Petition for a passport emergency extension for South Africans living abroad

South Africans living, working, and studying abroad have for many years had to wait 6 to 12 months for their renewed passports due to Home Affairs inefficiency. The Covid-19 Pandemic has only worsened an already unacceptable situation.

These unnecessary waiting times are negatively impacting on South African citizens’ individual freedoms. S21(4) of the Constitution grants every citizen the right to a passport and for those South Africans living abroad the expiry of their passport means they face dire consequences for their immigration status, work, and ability to access healthcare.

Adrian Roos MP has written to the Minister of Home Affairs to request that Home Affairs finds some mechanism to grant South Africans an emergency validity extension to their passports.

To assist South Africans abroad the DA and its ancillary international organisation the DA Abroad will petition the Minister of Home Affairs to:

  • Ensure South Africans living, working and studying abroad who are facing long waits for their renewed passports have an emergency extension to their passport that covers the 6-12 month average wait.
  • Co-ordinate with DIRCO to ensure all facilities where applications are made abroad are fully open for business and are Covid-19 safety compliant.
  • Put in place measures to reduce the turnaround time for passport applications from abroad including electronic applications at larger missions and the option to courier applications

The DA and SAPeople will not stand idly by when South African citizens are in need.

Show your support and sign the petition.

The data collected by this petition will be processed in South Africa by the Democratic Alliance

9629 supporters

10371 needed to reach 20000

South Africans living, working, and studying abroad have for many years had to wait 6 to 12 months for their renewed passports due to Home Affairs inefficiency. The Covid-19 Pandemic has only worsened an already unacceptable situation.

These unnecessary waiting times are negatively impacting on South African citizens’ individual freedoms. S21(4) of the Constitution grants every citizen the right to a passport and for those South Africans living abroad the expiry of their passport means they face dire consequences for their immigration status, work, and ability to access healthcare.

Adrian Roos MP has written to the Minister of Home Affairs to request that Home Affairs finds some mechanism to grant South Africans an emergency validity extension to their passports.

To assist South Africans abroad the DA and its ancillary international organisation the DA Abroad will petition the Minister of Home Affairs to:

  • Ensure South Africans living, working and studying abroad who are facing long waits for their renewed passports have an emergency extension to their passport that covers the 6-12 month average wait.
  • Co-ordinate with DIRCO to ensure all facilities where applications are made abroad are fully open for business and are Covid-19 safety compliant.
  • Put in place measures to reduce the turnaround time for passport applications from abroad including electronic applications at larger missions and the option to courier applications

The DA and SAPeople will not stand idly by when South African citizens are in need.

Show your support and sign the petition.

The data collected by this petition will be processed in South Africa by the Democratic Alliance