Renewing my South African Passport - how?

[deweyzeph]

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

Yes, I know how it works, I've used it several times myself and it does work very well, when it works. The point I'm making is that the bank has nothing to do with it besides providing a convenient location. When you go to the bank branch you will be attended to by Home Affairs officials who are stationed at the bank branch. None of the bank's systems are involved, none of the bank's staff members are involved, and the bank itself does not in any way get involved with the actual process of taking your biometrics or processing your application.

 

[adamr]

Yes, I know how it works, I've used it several times myself and it does work very well, when it works. The point I'm making is that the bank has nothing to do with it besides providing a convenient location. When you go to the bank branch you will be attended to by Home Affairs officials who are stationed at the bank branch. None of the bank's systems are involved, none of the bank's staff members are involved, and the bank itself does not in any way get involved with the actual process of taking your biometrics or processing your application.

Yea its exactly that (and I for one second didn't think the bank would be processing my renewal) ... Its a form of concierge to me

In the end it makes zero difference if it is banks employees or government employees. But now I'd need to queue at one of these home affairs places

 

[adamr]

Ok appears unless you are an essential worker will they honour your renewal application ... Which would explain why they pulled the plug on the e-channel

 

[deweyzeph]

In the end it makes zero difference if it is banks employees or government employees. But now I'd need to queue at one of these home affairs places

I don't think that Home Affairs is currently processing ANY passport renewals, regardless of whether you use the eChannel or go there personally. So maybe double check that before you waste a day of your life queueing unnecessarily.

 

[adamr]

I don't think that Home Affairs is currently processing ANY passport renewals, regardless of whether you use the eChannel or go there personally. So maybe double check that before you waste a day of your life queueing unnecessarily.

Yup you are correct ... Just posted that above

 

[maumau]

Yup you are correct ... Just posted that above

... and if you need to travel?

 

[adamr]

... and if you need to travel?

Not a must or rush. But seeing my passport was expiring would have been convenient to have it valid (emergencies , etc) ... But yes no intentions to fly out

 

[gregmcc]

My passport expired last month. I'm in the UK and the there is no way to renew at the SA high commission in London. Its been like this for at least the past year.

Due to new UK government measures to combat the spread of the Coronavirus, the High Commission is unable to attend to walk-in clients or receive postal applications for Consular, Civic or Immigration matters.

Before this the website was down for 6-9 months. Utter shambles.

 

[maumau]

No international travel without a passport, no passports being issued - are we really trapped here?

.... or are we supposed to take docs to home affairs

P.S. I still don't understand why online services are suspended????

 

[heartbroken]

No international travel without a passport, no passports being issued - are we really trapped here?

.... or are we supposed to take docs to home affairs

P.S. I still don't understand why online services are suspended????

Part of their master plan. Trap those earning above the poverty line and prevent them from doing business

 

[maumau]

Part of their master plan. Trap those earning above the poverty line and prevent them from doing business

Arseholes

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

Wait? What? Why?

Have they really not been issuing passports for nearly a year? WTAF

 

[maumau]

Wait? What? Why?

Have they really not been issuing passports for nearly a year? WTAF

I'm guessing we gave to go to home affairs in person to apply?????????? Close the online system because COVID so everyone spends hours in the stinking, filthy, DISGUSTING home affairs places

With expired passports does that make us illegals?

 

[Dave]

My passport expired last month. I'm in the UK and the there is no way to renew at the SA high commission in London. Its been like this for at least the past year.

Brit passport took ten days to renew recently, from sending the old one away to getting the new one back in the post.

Maybe you need to find a Tardis and get those years of residency over with so you can change which passport you have .

 

[adamr]

I'm guessing we gave to go to home affairs in person to apply?????????? Close the online system because COVID so everyone spends hours in the stinking, filthy, DISGUSTING home affairs places

With expired passports does that make us illegals?

Unless you are deemed essential services with your motivation in hand, they will turn you away ... So no passports or renewals for the masses

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

I'm guessing we gave to go to home affairs in person to apply?????????? Close the online system because COVID so everyone spends hours in the stinking, filthy, DISGUSTING home affairs places

With expired passports does that make us illegals?

I'm confused: what do you people think happens when you apply online for a Passport or ID? It gets processed by a computer and delivered to your house??

We applied online for:

• ID Card for myself and passport renewal
• Passport for my wife
• Passports for my kids

Online application was eventually confirmed as successful and we were each issued a specific number and told to go to home affairs with this number.

Queued outside home affairs with the rest of the people for 30 minutes, got inside and presented these numbers. Guy said OK great that means you skip the first queue and he put the numbers "into the system" and said ok now we can go past this first line and wait over "their to be called".

Six hours later we were called in, sat down with human consultants, signed and thumbscanned etc etc.

Then we were notified via SMS and email to go and collect the stuff. My wife had to drive to CT to stand in another queue to pick the stuff up.

My passport was done too late ( no idea why),and I missed a free trip to Mauritius because of that.

I had to queue at Home Affairs in Bellville for 4 hours to pick up MY passport.

 

[maumau]

Not how it worked for me.

I completed the documentation and applied online. Scheduled an appointment at one of the banks - I chose Nedbank Lakeside.

Arrived at Nedbank which is a beautiful newish building, spotless, safe parking, charming, efficient bank staff.

Home Affairs had 2 x small clean offices inside the bank where they took my fingerprints and whatever else they do - maybe a photo but I don't remember. Was there maybe 30 minutes in spacious, bright surroundings.

Went back a few weeks later to collect. Same process for my ID and my passport.

Very little human contact and plenty of space for social distancing.

My young niece went to get her drivers licence renewed in roodepoort and one of the unwashed ran up and tried to open her car door.

 

[adamr]

Not how it worked for me.

I completed the documentation and applied online. Scheduled an appointment at one of the banks - I chose Nedbank Lakeside.

Arrived at Nedbank which is a beautiful newish building, spotless, safe parking, charming, efficient bank staff.

Home Affairs had 2 x small clean offices inside the bank where they took my fingerprints and whatever else they do - maybe a photo but I don't remember. Was there maybe 30 minutes in spacious, bright surroundings.

Went back a few weeks later to collect. Same process for my ID and my passport.

Very little human contact and plenty of space for social distancing.

My young niece went to get her drivers licence renewed in roodepoort and one of the unwashed ran up and tried to open her car door.

But how long ago was this ...

 

[Milano]

Wait? What? Why?

Have they really not been issuing passports for nearly a year? WTAF

I renewed my passport during the first half of December. Opened a standard bank account solely for that purpose. Took literally 7 days. So there was a period of time during which it was open before they shut it down again.

 

[maumau]

But how long ago was this ...

Think it was about three years.

Why would they change the system?