Applying for a new Adult Tourist passport in South Africa can be done online via the Department of Home Affairs E-Services.
You need a South African mobile number to register on the Department of Home Affairs E-Service site. The OTP is sent to your mobile number.
Digital biometrics can be captured at any Home Affairs office or at a Home Affairs-enabled Bank office, for which a booking is a prerequisite. You do not need to make a booking to provide your biometrics at any of the Home Affairs offices.
You must type in the dates and not use the drop-down calendar to see available appointments. We suggest you use the YYYY-MM-DD format to select a date range. This will show the available dates for this range
Slots open daily about one month ahead, so your search window is limited. Set alerts and go early: People say logging in right after midnight or at 5–6 AM gives you an edge
You can complete the application while still in Germany, but you must do the Biometrics in person in South Africa. If you want to apply for your passport in Germany, please refer to the links below.
As a rule, you must surrender your old passport when collecting the new one. You can ask them if it is possible to keep your old one still if you need it to travel back to Germany. Your Residence card is linked to your old passport.
During the appointment, they will take your fingerprints, and there should be a photo booth for digital photos. To be on the safe side, take passport photos with you. They asked me why I wanted a new passport, as my current passport was still valid and had open pages.
During your online application, you have to specify your reason for applying, and I chose “passport full” as it was the only option that made sense. I told the lady that I live in Germany and that I do not often travel to South Africa, so I would like to apply while I am here. This was sufficient for her, and her supervisor approved the application. I did not have to hand in my current passport. When applying for a new passport early, additional costs may be involved.
The barcoded confirmation Letter (Printed) as well as your ID Book (if available) must be taken with you when going to the branch or bank office”. After clicking on Download Confirmation, save the document to your PC and open it with a PDF reader
If you do not want or cannot make use of the E-Home Affairs site, you can also schedule appointments in South Africa via the BABS system.
The related application forms are filled out manually and not online.
For more information, visit the Department of Home Affairs website
To make the payment online, yes, you need to be a client of one of the participating banks ( Absa, FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank, Discovery Bank, Investec, and Capitec). Some people shared their experiences with us and said, you can, however, ask someone with one of the said banks to make the payment for you. To do the biometrics at the bank, you do not need to be a client of said bank. We are not 100% sure about this yet and are doing some more research
You can also use the BABS system to book appointments at selected Home Affairs branches
This is a suggested strategy if you cannot find appointment slots at the banks.
“Today, we are announcing the first of three steps to be taken by the Department to secure the integrity of our passports and make them foolproof against fraudulent acquisition.
The following measures will have to be followed:
We also wish to advise passport holders to check passports for expiry at least once a month or for frequent travellers, every fortnight.
I wish to take this opportunity to dispel the myth of an emergency passport.
There is nothing called an emergency passport for any South African travelling to another country. The so-called emergency passport is actually a handwritten document available only to a South African who is stranded in another country. This document allows them to return home and when they arrive, its usefulness comes to an abrupt end.”
Temporary proof of German Residence To stay in Germany longer than 90 days in a 180 period, you will need a residence permit. Qualifying for a residence permit will depend, among other things, on the type of visa you applied for. Your long-stay visa allows you to travel to Germany. Within two weeks after arrival in Germany, you need to register at your local town office and Immigration authority. See Registering at the local town office.
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