South African Citizen Services
South African Passport
South African passports and travel documents are issued in terms of the South African Passport and Travel Document Act, 1994 (Act No 4 of 1994). All South African passports are issued by the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa, and it takes approximately 3-4 months, to receive a passport if all the papers are in order. General requirements when you apply for your South African passport:
- BI-73 application forms
- Four recent passport size photographs
- South African identity document with 13 digits
- Previous South African passport, if applicable
- Marriage certificate, if applicable
- Fees
If a child applies for a passport the following is required:
- BI-73 application form (signed by both parents at the Embassy)
- Four recent passport size photographs
- South African identity document, if available
- Previous South African passport, if applicable
- Birth Certificate
- Fees
Registration of Foreign Birth
The registration of births in RSA is governed by the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1992 (Act No 51 of 1992) which took effect on 1 October 1992. The provisions of this Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder are applicable to all South African citizens, whether inside or outside the Republic of South Africa. This Act also provides for persons who are not South African citizens, but who sojourn permanently or temporarily in the Republic for whatever purpose.
The following are required:
- Completion of the Notice of Birth must be in black ballpoint pen.
- Notice of birth completed in a colour ink other than black is not acceptable.
- Forms are to be completed and signed by the parent who is the South African citizen.
- If parents were not born in the RSA, but have been granted permanent residence in the RSA, the number of their permanent residence permit must be furnished if they are not yet in possession of an identity document.
The following documents must be attached to a duly complete form:
- BI-24 – Notice of birth (Persons one year and older must come to the Embassy to be fingerprinted)
- BI-529 – Citizenship questionnaire
- Full foreign birth certificate translated into English showing particulars of parents of the child Parents’ marriage certificate, translated if not in English. If the birth is reported after 30 days, reasons must be furnished for the late registration.
- South African identity document, passport or birth certificate of the parent registering the child. After the birth has been registered, you may apply for a South African passport for your child. Children under the age of 21 years do not require special permission from the Department of Home Affairs to hold two passports. If you obtained Israeli citizenship whilst not a minor, please indicate on BI-529 Citizenship Questionnaire – Item 10-whether you became a citizen by the “Law of Return”, or whether you applied for Israeli citizenship.
Lost or Stolen Passport:
In the event of your South African passport being stolen or lost, you must report it to the nearest Police Station. The police certificate must then be submitted to the Consular Section at the South African Embassy. Please note that the replacement fee for a lost or stolen passport is double the price for the issuance of a new passport.
Police Clearance Certificate:
Police clearance certificates may be acquired from the South African Police Services in South Africa. The applicant’s fingerprints must be taken by an official in the Consular Section at the South African Embassy. The applicant is responsible for the following:
- Forwarding a full set of fingerprints, including name, return address, South African identity number;
- Processing fee – R57.00 per person, in the form of a money order, bank draft or endorsed bank guaranteed cheque. The cheque must be made out to the “South African Police Service”;
- State number of copies required; – It is advisable to forward the application by courier service to South Africa.
- Process takes 28 working days starting from the day of receipt of the application.
Kindly address your application to:
South African Police Service
271 Schoeman Street Sanlam Plaza West Building
Room 421 – 4th Floor
0001
Pretoria,
South Africa
Attention : Inspector van Wyk
Apostille or Certificate of Authentication: The authentication of a certificate(s) needs to be referred to the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa. Please note that this is a lengthy process, and can take up to 6 months. Upon receipt of the full certificate, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pretoria then attaches an Apostille to the certificate. Please note that the original supporting documentation is required.
