What is a Passport?
A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person’s identity for international travel.
A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal identity and nationality of its holder.
Where Can I Apply For A Passport In South Africa?
A passport is a document issued by a national government for international travel and it certifies the identity and nationality of the holder.
Applicants should note that In terms of section 26(B) of the South African Citizenship Act, 1995, it is a punishable offense for a South African citizen of 18 years and older to leave or enter South Africa on a foreign passport.
South African passports and travel documents are issued under the South African Passports and Travel Documents Act, 1994, and the related Regulations.
Permanent South African passports and travel documents (machine-readable documents) are printed only in Pretoria, South Africa, from where they are dispatched to the offices of application. Applications made within South African borders can be submitted to any office of the Department of Home Affairs; applications made outside of the country can be submitted to your nearest South Africa embassy or mission.
It is important to know that when you apply for a passport, whether in South Africa or overseas, you must apply in person because:
- The passport officer must be satisfied that your identity is legal and valid
- The passport officer must check that your photograph is a true image of yourself; and
- Your fingerprints must be taken (for people who are aged 16 years or older) and checked against the National Population Register
You must also note that:
- All documents required for passport applications should be completed in black ink
- Husband, wife, and children must all complete separate application forms. Both parents and the children concerned must be present when applying for passports for children. See exceptions under Tourist Passports: persons under 16
- Passports are issued in accordance with your names as they appear in the National Population Register (NPR) at the time of your application. Any changes to your names must be applied for, finalized, and recorded in the NPR before you submit your passport application
You must have a South African identity number when you apply for a passport. In the event that you do not have a South African identity number, you must apply for the registration of your birth and for a South African identity document, as the case may be, first.
If you do not have a valid regular passport and you need to travel urgently, you can apply for an emergency travel document/certificate subject to the requirements below. Remember that some countries do not accept emergency travel documents/certificates. You must check this with the relevant authorities of the country you intend to visit before applying for emergency passport/travel certificates.
Except for official and diplomatic passports, fees are applicable for all types of passport/travel document applications. Applications to replace lost, stolen, or damaged passports will be double the regular fee if the incident was as a result of the passport/travel document owner’s negligence.
A regular tourist passport contains 32 pages, but frequent travelers can opt to get a maxi tourist passport with 48 pages.
Tourist passports: persons 16 years and older and maxi tourist passports are only issued to SA citizens 16 years or older. These passports are valid for 10 years.
Tourist passports: persons under 16 years are issued to SA citizens aged 15 years or younger. These passports are valid for 5 years.
Passports cannot be renewed. Once the validity period of a passport expires you will have to submit a new application for a passport.
Passports must be valid for at least 30 days after the intended date of departure. Passports should also have at least two blank pages for entry stamps. The blank pages cannot include the “endorsement” page at the back of the book. If you need a visa, you must ensure that your passport has two blank-facing pages – one for the visa and one for an entry stamp.
South African passports include the following information:
- A photo of the passport holder
- Type of passport
- Issuing country
- Passport number
- Given names and surname of the passport holder
- Nationality of the passport holder
- Gender of passport holder
- Birth date
- Birth place
- Issue date
- Expiry date
- Issuing authority
Applying for tourist passports: Persons 16 years and older
These passports are issued to SA citizens who are 16 years and older.
The passports are valid for 10 years from the date of issue, and are not renewable. When your South African passport expires you have to complete a new application to get a new passport.
To apply for the passport, you must submit the following documents:
- A duly completed passport application Form DHA-73
- Your original identity document and a copy, or a birth certificate and copy thereof if under 16
- If under 18 years, parental consent for issuing of the passport. Please see Tourist passports: persons under 16 for the requirements
- A completed determination of citizenship Form DHA-529 when applying from abroad
- Present any existing valid tourist passport or if you have lost your passport or it has been stolen and you are applying for a new passport, you must provide a loss of passport report (DHA-335 ) and confirmation that you reported the loss to the police
- Two color photographs that comply with the Passport and ID Photograph Specifications (NOT needed at smartcard offices as ID images are captured digitally)
- Pay the prescribed fee for the passport
Applying for Maxi Tourist Passports
Maxi tourist passports are 48-page documents meant for frequent travelers. They are the same as regular tourist passports except that they contain more pages for visas.
They are issued only to SA citizens aged 16 years or older. The documents are valid for 10 years and are not renewable. Once the validity period of a passport expires you will have to submit a new application for a passport.
To apply for a Maxi tourist passport you must submit the following documents:
- A duly completed passport application Form DHA-73
- Your original identity document and a copy, or a birth certificate and copy thereof if under 16
- If under 18 years, the prescribed consent by parents must be furnished. Please see Tourist passports: persons under 16 for the requirements
- A completed determination of citizenship Form DHA-529 when applying from abroad
- Present any existing valid tourist passport or if you have lost your passport or it has been stolen and you are applying for a new passport, you must provide a loss of passport report (DHA-335 ) and confirmation that you reported the loss to the police
- Two colour photographs that comply with the Passport and ID Photograph Specifications (NOT needed at smartcard offices as ID images are captured digitally)
- Pay prescribed fees
Applying for Tourist Passports: Persons under 16 years
These passports are issued to SA citizens who are 15 years or younger. The passports are valid for 5 years and are not renewable. Once the validity period of a passport expires you will have to submit a new application for a passport.
To apply for the passport you must submit the following documents:
- A duly completed passport application Form DHA-73
- If the parents are married, the passport application form must be signed by both parents and the child and both parents should be in attendance when the application is submitted.
- Please note that the child and both parents should be in attendance when the application is submitted to the nearest Home Affairs office or SA Mission/Consulate. If a parent cannot be in attendance, a letter of consent and a copy of ID will no longer be accepted.
- If divorced and sole parental rights and responsibilities in regard to guardianship have not been granted to one parent, the child and both parents should be in attendance when the application is submitted and both must sign the application form.
- If a parent is deceased, his or her death certificate and a copy thereof must accompany the application for the passport
- In the case of minors born out of wedlock, the biological father’s consent will also be required if any of the circumstances as outlined in section 21 of the Children’s Act, 1995, are applicable, the child and both parents should be in attendance when the application is submitted.
- If the applicant is in the care of a guardian other than the parents, proof of the High Court’s appointment must accompany the application.
- If a parent cannot be located or refuses to consent, or a dispute concerning consent arises, the matter should be referred to the Children’s Court. The Court’s decision must be submitted with the application for the passport.
- The child’s South African birth certificate and a copy thereof
- Two colour passport photographs that comply with the Passport and ID Photograph Specifications (NOT needed at smartcard offices as ID images are captured digitally)
- Payment of the prescribed passport fee
How many days does it take to get a South African passport?
Depending on the type of application you are making, the length of time it takes to apply for a South African passport can vary. For first-time adult applicants, the process usually takes around 3-4 weeks.