South African Emergency Travel Certificate

Emergency Travel Certificates are issued to South Africans who have to travel back home urgently for reasons of death, sickness or any other emergency.  It is in a page form and may be issued with validity ranging from a month to a year. Applicants for emergency travel certificates must also apply for permanent passports.

Visits to our offices for civic services are strictly by appointment only.
Applicants are reminded to kindly ensure they make an appointment before presenting at the Embassy/Consulate General.

Requirements

Please ensure that you submit two sets of the application: a) the original application forms with supporting documents, and b) a copy of the completed set.

Checklist of Documents to be Submitted:

• DHA-73 – Passport Application form; with signature and left thumb print.
• Sample Passport Application Form for Minors 
• Sample Passport Application Form for Adults
• DHA-9 form – Full set of fingerprints on DHA-9 form.This form is not downloadable. This form must be submitted by applicants 16 years old and above. Fingerprints can be taken at the South African Consulate/Embassy.
• See sample DHA-9 form.
• Written motivation for the issuing of the Emergency Travel Certificate, along with any proof of the urgency of the trip (e.g. confirmation of funeral arrangements, doctor's letter confirming sickness, police report, etc.)
• A schedule of your travel arrangements (flight itinerary)
• Proof of your South African citizenship in the form of your South African identity book, birth certificate or old passport and a copy thereof
• DHA-529 – Determination of citizenship. This form must be completed by applicants who are 16 years old and above;
• See sample DHA-529 form.
• Divorce decree. To be submitted by all divorced applicants;
• Notarized Marriage Certificate. To be submitted by married applicants irrespective of whether the they will or will not change their surname;
• Written Request to Change "Surname". To be submitted by married female applicants who would like:
  • 1) to retain their maiden surnames, or
  • 2) wish to use double–barrel surnames;
• Notarized Copy of South African Passport
• Notarized Copy of South African Identity Book or Birth certificate;
• Notarized Copy of Retention/Exemption Letter, for those who have dual citizenship;
• Notarized certificate of Naturalization. To be submitted by applicants who are naturalized South Africans.
• Loss of Passport Report and Police Report for Loss of Passport. To be submitted by applicants who lost their passports and are applying for a new passport;
• Four (4) passport size photos (2" x 2") Please note that color photos which comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for passports photo images are required for South African passport applications. [The holder's signature (persons 16 years old and above) is laser engraved into the passport. To ensure good quality scanned signature for laser engraving into the passport, the signature in the signature box on the passport application form should be in the middle of the box and must not touch the sides of the box. A medium point ballpoint pen should be used to sign the box]. Please ensure that your mouth is closed and your teeth are not showing on the photo. Passport applications in which the photo and signature images do not meet quality standards will be rejected causing delays in the issuance of passports.
• Fees and processing time
• Where to submit your application

Rev. November 17, 2023 12:25 PM