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OR Tambo International Airport (JNB): arrival & transit guide

What to expect landing at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa: the arrival flow, transit rules, and onward transport.

OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa's main gateway, is built as two terminals, A and B, inside one large complex; international arrivals generally use Terminal A while Terminal B mostly serves domestic flights, so check which one your booking lists rather than assuming.

From the arrivals hall on the ground floor, passport control comes first. Many nationalities, including the UK, US, Australia, Canada, and most of the EU, enter South Africa without a visa for an ordinary short stay, while others, including India, China, Nigeria, and Pakistan, need one arranged in advance; which group your own passport falls into is worth confirming against the requirement above before you fly. Baggage claim follows immigration.

Since a change in December 2015, most transiting passengers no longer need a separate transit visa to change planes here, though everyone connecting internationally still passes through an immigration checkpoint and a second security screening rather than staying fully airside, and receives a transit-specific stamp rather than formally entering the country. Biometric capture is part of that process for transit passengers as well as ordinary arrivals.

Outside arrivals, the Gautrain rail link, taxis, and pre-arranged transfers all connect the airport to central Johannesburg and Pretoria.

All passports for South Africa