South Africa: Home Affairs Delivers Dignity to South Africans Abroad

21 July 2025
SAnews.gov.za (Tshwane)

Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, has announced the rollout of game-changing new Home Affairs service centres abroad.

The centres are set to assist South Africans living overseas, who have often waited 12 to 18 months just to obtain a new passport. With the opening of these new service centres, access to services is being expanded and turnaround times have been cut to just five weeks.

Minister Schreiber launched the first two service centres in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, last week, with another set to open in Perth by the end of September. Two centres also went live in Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand.

"This is in addition to the service centre in London, UK, which is already operational. Over the coming months, the Department of Home Affairs will open additional service centres in the United Arab Emirates and China, followed by France, Germany and The Netherlands later this year, and North America in the new year. Further announcements will follow in due course when these service centres open their doors," the department said.

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While the department's ultimate aim is to deliver "Home Affairs @ home" by making its services available online all around the world, the opening of service centres around the world brings immediate relief to South African citizens living in other countries.

The new service centres abroad will offer:

· Application intake and processing for adult and minor passports, both for new passports and renewals, ending the need to travel or wait indefinitely for consular appointments.

· Birth registration applications.

· A new online appointment booking system that brings predictability, structure, and transparency to planning, while also accommodating walk-ins.

· Email support and SMS-based application tracking so that clients are kept informed every step of the way.

· Opening hours from Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 12:00, and 13:00 to 17:00; and

· services offered will have a five-week turnaround time, compared to the current turnaround time that can take between 12 and 18 months.

The department added that it is also working to upgrade the eHomeAffairs live capture platform, which will enable these centres to also offer Smart ID services and eliminate the use of paper forms. An announcement will be made in due course once this upgrade is complete.

"The rollout of these service centres is yet another step on our journey towards delivering 'Home Affairs @ home.' Home Affairs is now closer than ever before for South Africans living abroad. These improvements are not just about better service; they are about delivering dignity to South Africans - wherever they live in the world.

"Home Affairs is now delivering for South Africans - including those living abroad - like never before," Minister Schreiber said.

Bookings to use the newly-opened facilities in Australia can be made here: https://services.vfsglobal.com/aus/en/zap/attend-centre

Bookings to use the newly-opened facilities in New Zealand can be made here: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/nzl/en/zaf/attend-centre

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