South Africans in Germany

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Applying for a South African ID in Germany

You can apply for a South African Identity document via the South African Consular Services in Germany

Green ID BOok

When you apply at the South African Embassy or Consulate, you will be issued with a green ID Book

Smart ID Card

When you apply in South Africa you will be issued with a smart ID card

Attention

A person, who has previously been issued with a smart card ID may not be issued with a green bar-coded identity book afterwards. The Embassy therefore strongly urge all applicants to apply for a smart card ID during their next trip to South Africa instead of applying for the green bar-coded identity book at a South African mission abroad

Where to apply

When you apply for your new South African passport in Germany, you have to apply at either the South African Embassy in Berlin or the Consulate in Munich, depending on where you live. 

The Embassy has taken great care to document all the relevant information, that can be downloaded from their website. 

After submitting your application, the documents are sent to South Africa for processing. The embassy or consulate cannot influence the processing time.
Please remember that appointment openings fill up very quickly, and your application appointment can be a month or two after you send an appointment request.

SA Consular and Embassy services

Embassy Berlin Reach them through Tiergartenstraße. 18, 10785 Berlin +4930220730 +493022073190 berlin.consular@dirco.gov.za Social Networks SAEmbassyBerlin @SAEmbassyBerlin Website Consulate Munich Reach them through Sendlinger-Tor-Platz 5, 80336

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Booking your appointment

All South African citizens/applicants requiring civic services, and who reside in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hessen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thüringen shall approach the South African Embassy in Berlin: Tiergartenstr. 18, 10785 Berlin
All South African citizens/applicants requiring civic services, and who reside in Bayern and Baden-Wuerttemberg shall approach the South African Consulate-General in Munich: Sendlinger-Tor-Platz 5, 80336 Munich 

To schedule an appointment at the Munich Consulate, please send an email with the information below to: Munich.CivicApp@dirco.gov.za

To schedule an appointment at the Embassy in Berlin, please send an email with the information below to berlin.consular@dirco.gov.za 

Email Format

  1. Subject line of email: Appointment request
  2. Full name of the applicant
  3. Applicant’s date and place of birth
  4. South African 13-digit identity number, if applicable/available
  5. Contact details (Address + mobile phone number)
  6. Application type e.g. passport

You will get an email from the embassy to confirm receipt of your request for an appointment. They will then manually schedule an appointment and send you a second email with your appointment date. Check your email spam folder as the reply email from the embassy might end up there.

Checklist of what documentation you need

A complete list of what is needed for the application can be found on the South African Embassy Website, under the Identity Document Section

Stolen or lost Documents

When your South African Identity document is stolen or lost, you must report it to the police and attach the police report detailing the loss or theft to your application. The Police report does not need to be translated into English.

Updates on your application process

If you’re applying for a South African passport in Germany, it’s important to note that the embassy cannot track the progress of your application until they receive the diplomatic bag from Home Affairs in South Africa. This means they are unable to provide updates on processing times. However, applicants with civic status enquiries can follow up directly with Home Affairs by emailing hacc@dha.gov.za. Some applicants have also had success obtaining updates by calling Home Affairs at 0800 60 11 90 from South Africa. Responses via email may take some time, with some applicants reporting a reply after about a month.

Info on the web

General information about South African identity documents is available on the  Department of Home Affairs website

Related content

South African passport and Identity documents

  • Make a regular effort to check the validity of your South African passport.
  • Applying for your SA passport in Germany, and receiving it can take anything between 6 to 12 months. 
  • You can apply for a new passport while on holiday in South Africa, the current (2024) turnaround time is between 1 and 2 weeks. You can make your appointment while still in Germany.

Passport

  • You can apply for a new South African passport in Germany, or at the Department of Home Affairs when you are in South Africa. 
  • When your passport is stolen, lost or expired, you can apply for an emergency travel document at the SA embassy in Berlin or the Consulate in Munich. This will allow one-way travel back to South Africa.

Identity documents and cards

It is important to note that when you apply for a South African ID at the South African Embassy in Berlin, you will receive a classic green ID Book. On the other hand, when you apply for your ID within South Africa, you will receive a modern ID Card designed to be more convenient and secure for everyday use.

Related content

SA Consular and Embassy services

Embassy Berlin Reach them through Tiergartenstraße. 18, 10785 Berlin +4930220730 +493022073190 berlin.consular@dirco.gov.za Social Networks SAEmbassyBerlin @SAEmbassyBerlin Website Consulate Munich Reach them through Sendlinger-Tor-Platz 5, 80336

Ways of obtaining German citizenship

Please note: The information provided on this page regarding German citizenship is intended for general informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure the accuracy

Applying for official documents from the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa has become a whole lot easier. 

Apply online

You can apply for your Smart ID or Passport online via the eHomeAffairs website. You will still need to do your biometrics in person at a Home affairs office or participating bank.
You can select the office or bank during your application. You do not have to be a customer of the selected bank.

Tip – you might need a SA mobile number to get the confirmation codes

Booking an appointment for applying at a department office

If you do not want to submit your application online, you can now make an appointment at Home Affairs via the Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS).
Not all branches are participating in the online booking system. You can find a list of participating offices here

New branches at shopping malls

The department plans to open branches at selected shopping malls. This will, according to the Deputy minister, help alliviate the problem of queuing in the sun or rain. It is not clear if the full range will be available at these branches.
The following malls are on the list and the expectation is that they will be operational from September 2022:

  • Tygervalley mall (Cape Town)
  • Menlyn mall (Pretoria) 
  • Cresta Mall (Johannesburg)
  • Southgate Mall (Johannesburg)
  • The Pavillion (eThewkwini)

Resources on the web

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Questions for the Consulate

Embassy Berlin Reach them through Tiergartenstraße. 18, 10785 Berlin +4930220730 +493022073190 berlin.consular@dirco.gov.za Social Networks SAEmbassyBerlin @SAEmbassyBerlin Website Consulate Munich Reach them through Sendlinger-Tor-Platz 5, 80336

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.One of the worst things that can happen to you while in a foreign country is having your passport stolen or lost. If your passport is stolen in Germany, immediately report the theft to the local police and obtain a police report. Germany has a “Passpflicht” law –  which means Foreigners may only enter or stay in the federal territory if they have a recognized and valid passport or passport substitute unless they are exempted from the passport requirement by statutory order.

For your stay in the federal territory, you must fulfil the passport requirement by possessing a substitute ID (Section 48 (2)). This means you must report a stolen or lost passport to the authorities and apply for a new one as soon as possible.

You have to apply for a new passport at either the South African Embassy in Berlin or the Consulate in Munich, depending on where you live.
Please also refer to the official information on the South African Embassy website.

Handy Tips

Losing your passport can be an incredibly stressful experience. Here are some handy things to keep in mind to help you locate your passport or to find information about your documentation easily.

Smart Tags

Consider adding a smart tag to your Passport holder. There are card/tile type smart tags on the market.

Smart Tags

Consider adding a smart tag to your Passport holder. There are card/tile type smart tags on the market.
More information

Electronic copies

Keep electronic copies of all your travel and identification documents. on a safe cloud space. You can also encrypt it for extra safety

Electronic copies

Keep electronic copies of all your travel and identification documents. on a safe cloud space. You can also encrypt it for extra safety

Information from DIRCO

According to the department of international relations and cooperation – DIRCO

If your passport is lost or stolen while you are traveling abroad, report the loss/theft immediately to the local law enforcement agency (e.g. police station). Take a copy of the police report to the nearest South African High Commission, Embassy, or Consulate-General where you will apply for an emergency travel document. There is a fee attached to the application for an emergency travel document.

Please note that all passport applications are forwarded to the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa for processing and issuance of new passports. The waiting period to receive a new passport abroad can be several months. In emergency situations, the South African Diplomatic or Consular Mission is in a position to issue you with an Emergency Travel Certificate, which will allow you only to travel directly back to South Africa.

To apply for a new Passport or an Emergency Travel Certificate, you must:

  1. Complete an application form.
  2. Be fingerprinted.
  3. Produce written evidence of your South African citizenship (e.g. a birth certificate, identity document, a certified copy of passport, driver’s license). Where available.
  4. Provide a copy of the police report. It does not need to be translated (in the event of loss or theft)
  5. Present two photographs.
  6. Pay the prescribed fee (as determined by the Department of Home Affairs).

I need to travel, what do I need to do?

These instructions relate only to those who need to travel urgently but whose passport is lost or stolen. If you have no urgent reason to travel, you must apply for your new passport in Germany. This can take a couple of months. 
For normal applications (Passport expiring)  see the following pages:

Step 1. – Report it 

  • Report the loss/theft immediately to the local law enforcement agency (e.g. police station).
  • Take a copy of the police report to the nearest South African High Commission, Embassy, or Consulate-General when you apply for an emergency travel document.

There is a fee attached to the application for an emergency travel document. See more on the DIRCO website

Step 2. – Apply for an emergency travel certificate
You can apply for an emergency Travel Certificate, and with this, you can travel to South Africa but cannot travel back to Germany.

  • South African citizens who have to travel urgently for reasons of death, sickness, or other emergency / urgent matter e.g. loss or theft of passport while overseas, are entitled to an emergency passport (travel certificate), which is valid for a maximum period of nine (9) months,
  • The emergency travel certificate is for a single journey only, to return to the Republic of South Africa
  • An emergency travel certificate can only be issued to applicants who have 13-digit identity numbers and whose fingerprints have been previously classified on the National Population Register.

Step 3. Inform the Ausländerbehorde (not a requirement but a suggestion)

  • Visit the Ausländerbehorde, and inform them that your passport was stolen and that you have a new emergency passport that you will use to travel to South Africa to apply for a new passport. Remember your residence card is linked to your passport.
  • Confirm with them that re-entry to Germany is possible, and whether additional documentation will be required for re-entry

Relevant Gesetze §3, §4 and §13 AufenthG Art 5″

Step 4.

  • Travel to South Africa and apply for a new passport in South Africa, see more about applying for your passport in South Africa here.
  • Take your Emergency travel certificate, a copy of the police report, your residence permit, and any other documentation the Ausländerbehorde listed as necessary with you on your trip.

Step 5. Travel back to Germany

  • You will have to show your German residence card in South Africa before you can board a plane. 
  • You might have additional checks at Passport control when arriving in Germany, so make sure all your paperwork is in order. Remember your residence card is linked to a specific passport. 
    I recommend taking a copy of the police report (if your passport was lost or stolen) with you. It could also be helpful to bring proof of your residence.

Dual Passports

Please be aware that it is illegal to enter and exit South Africa on another passport if you are still a South African citizen. You can be fined for doing this.

“In terms of the South African Citizenship Amendment Act of 2004, which came into effect on 15 September 2004, it is now an offence for a major South African citizen to enter the Republic or depart making use of the passport of another country.
Furthermore, it is also now an offence for such a citizen, while in South Africa, to use his or her foreign citizenship or nationality to gain advantage or avoid a responsibility or duty.
Essentially, the Amendment Act provides that an adult South African citizen, who has dual citizenship or nationality, can freely use his or her foreign passport outside South Africa. However, they must use their South African passport to depart from or enter South Africa.”

You can read more about it here

South African Identity Document

You will also need to report a stolen or lost South African Identity document to the Police. 

To apply for a new Identity document, make an appointment at the South African Embassy or Consulate

Additional information

General information about South African passports is available on the website of the Department of Home Affairs:

Related content

SA Consular and Embassy services

Embassy Berlin Reach them through Tiergartenstraße. 18, 10785 Berlin +4930220730 +493022073190 berlin.consular@dirco.gov.za Social Networks SAEmbassyBerlin @SAEmbassyBerlin Website Consulate Munich Reach them through Sendlinger-Tor-Platz 5, 80336