08-05-2026 13:39:29 (GMT +02:00) Pretoria / Cape Town, South Africa

What to do if you lose your South African passport overseas
27. May. 2024 Business Tech

Losing a passport can be a serious problem if you are abroad on holiday or a business trip.
According to Nedbank, the following steps must be immediately taken if you lose your passport:
• Report the loss at the nearest police station.
• Contact the nearest South African embassy, consulate or high commission.
You do not have to completely abandon your travel plans as a South African diplomatic or consular mission can issue an emergency travel certificate that will allow one to return to South Africa at the end of their trip.
One can also apply for a new passport when they apply for an emergency travel certificate.
That said, all passport applications at South African missions abroad are then sent to the Department of Home Affairs for processing.
It can still take the Department several months to process and deliver a new passport, so you’ll need an emergency travel certificate to return to South Africa.
When applying for an emergency travel certificate and a new passport at the South African embassy, you’ll need to follow these steps:
• Complete an application form.
• Submit your



 

fingerprints.
• Provide written proof of your South African citizenship using a birth certificate, identity document, certified copy of passport or driving licence (whichever you have available).
• Provide a copy of the police report on the loss or theft of your passport.
• Provide 2 photographs with your application.
• Pay the prescribed fee.
Nedbank said that when travelling out of South Africa, one should keep a digitised copy of their essential items, such as passport, identity document and driving licence.
Physical copies can be stored in different items of luggage, or you can leave copies behind with someone you trust.
The bank said that the following tips can also ensure that your passport is secure when travelling:
• Buy a good-quality passport holder to protect your passport from water damage and wear.
• Store your passport in a concealed zippered pocket safe from pickpockets or in your hotel safe.
• Whenever anyone asks you to produce your passport to be scanned or stamped, always check that the passport they return to you is indeed yours V.5399

More related News

 
Critical Skills Visa
02. Oct. 2025 SA Migration
  More than 380k South Africans blocked from IDs lawyers challenge home affairs
26. Aug. 2025 News 24

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
Click here for full article


 

One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
Click here for full article


Airport Immigration Alert
25. Aug. 2025 SA Migration
  Airport Immigration Alert
25. Aug. 2025 SA Migration

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
Click here for full article


 

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
Click here for full article


A New Zealand mother and her 6-year-old son released from US immigration custody after being detained for weeks
25. Aug. 2025 CNN
  High Court upholds corporate visa refusal: Implications for businesses
25. Aug. 2025 Biz Community

A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
Click here for full article


 

On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
Click here for full article


US faces 9.4bn dollars tourism loss from new 250dollars visa fee targeting African countries
25. Aug. 2025 businessinsider
  Airport Immigration Alert
21. Aug. 2025 SA Migration

The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
Click here for full article


 

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
Click here for full article


ARRESTED & UNDOCUMENTED: WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?
20. Aug. 2025 SA Migration
  E-Hailing & Scooter Drivers in South Africa â€` Why Being LEGAL is CRUCIAL!
20. Aug. 2025 SA Migration

1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
Click here for full article


 

Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
Click here for full article



Search
South Africa Immigration Company