About a passport or travel document

You need a passport if you want to travel abroad. The South African passport is valid for travel to all countries in the world unless endorsed.

A passport is an internationally recognised travel document that verifies your identity and nationality.

Who can apply?

Tourist passport: persons 16 and older

It is issued to South African citizens of 16 years and older. It is valid for 10 years from the date of issue.

Tourist passport: persons under 16

It is issued to South African citizens under the age of 16. It is valid for five years from the date of issue.

Maxi tourist passport

It is a document for frequent travellers and is issued to South African citizens of 16 years and above.  The document contains 48 pages to provide for more visa pages. It is valid for 10 years from the date of issue.

Temporary passport

It is issued to South African citizens who have applied for a regular passport but need to travel urgently before the regular passport can be issued.

Temporary passports are not accepted in all foreign countries. Applicants are advised to check first with the countries they intend visiting before applying for a temporary passport.

It is valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

Emergency passport

You can apply for an emergency passport if you are a South African citizen. It is valid for one trip.

The maximum period of validity of emergency passports is nine months from the date of issue.

Official passport

Official passport is issued to South African citizens in the employ of the Public Service or of a government institution and who need to travel abroad on government official business. It is valid for five years.

Document for travel purposes

It is issued to South African permanent residence holders who cannot obtain travel documents from their country of origin.  It is valid for 5 years.

What you should do

• Go to your nearest Home Affairs office, or South African embassy or mission if you are abroad
• complete form DHA-73
• submit the following: 
• a letter from your employer if you apply for an official passport
• your identity document
• proof of permanent residence, if you apply for documents for travel purposes, as well as written confirmation from your country of origin that they cannot issue you with a passport
• two colour passport photos complying with the Passport Photograph Specifications
• if you are 16 years or older your fingerprints will be taken
• if you apply for your child’s passport, submit:
• your ID and child’s birth certificate
• death certificate if one parent is deceased
• a copy of the Court’s appointment letter, if you are the child’s guardian
• when you apply for a child’s passport and the child is under 18 years:
• a consent by child’s parents is required
  
• both parents must be in the office when applying. 
  
• if the child was born out of wedlock, the parents must consent if the father:
• has acknowledged paternity
• has paid damages in terms of customary law
• is paying maintenance for the child
• contributes towards the upbringing of the child
• at the time of birth of the child was living with the mother in a permanent life-partnership.
  

Note:

If your passport is lost or stolen, you must report it to the South African Police Service and complete a declaration form.

If your passport gets full before the period of its validity ends, you need to apply for a new one.

Timeframe

Three weeks	One week:	One day:
Tourist passports	Temporary passport	Emergency passport
Maxi Tourist passport
Document for travel purposes
Official passports

How much does it cost

Tourist passport: persons 16 and above	R400
Tourist passport: persons under 16	R400
Temporary passport Replacement of new format South African tourist passports that runs out of blank visa pages, before their expiry dates	R180 R 400
Emergency passport	R140
Official passport	Free
Document for travel purposes	R400
Maxi passport	R600

Replacement of lost/damaged/stolen South African passport, child passport or document for travel purposes referred to in Regulation 16 of the South African Passports and Travel Documents Regulations, 1996: Double the current tariff for the document concerned: Provided that where the document had been lost/stolen/ damaged through no negligence on the part of the holder, only the normal fee will be payable.

Forms to complete

*Application for a South African passport or travel document, DHA-73

Note: *Special specifications and requirements regarding the processing of this form apply and it may therefore not be downloaded for use as an application or registration form. All forms are available at any regional or district office of the Department.

Who to contact

Department of Home Affairs