Home affairs introduces doorstep passport delivery for South Africans abroad
Can international South Africans receive their passports faster than those who are actually in the country?
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber has announced the introduction of courier doorstep delivery of passports for South African citizens living abroad.
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The service is set to be available from November 1, 2025, with a 24 to 72-hour turnaround and fees ranging from US$30 (approximately R520) to US$60 (approximately R1,041).
According to TimesLive, while attending an event in the Netherlands, the department launched a dedicated service centre designed to cut passport application waiting times from up to 18 months to just weeks.
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The new delivery option eliminates the need for applicants to pick up their documents at an office, offering convenience and reducing travel.
Faster receipt through courier services also reduces the time that applicants must wait after a passport is issued, which can be particularly important for those with imminent travel plans or who require their documents for legal or administrative purposes.
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What will the doorstep delivery service offer?
- Provides a faster way to receive passports once issued.
- The service will be chargeable, with fees depending on the specifics of the chosen delivery option.
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Where will the service be available?
- The doorstep delivery option will be offered at the department’s existing service centres located in 18 cities worldwide.
- The roll-out is staged: the department plans to introduce the service to the comparatively small overseas population first.
- This will help to refine procedures and resolve any operational or security issues before a broader launch.
Minister Schreiber described the initial phase as a sandbox environment.
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By testing the system with a limited overseas cohort, the department intends to perfect the process and confirm that deliveries can be made smoothly and securely.
Only after those checks will the option of doorstep delivery be extended more widely.
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Will the option be available to South Africans at home?
- Yes, but only once the department is confident the service is operating correctly for South Africans living abroad.
- It will scale up the reform to offer doorstep delivery to all clients in South Africa.
- Future plans include a digital partnership model with the banking sector to facilitate document delivery within the country.
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Information on all locations offering the service from 1 November is available on the Department of Home Affairs website.
Applicants should consult the listed service centres for details on how to apply for delivery, applicable fees and any other local requirements.
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The introduction of doorstep courier delivery for passports marks a step towards modernising the department’s services and reducing the burden on clients who live outside South Africa.
This change follows the department’s recent investments in dedicated service centres designed to cut lengthy processing times.
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