ANSWERS FOR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I want to renew my passport, what must I do?
South African passports are not renewable. You must apply for a new passport six months
before it expires. Please visit the page with information on how to apply for a passport.
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.
Am I required to come and submit my application in person or can I courier the forms?
You must come in person to the Embassy to submit your application for South African passport.
Also how long does it take to process and grant a passport once submitted?
The processing time is 6 months
My visa is in my current passport, will my old passport be returned to me along with the
new passport?
Yes, the Embassy will cancel your old passport and return it to you.
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.
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.
I am a dual citizen, but I don’t know where my letter of retention/exemption is.
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.
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.
What is BI-73 form?
South African citizens who are 16 years or older need to sign (the form) and to submit left
thumbprint (what about the right thumb print?).
Section B of BI-73 states that only an officer of the Department of Home Affairs can sign
this section. I am in Thailand 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, apart from a South African Consulate or Embassy, any police officer/notary public in
your area can also fill, sign and stamp Section B. If Section B is not filled in and stamped, your
application form will be returned to you.
BI-73: I recently got married in the Thailand and need to change my name. Which form do
I need to fill up 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.
BI-73: How do I register my Thai marriage in South Africa?
You can register your Thai 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.
BI-73: The mother/father of my child is not here to sign section C, what do I do?
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.
BI-73: Section D: how do I answer question B?
Section D refers to whether 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.
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.
Do not send form BI-9 blank with just your fingerprints. Fill in the reverse side and sign it or it will
be returned to you.
BI-9: Home Affairs already has my fingerprints on file, do I really need this form?
Yes, you still need to fill in the original BI-9. Please make sure you submit this form to avoid
delay in processing your application.
BI-9: In the country where I currently reside, police stations do not manually take
fingerprints, but they are taken electronically on cards.
Home Affairs will not accept fingerprints that are not on the BI-9 form. If you are having
problems in your area, you can come in to the nearest South African Consulate or Embassy to
have your fingerprints taken. We are open Mondays to Fridays, between 9:00
BI-9: How do I fill the "personal status”?
Only naturalized citizens need to fill in this line. If you were born in South Africa you may skip
this.
BI-9: I do not have my parents ID number for the "supporting document"?
Please call your father and/or mother and ask.
BI-9: My spouse is not a South African and does not have an ID number, what do I do?
Write down "‘Thai Citizen" (or other citizenship which applies) across.
BI-9: On "remarks”, what do I write?
You do not have to write anything unless there is something you need to explain.
BI-9: The police officer/notary public does not have an ID number, what they write where
it says ‘fingerprints taken…”.
The police officer/notary public may write his/her name as the person taking the fingerprints with
badge number instead of ID number.
BI-9: Where it says left/rights prints, do I put in my whole hand or just the palms?
You need to put your four fingers together (do not include the thumb) and put those prints.
BI 529: I am already a South African citizen, why do need to fill this form?
All South African citizens abroad have to fill in the BI-529 form. If you do not submit this form,
your application will be returned as incomplete.
BI 529: What does Question 9 mean?
Section (a) means when did you leave South Africa to stay abroad. Please do not count
vacations in RSA.
Section (b) refers to why you left, state whatever reasons you had for leaving.
BI 529: I do not know my parents’ ID numbers.
Call your parents, siblings and/or other relatives and ask.
BI 529: I do not know my parents’ details.
If they are still alive, call and ask.
BI 529: One or both my parents are deceased and I do not have any details.
Fill in all the information required (i.e full names) and indicate by writing above ‘deceased’.
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?
No. South African passport applicants 16 years and older are required to fill up sections C and
D.
Identity Documents
All South African citizens 16 years and older are eligible to apply for new identity documents.
Please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the consulate nearest you to receive the
required forms.
First time passport applicants, especially children who left South Africa as minors, must have
identity documents. Applicants are required to appear at the nearest South African Embassy to
have their fingerprints taken. Parents are urged to ensure that their children apply for their ID
books as this ensure their children's identity (fingerprints) are registered in South Africa thus
preventing anyone else from using their particulars in South Africa.