can cause or transmit an animal disease.
Any vaccine, serum, toxin, antigen or other product which is either derived from animals or derived from organisms infectious to animals

Contaminated things

Anything that has been in contact with animals and which could transmit animal’s diseases.
Second-hand cloth or material used for wrapping of animal products.
Empty second hand wool packs
Any bedding which have been used for animals
Any cage, crate, halter, saddle, rope, instrument, etc which have been in contact with animals.
Any vehicle in which animals or animal product were transported.

AGRICULTURAL REGULATORY SERVICES AT INTERNATIONAL ARRIVAL

OPERATIONAL ACTION PLAN–SEDUPE K9 UNIT (DETECTOR DOGS) AT AIRPORTS

1.THE CHANNEL FROM THE TARMAC TO THE CAROUSELS

1.1Passengers arriving on existing scheduled flights will proceed per normal daily operational procedures via international arrival terminals

Agriculture Detector Dog unit will be at the carousels sniffing for Agricultural Products.

These dogs are trained to detect any illegal agricultural products that may be stashed away in passengers’ luggage as well as the hand luggage. When detecting agricultural products, the detector dog will indicate it by sitting down next to that specific bag.

The Detector Dog Handler will then interview the passenger and enquire if they do have any agricultural products to be declared. The Detector Dog Handler, will request the passenger to open the bag up.

If any products are found without the required import documentation, it will be detained and put into the DoA’s special bins, for destruction at a later stage.

Agricultural products found at the carousels with the required documentation and corresponds it with the import permit will be inspected and released.

All detained products are then recorded in a detention register.

A certificate of destruction can also be sent to the passenger on request to indicate that the product detained was indeed incinerated.

OPERATIONAL ACTION PLAN - AIRPORTS

AGRICULTURAL REGULATORY SERVICES AT INTERNATIONAL ARRIVAL

1.THE CHANNEL FROM THE TARMAC TO THE CUSTOMS SEARCH AREA

1.1Passengers arriving on existing scheduled flights will proceed per normal daily operational procedures via international arrival terminals

1.2Dog unit will be at the carousels sniffing for Agricultural Products

1.3Officials of NDA will be on duty at the carousels and at the Customs search area

1.4Dumping bins will be placed at the arrival halls properly marked and at Customs search areas

1.5A shift manager will be on duty to oversee problems arising from operations

1.6If the shift manager can not take a decision the problem must be reported to the port manager. All incidents must be reported to the JOC and the NATJOC

1.7Players, coaches and other officials associated with the team with properly marked luggage will not be search at the custom search area only at the carousels by the dogs of Agriculture to minimize the impact and smooth flow of these people

B.CUSTOMS SEARCH AREA

In case where passenger failed to declare any regulated agricultural products:

1.1The DoA official will request to search certain passengers and luggage for undeclared agricultural products in their possession – DoA will do the physical search of all luggage;

1.2Any undeclared agricultural products found will be inspected and assessed by the DoA official;

1.3If these products do not need an import permit it will be released to the importer provided that the products are free from insects andpathogens and therefore poses no risk to the Agricultural Industry;

1.4If the products do need an import permit it will be confiscated anddetained by the DoA for destruction; and.

1.5The DoA official will place the confiscated agricultural products in the dumping bin provided in the green line.

2.THE CHANNEL VIA THE RED LINE

If any passenger declares regulated agricultural products, without an import permit;

2.1 The passenger will either dump products in bins provided or will approach Customs or a DoA official with agricultural products that have to be declared;

2.2The DoA official will inspect and assess these declared products;

2.3If such products do not need an import permit it will be released to the importerprovided that the products are free from insects and pathogens and poses no threat to South African Agriculture; and

2.4.1If such products do need an import permit it will be confiscated and placed in a dumping bin for destruction, by the DoA.

3.THE CHANNEL VIA THE RED LINE

If any passenger declares regulated agricultural products, with an import permit;

3.1 The passenger will approach Customs or DoA officials and present relevant importdocuments;

3.2The DoA official will check documents and inspect the imported products;

3.3 If the documents and the products comply with the SA import conditions it will either be released or detained for quarantine according to the permit instructions;

3.4 If the document and the products do not comply with SA import conditions the products will be detained for quarantine until a PRA (Definition) is done and a final decision is taken;

3.5 If the goods are detained the DoA official will complete a detention form in triplicate;

3.6 The importer will receive the original, the first copy will be filed and the second copy will accompany the detained products to the laboratory;

3.7 Detained products will be stored in the Customs storage facility until collection or to be sent to the laboratory by the DoA;

3.8 The detained products must be collected or send on a daily basis to the laboratory in Pretoria for PRA; and

3.9 The PRA will determine whether the products will be released, quarantined or destructed.

AGRICULTURAL REGULATORY SERVICES IN THE STATE PROTOCOL LOUNGE

1.STATE PROTOCOL LOUNGE (SPL)

1.1 A dumping bin will be placed at the SPL to facilitate the dumping of agricultural products;

1.2Satellite Customs offices will be established in the SPL;

1.3 The Agricultural shift managers will request passengers to declare agricultural products and check DoA required documentation; and

1.4.1A DoA shift manager will be on duty to handle any problems arising from operations in the SPL

Department of Health (DoH) – Port Health

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR PASSENGERS ENTERING INTO SOUTH AFRICA - YELLOW FEVER

According to International Health Regulations, a valid Yellow Fever Certificate is required from all passengers over one year of age coming from an endemic area.