1. |
I want to renew my passport, what must I do?
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South African passports are not renewable. You must
apply for a new passport when it expires. Please visit
the page with information on how to apply for a
passport.
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2.
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My passport has not expired but I am running out of
pages, can I have pages added to it? |
Unfortunately pages cannot be added to South African
passports. You must apply for a new passport instead. If
you travel frequently, you may opt for a maxi passport.
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3. |
I already have a passport, do I still need to fill up
all those forms? |
Yes, all three forms (BI-73, BI-9 and BI-529) are
required when applying for a South African passport.
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4.
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I already have a passport, do I need to submit a copy of
my ID/birth certificate? |
Yes. The South African passport alone is not sufficient.
You must present a copy of your ID/birth certificate.
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5.
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I am a dual citizen, but I don¡¦t know where my letter of
retention/exemption is.
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Request a copy from the office which issued your
original letter of retention / exemption. Without it,
your application for a new South African passport will
not be accepted.
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6.
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I am a naturalized citizen, and I don¡¦t have my
naturalization certificate. |
Your application for a passport will be deemed
incomplete without the naturalization certificate.
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7.
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What is BI-73 form?
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South African citizens who are 16 years or older need to
sign (the form) and to submit thumb prints.
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8.
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Section B of BI-73 states that only an officer of the
Department of Home Affairs can sign this section. I am
in the Taiwan now, how do I do that? |
Section B is only applicable if you are applying for a
passport while in South Africa. Outside the country,
this will be completed by an officials at LOSA. |
9.
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BI-73: I recently got married in Taiwan and need to
change my name. Which form do I need to complete for
name change? |
If you want to use your married name or double-barrel
name, all you need to do is apply for a new passport
using that name and submit a notarized / certified copy
of your marriage certificate.
Married applicants using maiden or double-barrel names
must provide a letter requesting the new passport to be
in the applicant's maiden name or double-barrel name.
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10.
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BI-73: How do I register my Taiwanese marriage in South
Africa?
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You can register your marriage through your application
for South African passport. Please note that male
applicants who got married abroad need to submit a copy
of their marriage certificate |
11.
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BI-73: The mother/father of my child is not here to sign
section C, what do I do?
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Home Affairs will not accept a minor's
application for passport without both parents'
signatures unless there is a legal document provided. If
you are divorced, you have to show proof in your divorce
decree that you have both sole custody and guardianship
of the child. (Sole custody is not enough). If the
divorce decree does not specify custody and
guardianship, you will need to get the other parent¡¦s
approval / signature. |
12.
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BI-73: Section D, how do answer question B?
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Section D means so you have citizenship of another
country beside your South African citizenship. Just put
¡¥yes or no¡¦
Question B is merely asking whether you have had a South
African passport. If yes, write down your passport
number and when it was issued. |
13. |
BI-9: I already have an ID book, do I need to fill this
form? |
Yes, BI-9 is not an application for an ID book or ID
card. It is part of passport application and South
Africans 16 years or older have to fill this form.
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14. |
BI-9: Home Affairs already has my fingerprints on file,
do I really really need this form?
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Yes, you still need to fill up BI-9. Please make sure
you submit this form to avoid delay in processing your
application.
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15.
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BI-9: Where can I have my finger prints taken |
Home Affairs will not accept fingerprints which not on
the BI-9 form. You can have you finger prints taken at
LOSA. We are open Mondays to Fridays, between 9:00 a.m.
and 12:00 p.m. |
16. |
BI-9: How do I fill the "personal status" ?
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Only naturalized citizens need to fill up this line. If
you were born in South Africa you may skip this.
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17. |
BI-9: I do not have my parents ID number for the
"supporting document"? |
Please call your parents or relatives and ask them for
it, it is required
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18.
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BI-9: My spouse is not South African and does not have
an ID number, what do I do?
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Write down "¡¥Taiwanese citizen" (or other citizenship
which applies) across.
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19. |
BI-9: On "remarks" what do I put in?
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You do not have to put in anything unless there is
something you need to explain.
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20. |
BI 529: I am already a South African citizen, why do
need to fill this form? |
All South African citizens abroad have to fill up the
BI-529 form. If you do not submit this form, your
application will be returned as incomplete.
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21.
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BI 529: What does Question 9 mean?
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a) means when did you leave South Africa to stay
abroad. Please do not count vacations in RSA.
(b) is why. State whatever reasons you had for leaving.
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22.
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BI 529: I do not know my parents¡¦ details.
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Please ask them or relatives for this information
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23.
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BI 529: One or both my parents are deceased and I do not
have any details. |
Fill in as much information as possible, (i.e. full
names) and write on top ¡¥deceased¡¦.
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24.
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BI 529: I am an adult and I do not need my parents to
apply for a passport, can I leave section C and D blank?
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No. South African passport applicants 16 years and older
are required to fill up sections C and D.
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25.
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I applied for my passport and was told it can take 6
months and more before I receive it. |
Applicants are advised that applications submitted at
our office are sent free of charge to the Department of
Home Affairs in Pretoria, where the documents are
issued, with the diplomatic freight bag once a month
Unfortunately the intra-departmental movement of the
application and tracing of original records in the
register held by the Department of Home Affairs is a
time consuming task, with the result that these
applications may take up to six (6) months to process.
Applicants would be immediately notified as soon as the
issued document has been received by our office from
Pretoria, and are kindly requested not to contact our
office unnecessarily for progress reports. Applicants
may however contact our office in the event of the
application taking longer than six (6) months
Due to the long-term nature of such applications,
applicants are kindly requested to keep our office
informed of any change of address during the processing
period.
The application must be submitted in person by the
applicant during the consular opening hours: Mon ¡V Fri;
09:00-12:00.
Applicants may email
hacc@dha.gov.za for
a status report on the progress of their application. | ¡@ |
26. |
Why should I /my spouse / minor children be present when
submitting the application for a passport? |
It is important to know that when you apply for a
passport, whether in South Africa or overseas, you must
apply in person because:
¡P
The passport officer must be satisfied that your
identity is legal and valid
¡P
The passport officer must check that your photograph is
a true image of yourself; and
¡P
Your fingerprints must be taken (for people who are aged
16 years or older) and checked against the National
Population Register
You must also note that:
¡P
All documents required for passport applications should
be completed in black ink
¡P
Husband, wife and children must all complete separate
application forms. Both parents and the children
concerned must be present when applying for passports
for children. See exceptions under Tourist Passports:
persons under 16
¡P
Passports are issued in accordance with your names as
they appear in the National Population Register (NPR) at
the time of your application. Any changes to your names
must be applied for, finalised and recorded in the NPR
before you submit your passport application
¡@ | ¡@ |
27.
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For how long must my passport be valid and how many
blank pages must be in the passport when I travel ? |
Passports
must be valid for at least 30 days after the intended
date of departure. Passports should also have at least
two blank pages for entry stamps. The blank pages cannot
include the ¡§endorsement¡¨ page at the back of the book.
If you need a visa, you must ensure that your passport
has two blank facing pages ¡V one for the visa and one
for an entry stamp. |
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