I had this email from my Namibian outfitter this morning. This would be worth checking out:



Dear Johnny

The following traveling requirement is applicable in the event your travels take you to South-Africa, even only in-transit:

Upon arriving to South-Africa, each passport is required to have two BLANC PAGES NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER in order to enter South-Africa. Two blanc pages back to back is not accepted in South Africa. If you do not adhere to this travel requirement, you will be send back to you country of origin without delay.

Let us know where and how we could be of any assistance during the planning process of your upcoming and scheduled safari.

Hit reply on this email, I’m standing by to help you!

I thought it used to be four blank pages. I actually saw a guy stopped from boarding in Atlanta once because of not enough pages. I don't know when you're leaving but you can have pages added to your passport. I think it took a couple of weeks to get it back last time we did it.

The two page requirement has been on the books for quite a while.

It would help if they stamped pages in consecutive order to get back to back pages...

I tell my guys 6 blank pages and then there is no problem even on a multi country trip.

Mark

Until recently you could order extra pages on renewal but they recently stopped. MsAZW just got in under the wire on this.

When you get a new passport these days, ask for the additional pages up front. Just got my new one, and it is like a small paper back book! No more having it gone for a couple weeks for adding pages!

The South African requirements state 2 blank visa pages. Do not stipulate where regarding "back to back or not" that I could find. Funny thing is that in multiple trips I have yet to have them stamp entry and exit on 2 different blank pages. Not really sure why this is a rule when they stamp pages that are already used but I suspect it has more to do with visa required countries vice countries like the U.S.or U.K. If you need a physical visa then it makes sense they want a clean page. They just don't differentiate. If you are close but comply then download the rules and carry them with you. As has been said about other issues involving travel having the written proof may make a difference if you are called on it.

Don

Just checked my passport, no issues on the Visa pages.

I have found Immigration officials are a strange breed. Some are really picky on where they stamp the exit visa in relation to the entry visa, and others seem to stamp them willy-nilly, skipping several blank pages to make a stamp on an unused page, deep within the passport. I guess that is how they get their jollies.

BH63