Passport application in South Africa: cost, documents and how long it takes

A passport is the one document that has to be right the first time, because a delay is measured in a missed flight rather than an inconvenience. The good news is that the requirement list is short.

Where and how to apply

Applications are captured at Department of Home Affairs offices that offer passport services, and at participating bank branches for existing bank clients. Both capture the same biometrics - fingerprints, photograph and signature - and both lead to the same central production process.

Applications must be made in person. There is no online application, and there is no agent who can apply for you, because your fingerprints are the application.

Documents

Application	What you bring
Adult renewal	Your current passport plus your Smart ID card or green ID book
First adult passport	Your identity document and an unabridged birth certificate
Child passport	Both parents’ identity documents, the child’s birth certificate, consent documentation
Lost or stolen	An affidavit plus the replacement passport requirements

Take certified copies of anything you are not willing to hand over, and keep the originals with you where the office only needs to sight them.

Fees and processing

Two routes:

• Standard process. Lower fee, quoted in weeks. Available at all passport offices.
• Express process. Higher fee, shorter turnaround, available at selected offices only. Not every office offers it, and it is capacity-dependent rather than guaranteed.

Fees for adults and children differ, and the schedule is adjusted from time to time. Confirm the amount when you book - turning up with an outdated fee wastes the appointment.

Collection

You collect in person so the office can verify your fingerprints against the application. Take the receipt or reference you were given. If someone else offers to collect it for you, they cannot, and you should be sceptical about why they would offer.

For a child, a parent or legal guardian collects with the same verification.

Special cases

Lost or stolen abroad. Report it to the police in the country where it happened, then contact the nearest South African mission for an emergency travel certificate to get home. An emergency certificate is not a passport and will not get you anywhere except home.

A name change. Apply for the passport in your new name only after the change is registered on the identity system. A passport that does not match your other documents creates problems at every border.

Travelling with children. Many countries, South Africa included, require documentation proving consent when a child travels with one parent or with a third party. That is a border requirement, separate from the passport, and it is checked at the airport rather than at Home Affairs.

Related documents

If your identity document needs attention before you apply, start with the Smart ID card guide or the lost ID guide. If you are travelling to South Africa rather than from it, the visas guide covers entry requirements.

Last reviewed 13 October 2026. Fees and processing times are published by Home Affairs and change; confirm them before booking travel.