Oshoek – The Eswatini Revenue Service has warned Emaswati travelling to South Africa to comply with a new compulsory declaration requirement for personal goods, including motor vehicles, which comes into effect on 1 June 2026.
The ERS said on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, that the South African Revenue Service has announced the enforcement of the declaration of personal goods by travellers entering or leaving South Africa at all points of entry, whether by road, train, ship or air.
The requirement is aligned with South African Customs legislation, which requires all goods, including motor vehicles, to be declared when crossing the South African border. 
To make the process easier, SARS has developed an online platform called the Traveller Management System, through which all declarations must be submitted. The ERS is encouraging Emaswati to complete the online SARS Traveller Declaration before they travel.
“Completing the declaration in advance will help reduce delays at the entry points and facilitate smoother movement when travellers enter or leave the Republic,” ERS said.
Once a declaration has been submitted, travellers must report to the point of entry within 24 hours. SARS will then send a notification to the traveller showing their passport number, which will serve as the reference number for authentication.
Motor vehicles used for travel must be declared upon entry into South Africa as a temporary importation and subsequently declared as a re-export when leaving the country.
Travellers will be required to provide their passport details, travel details, contact information, companion details where applicable, business details for business trips, and information on any goods, cash or bearer negotiable instruments of an amount equivalent to or above E25 000.
The declaration can be completed through the SARS Traveller Declaration webpage at https://www.sars.gov.za/travellerdeclaration/ and support will also be available at SARS counters at points of entry. Travellers may also download the South African Traveller Management System app to register and lodge their declarations.
The ERS reminded Emaswati to prepare before travelling by completing the declaration online and ensuring that all travel documents are in order.
