South African passport renewal – Start planning now!

Please note: Apostil.co.za cannot assist with passport renewals, as applicants must apply in person.

The nationwide lockdowns imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have reaped havoc on almost all South African Government departments. One of the departments that experienced the most significant impacts was the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), the authority responsible for issuing South African passports.

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.

Applying for a renewal of a South African passport takes anywhere between two weeks and two months when applying within the republic. However, South Africans applying for the renewal of their passports from abroad can expect the process to take from 9 to 12 months. Regardless, the DHA still experiences severe backlogs in new passport applications and renewals. Not to mention the fact that passport services have not been rendered or completely open during Levels 5, 4 and 3 of lockdown.

South Africans that have plans to travel abroad (or return to SA from abroad) must ensure that their passports will still be valid for at least six months at the time of travel. Therefore, it is imperative to start planning your passport renewal as soon as possible since further lockdown restrictions might affect your documentation timeline.

Don’t get caught with a passport that only has six months validity remaining – plan way ahead!

 

How to apply for or renew your South African passport

 

South African passports are only printed at the DHA’s head office in Pretoria. From here, they are dispatched to the offices of application. A South African passport application can be submitted at any DHA office when applying from within the republic. Applications done outside of the country must be submitted at the nearest South African mission or embassy.

All passport applications, whether done in South Africa or from abroad, must be done in person because:

• The passport officer must validate your identity.
• Your passport photo must be validated.
• Your fingerprints must be taken and checked against the National Population Register.

Applying for a passport within South Africa

There are basically two methods of applying for passports within South Africa.

At a DHA Home Affairs office

The first option is to take your chances and visit your closest DHA office. It is essential to keep in mind that this is often the lengthiest option. Long queues and downtimes in the DHA system can cause frustrating and timely delays. It is possible to pay someone to stand in the queue from 05:30 until the doors open at (usually) 08:30.

It is essential to take your ID, current (expired or expiring) passport, a duly completed passport application form (DHA-73), and the fee along with you. Officials will capture your biometrics and signature and take photos when you submit your application. The passport will then be issued within a few weeks, after which it can be collected.

If you prefer to skip the queues and save as much time as possible, the best option is to make an appointment online. To do this, you must register online on the eHomeAffairs website. After booking your appointment, complete the online payment. You can then proceed to your nearest DHA office with your ID, old passport, and proof of payment to have your biometrics recorded.

At your bank if available

Alternatively, you can make an appointment at your nearest Home Affairs-Equipped Bank Branch. This option is only available in Gauteng and Cape Town. If you choose the Bank Branch option, they will capture your biometrics on the day of your appointment.

Once issued, you will receive an SMS notification from the DHA informing you that your passport is ready for collection. Usually this option takes a few days extra for the documentation to pass between the relevant banks and DHA offices.

 

Plan ahead when renewing your passport

 

If you passport has two years left on the ten year validity, it is already time to start thinking about whether you are going to fly to South Africa or not, and apply accordingly. The COVID-19 pandemic has, at the time of writing, not yet ended, and thus could cut a whole year out of the time left to renew.

Don’t get caught with a passport that only has six months validity remaining – plan way ahead!

 

My passport is about to expire. What now?

 

If your South African passport is about to expire and you must travel urgently, you have the option of applying for an emergency travel document or certificate. However, not all countries accept emergency travel documents. Therefore, it is imperative to check with the relevant authorities before applying for these documents.

Emergency travel certificates are issued to South Africans when there is an urgent need to travel and insufficient time to process a passport application. Normally this is to return to South Africa and not meant for holiday travel. To apply for this certificate, you must complete the DHA-73 application form. This can be done at your nearest Home Affairs office.

If you are abroad, you can complete the application at your nearest South African mission or embassy.

An emergency travel certificate can be issued within a week of the application and is valid for nine months. Keep in mind that it can only be used for a single journey.

 

Apostil.co.za cannot help with passports

 

Please note that Apostil.co.za does not and can not assist with passport applications or collections. The applicant must appear in person when applying and collecting passports. We can, however, help you with a range of other document services. See our pricing and get in touch with us today to learn more about our fast and effective document assistance service!