New Home Affairs Centres Abroad Bring Faster Passport Turnaround for South Africans

Big news for South Africans living abroad - no more waiting over a year just to get a passport!

The Department of Home Affairs has officially launched new international service centres aimed at giving South Africans overseas faster and easier access to essential documents like passports and birth certificates.

If you're living in Australia or New Zealand, things just got a lot better!

Australia: Sydney and Melbourne Centres Now Open

Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, was on the ground in Australia this week to launch two brand-new service centres in Sydney and Melbourne, with a third set to open in Perth by the end of September 2025.

That means no more endless waits or costly flights home just to renew a document. These centres are here to cut turnaround times from 12–18 months, to just five weeks.

New Zealand Also Gets a Boost

Over in Auckland and Wellington, new centres are now up and running too, bringing the same speedy services to South Africans living in New Zealand. These join the already operational London service centre in the UK.

What Services Are Offered?

The new overseas centres will help with:

• Passport applications (new and renewals for adults and children)
  
  
• Birth registrations
  
  
• Online appointment bookings (with walk-in options available)
  
  
• Email support and SMS tracking so you're updated every step of the way
  
  
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–12pm and 1pm–5pm
  
  

And yes, the processing time is only five weeks. That’s a huge improvement!

More Countries Coming Soon

Australia and New Zealand are just the beginning. Home Affairs is planning to open more centres in:

• UAE and China in the next few months
  
  
• France, Germany and the Netherlands later this year
  
  
• North America early next year (2026)
  
  

So, if you’re living abroad, keep an eye out - faster services could be coming to a city near you soon.

What’s Next?

The department is also working on upgrades to the eHomeAffairs platform. Soon, you’ll be able to apply for your Smart ID and ditch the paperwork altogether.

As Minister Schreiber put it: “These improvements are not just about better service, they’re about delivering dignity to South Africans, wherever they live in the world.”

Stay Updated

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