Renewing my South African Passport - how?

[adamr]

Has anyone gone through the excercise to renew their passport recently? My passport expires in a month ... eHome is offline due to Covid. Whats is the process now ...

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

You still have your old one right?
It should still work with an annexure added

Jokes aside, absolutely no idea. Good Luck

 

[Gothan]

Mine expired end of January and so far o have not been able to renew it

 

[adamr]

You still have your old one right?
It should still work with an annexure added

Jokes aside, absolutely no idea. Good Luck

... Lol ... I would loathe to queue at home affairs for this. My banker mentioned using the echannel and then themselves to do the last bit ... But damn ... With no echannel up ... This is rough

 

[maumau]

Online is off due to COVID??

 

[adamr]

Online is off due to COVID??

Yup

 

[B-1]

Yup

So it appears you will have to get a job in cross border transportation of essential goods or medicine.

 

[bwana]

Yup

Noticed that yesterday when we wanted to apply for an ID for my kid. It's absurd really. Online is the place they should be doing all this.

Doesn't look like you'll be getting yours done anytime soon.

 

[adamr]

Noticed that yesterday when we wanted to apply for an ID for my kid. It's absurd really. Online is the place they should be doing all this.

Doesn't look like you'll be getting yours done anytime soon.

Exactly ... Like its a semi automated or full automated process ... I pay ... bank takes over the process for me to go into a branch and just finish the process there. Makes zero sense this ...

 

[heartbroken]

So it appears you will have to get a job in cross border transportation of essential goods or medicine.

Jip, between not being able to get the vaccine for travel and them not issuing passports, they're making very sure none of us can leave.

 

[bwana]

Exactly ... Like its a semi automated or full automated process ... I pay ... bank takes over the process for me to go into a branch and just finish the process there. Makes zero sense this ...

The bureaucracy is staggering and so unnecessary. I renewed my UK drivers license the other day in ten minutes, it will be delivered (at my UK address) in a few days. I'll do the same thing when my UK passport expires.

 

[adamr]

Can people queue for you when when it comes to passports ?

 

[Dairyfarmer]

Can people queue for you when when it comes to passports ?

Find one of the rural home affairs near you. Ours is busy in the morning but by 2pm there is no one waiting, so you just get served when the person finally decides to stop watching YT videos. They close the doors at 3pm to knock off at 4:30pm.

 

[deweyzeph]

The bureaucracy is staggering and so unnecessary. I renewed my UK drivers license the other day in ten minutes, it will be delivered (at my UK address) in a few days. I'll do the same thing when my UK passport expires.

One of the best things about UK drivers licence is that it's got your address printed on the card as well so it doubles up not only has a form of identity but also as proof of address. Would make life so much easier if they did the same with SA drivers licences.

 

[deweyzeph]

Exactly ... Like its a semi automated or full automated process ... I pay ... bank takes over the process for me to go into a branch and just finish the process there. Makes zero sense this ...

Technically the banks have nothing to do with it. They just provide the floor space for Home Affairs. They have nothing to do with the actual process of issuing IDs or passports.

 

[RedViking]

Fortunately I renewed mine just before lockdown.

But in general the system itself is just and absolute mess. Probably still run on flash.

 

[RedViking]

Can people queue for you when when it comes to passports ?

Last time I was there (home affairs) you get a number. Can then go to town and do whatever you like and come back later. But there is no guarantee the system will be online.

 

[RedViking]

 

[adamr]

Technically the banks have nothing to do with it. They just provide the floor space for Home Affairs. They have nothing to do with the actual process of issuing IDs or passports.

They are a channel and it beats using the home affairs channel to do this. So they definitely part of the process (of course they not processing this for me ... But a concierge type service )

RMB sent me the below process to follow and other banks offer the same (excuse the useless Tapatalk quality) ... If the e-channel only worked

 

[bwana]

One of the best things about UK drivers licence is that it's got your address printed on the card as well so it doubles up not only has a form of identity but also as proof of address. Would make life so much easier if they did the same with SA drivers licences.

That's bizarre. I've always just assumed my wife's license had an address on it.