There is a new, more convenient way to apply for your South African passport in Germany. You can submit your application through VFS Global.
For an additional service fee, you can:
This is a modern touch to the old process, designed to make life abroad a little easier.
VFS Global is a commercial company working in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs, South Africa, to operate an Application Centre that provides selected consular services to South African citizens in Germany. Visit VFS Global for full details
To apply for a South African passport, the child must first be registered with the Department of Home Affairs. In other words, the child’s birth must be officially recorded with Home Affairs.
If the child was born in Germany, you can submit the birth registration application (to obtain the Unabridged Birth Certificate) at the same time as the passport application.
However, keep in mind that the process will take longer, as the birth registration must be finalised before the passport application can be processed.
Birth Registration through VFS Global There is a new, more convenient way to register the birth of a Child born to South African parents in Germany. In addition to the traditional route through the Embassy in Berlin or the Consulate in Munich, you can submit your application through the company VFS
There is currently only one VFS Global office in Germany where you can complete your biometrics for a South African passport
When applying through VFS Global, make sure you prepare your documents carefully.
The most up-to-date list of required documents is always available on the VFS Global and South African Embassy websites; refer to them as your primary sources.
On the VFS Website, in the Consular Services dropdown, select Adult Passport and open the Documents Required tab.
The official application form from the DHA is the Form BI-73 / DHA-73
You must also fill out the Determination of Citizenship form BI-529 / DHA-529
We’ve received feedback that VFS Global may request extra documents that are not clearly listed on their official website or the South African Embassy pages. To avoid delays, it’s best to arrive fully prepared.
Child’s South African birth certificate or an International birth certificate. In Germany, that will be Internationale Geburtsurkunde. Any documents in German must be officially translated.
The photo specifications can be found on the Embassy website
Families come in many forms, and passport applications are not always straightforward. You may be applying as a single parent, be divorced or widowed, or have one parent living in a different country — each situation can affect what documents and consent are required.
For the most accurate and up-to-date guidance, it’s important to consult the official requirements provided by the Department of Home Affairs website – Applying for Tourist Passports: Persons under 16 years, where all scenarios and supporting documents are explained in detail.
Always double-check your paperwork before booking your appointment — missing or uncertified documents can cause delays or rejection.
Here are some tips on the application process
Make sure you have all the required paperwork as listed on the VFS Global website.
Double-check that originals, certified copies, and translations are in order before you start.
Create a user account on the VFS Global site to begin your application process.
Log in to your account and choose a date and time at the VFS Service Centre.
Walk-ins are accepted, but booking online will save you time (and nerves).
Good to know:
📌 If you book for one person, the available time slots are visible.
📌If you try to book for more than one applicant, the system won’t show time slots.
📌In practice, you can usually book one appointment for multiple people (for example, both children) and submit all applications during that visit—just be sure you have complete documentation for each person.
📌If there are no appointments available for passports, select another type of appointment. Feedback from VFS is that it does not really matter what type you choose
📅 Appointment availability
Passport appointments via VFS Global in Germany are released periodically, often monthly. Check the booking system regularly—persistence pays off.
Small but crucial tip:
If your passport has already expired and the system rejects the “Valid until” date, select a future date to proceed.
Download the relevant forms from the VFS Website, print them and fill them out
Bring your original documents, application form, pay the required fees, and have your biometric data captured.
Location information on the VFS Website
Your application is securely forwarded from VFS Global to the South African Department of Home Affairs for verification and issuance.
Use the online tracking tool or notification updates on your VFS Global account to monitor your progress.
Once your new passport is ready, it will be couriered to your address (fees apply) or made available for pickup, depending on the service option you chose.
✔️Select “Child Passport”
✔️Complete this section with your child’s details
❌ Do not complete this section
✔️ This will be completed by officials at your appointment
✔️Complete with both parents’ details
✔️Both parents must sign this section
✔️Complete using your child’s passport details/information
✔️ Completed and signed by the parent/guardian if the child is under 16
❌ Leave this page blank
✔️ Not required for completion
To ensure that applicants receive their documents on time, they are advised to please book an appointment at least EIGHTEEN months before the expiry of their current passport to avoid any delays. Please do not make fixed travel arrangements before obtaining your passport.”
For urgent travel needs, plan ahead. Do not rely on last-minute scheduling.
Important: The Embassy/Consulate and VFS Global are two separate application channels. They do not share systems, appointments, or records.
The only connection between the two is that the South African Department of Home Affairs ultimately processes all applications.
Submitting through one channel does not affect or update any application made through the other.
Every application tells a story — the waiting, the surprises, the small victories when things finally move forward. If you’ve gone through the child passport process, your experience could make the road a little smoother for someone else.
We’ve created simple, easy-to-complete forms where you can share your timeline and what the process was really like for you. It doesn’t take long, but it can make a real difference to another South African family trying to find their footing far from home.
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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 Munich +49892311630 49 89 231 163 53 munich.consular@dirco.gov.za Social Networks Consulate in Munich Website Honorary Consuls The Honorary Consuls are tasked with the promotion of the South African export trade, serve as contact persons for visiting South African business people, distribute general information on South Africa and represent South Africa
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