To get a South African passport you must be a South African citizen with an identity document on record, complete Form DHA-73, pay the tariff and apply in person so your photo and fingerprints can be captured. You apply at a Home Affairs office with live capture, at a participating bank, or through the eHomeAffairs channel; Home Affairs says every passport application must be made in person.
The ordinary adult passport costs R600 inside South Africa and the maxi passport R1 200, according to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) tariff table updated in August 2026. The sections below set out who qualifies, what to bring and what you pay, as DHA states it on its travel documents page and fees page.
Eligibility and Entry Requirements at a Glance
- Citizenship: South African passports are issued under the Passports and Travel Documents Act 4 of 1994.
- An identity document first: anyone aged 16 or older must first apply for an identity document, which registers their fingerprints, before applying for a passport.
- Your name on record: the passport carries your name as it appears in the National Population Register at the time you apply, so any name change must be finalised and recorded first.
- Form DHA-73: the passport application form, provided by a Home Affairs office.
- In person: DHA states that an application, whether lodged in South Africa or abroad, must be made in person.
- The tariff: paid when you apply (see the fee FAQ below).
- For children under 16: the child’s birth certificate and both parents, as set out below.
Passport and Travel Document Requirements
DHA issues these documents to citizens:
- Ordinary tourist passport (age 16 and older): 32 pages, valid for 10 years, with a turnaround of 13 working days.
- Maxi passport (age 16 and older): 48 pages, valid for 10 years, 13 working days. DHA says it is not renewable: when it expires you make a new application.
- Minor tourist passport (age 15 or younger): valid for five years, 18 working days.
- Emergency travel certificate: for emergencies such as loss or theft abroad, valid only for travel from the country of issue to South Africa. DHA stopped issuing temporary passports on 1 September 2014.
Before you travel, check two DHA rules: the passport must be valid for at least 30 days after your intended departure date, and it must have at least two blank pages for entry stamps. Your destination may set stricter rules, so check them with that country.
If you hold another nationality, DHA points out that Section 26(b) of the Citizenship Act makes it an offence for a South African citizen aged 18 or older to leave or enter South Africa on a foreign passport.
Visa and Supporting Document Requirements
A South African passport does not include a visa. Visas are set by the country you are visiting. The supporting documents DHA asks for depend on who is applying.
Adults (16 and older)
- Form DHA-73
- Your original identity document and a copy
- Your existing passport, or if it was lost or stolen, a loss of passport report (Form DHA-335, from a Home Affairs office) and an affidavit confirming you reported the loss to the police
- Two colour photographs that meet the DHA specifications. DHA says these are not needed at Smart ID card offices, where images are captured digitally. See our passport photo requirements.
- Form DHA-529 (determination of citizenship), if you apply from outside South Africa
- The prescribed fee
Children under 16
- The child’s birth certificate and a copy (parents bring the original or a certified copy), with a separate form for each child
- The child and both parents present, each with their identity document. DHA says a letter of consent with an ID copy is no longer accepted; a parent who cannot attend must give consent in person at a Home Affairs office.
- A death certificate if a parent has died, or a Children’s Court decision if a parent cannot be located or refuses consent
- Proof of full custody if a divorced parent applies alone, or proof of High Court appointment if a guardian other than a parent applies
Financial, Health and Entry Conditions
The cost of the passport is the tariff. DHA’s fee table (updated August 2026) lists R600 for an adult or child passport and R1 200 for a maxi passport inside South Africa. DHA’s travel documents page sets the same figures for a first issue, or where the previous passport has expired or has less than six months of validity left. If the previous passport still has six months or more of validity, the tariff is double. Applications at missions abroad cost more: adult and child R1 200, maxi R2 400.
Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged passport costs double the tariff, but only the normal fee is payable if the loss or damage happened through no negligence on your part. Health certificates, proof of funds and similar conditions are set by the countries you visit, not by DHA; check them on our visa requirements pages.
How to Prepare or Apply
- Confirm you have an identity document on record. If you are 16 or older and have never applied for one, do that first.
- Make sure your name on the population register is the name you want on the passport.
- Gather your documents: Form DHA-73, your ID and copy, your existing passport or the DHA-335 report and police affidavit, and for a child the birth certificate and both parents.
- Apply in person at a Home Affairs office with live capture, a participating bank, or start on eHomeAffairs. DHA’s travel documents page says to refer to its website for the list of banks.
- Pay the tariff and have your photograph, fingerprints and signature captured.
Abroad, apply at the nearest South African embassy or consulate; DHA estimates such applications take at least six to eight months. At the time of checking, DHA’s statements on bank partnerships describe passport services at banks as part of a phased roll-out, so confirm with the bank or DHA that the branch you plan to use takes passport applications. Apply well before you travel: 13 and 18 working days are DHA’s published turnaround times, not guarantees.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you need for a passport in South Africa?
South African citizenship, an identity document on record, Form DHA-73, the fee, and an in-person application. Adults bring their ID and copy and their existing passport (or a DHA-335 loss report and police affidavit). Children need a birth certificate and both parents present. Photos are needed only where they are not captured digitally.
How much is a passport in South Africa?
Inside South Africa: R600 for an ordinary 32-page adult passport, R600 for a child’s passport and R1 200 for a maxi passport, per the DHA tariff table updated August 2026. If your previous passport still has six months or more of validity, the tariff is double (R1 200, R1 200 and R2 400). Abroad: adult and child R1 200, maxi R2 400. This also answers searches such as passport price, passport fees South Africa and how much to do a passport.
What is the difference between an ordinary tourist passport and a maxi passport?
The ordinary passport has 32 pages; the maxi passport has 48 pages and costs more. Both are valid for 10 years for applicants aged 16 and older, and DHA says the maxi passport is not renewable.
How many days does a passport take?
DHA gives 13 working days for adult ordinary and maxi passports and 18 working days for minor passports. Applications lodged abroad take at least six to eight months.
Do I need to bring passport photos?
Not at Smart ID card offices, where your image is captured digitally. Otherwise bring two identical colour photographs that meet the DHA specifications.
Can I apply at a bank?
DHA lists participating banks as one place to apply, and announced a Capitec partnership in August 2025 for Smart ID and passport applications, with passport renewal to be added at a later stage (DHA statement). Confirm with DHA or the bank what is available at your branch today.
How long is a South African passport valid?
Ten years for an adult ordinary or maxi passport and five years for a minor passport.
What if my passport is lost or stolen abroad?
Contact the nearest South African embassy or consulate. It can issue an emergency travel certificate (R140 at missions, per the DHA fee table), valid only for travel to South Africa. A replacement passport needs the DHA-335 loss report and a police affidavit.
Tariffs, forms and application channels are set by the Department of Home Affairs; confirm them on the DHA travel documents page before you apply. See visa requirements for your destination and browse all travel and immigration requirements.