The South African passport cost for a standard 32-page adult booklet is R600 when you apply inside the country. The 48-page maxi passport, aimed at frequent travellers, is R1,200. A child passport is R600. Applying at a mission, embassy or consulate abroad doubles those amounts. These fees were gazetted in Government Gazette No. 47256 on 6 October 2022, took effect on 1 November 2022, and remain in force.
Passport fees
| Document | Applying in South Africa | Applying abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Adult passport, 32 pages | R600 | R1,200 |
| Maxi passport, 48 pages | R1,200 | R2,400 |
| Child passport | R600 | R1,200 |
| Document for travel purposes | R600 | Not listed |
| Crew member certificate | R600 | Not listed |
| Official or diplomatic passport | R600 | Not listed |
| Emergency travel certificate | Not issued in South Africa | R140 |
Before the 2022 increase, a standard adult passport had cost R400 since 2011. Home Affairs justified the change on the basis of a benchmarking exercise that found South African tariffs were up to three times lower than comparable countries.
Home Affairs also applies conditional tariffs that do not appear in that gazette summary. Its travel documents pages indicate a higher amount where your existing passport is still valid for six months or longer, and a higher amount where a passport is lost or damaged. Confirm the current amount with Home Affairs before paying, as these conditional tariffs are published separately and change periodically.
What you need to apply
- Your green barcoded ID book or Smart ID card.
- A completed application form, captured at the office where you apply.
- Fingerprints and a photograph, taken on the department’s live capture equipment.
- Proof of payment of the prescribed fee.
- Your previous passport, if you have one.
- For a lost or stolen passport, a police case number and an affidavit.
- For a child, both parents’ consent and the child’s unabridged birth certificate.
There is no separate courier or handling charge inside South Africa. The fee covers production and issuing of the booklet.
Where you can apply
There are three routes: a Home Affairs office, a participating bank branch, or a South African mission abroad.
The bank route has expanded quickly. Home Affairs said 327 bank branches were taking part as at July 2026, with a stated target of more than 750 by the end of the year. Published branch counts differ between sources, so check the department’s own list before travelling to a branch.
One distinction matters. The long-running eHomeAffairs bank branches have handled both Smart ID and passport applications for years and generally require a booking. The newer digital partnership branches launched in March 2026 started with Smart ID services and are being extended to passports and first-time applications in phases. Home Affairs’ own digital partnership page has at points described the current phase as covering Smart ID card services, while ministerial statements describe passports as included. Phone the specific branch and ask what it can process before you go.
This build-out is the same infrastructure driving the phase-out of the green ID book, which is why passport and identity services are increasingly offered from the same counter.
How long it takes
Home Affairs does not publish a single guaranteed turnaround. In February 2026, Minister Leon Schreiber told Parliament that turnaround times for Smart ID and passport applications had been cut by 66.7% following reforms to the Online Verification Service and internal systems.
In practice, applications captured at bank branches and eHomeAffairs points are generally faster than walk-in applications at busy offices, and applications lodged at missions abroad take considerably longer because documents move between the mission and Pretoria.
Apply well before you need to travel. Many destinations require at least six months of remaining validity on your passport and a minimum number of blank pages, so a booklet that has not technically expired can still be refused at check-in.
Adult passports are valid for 10 years and child passports for five. A South African passport cannot be extended or renewed in the strict sense: when it expires you apply for a new one.
There is no emergency passport
This is the most persistent misunderstanding in the system.
Temporary passports were discontinued from 1 September 2014. The emergency travel certificate that appears on the fee schedule at R140 is issued only to South Africans stranded abroad, so that they can return home, and it lapses on arrival. It is not available to someone inside South Africa who needs to travel urgently.
Anyone offering to sell you an emergency passport is not describing a real document.
Watch out for paid fixers
Home Affairs issued a public warning in January 2026 about fraudsters charging members of the public for appointment bookings, application assistance and document collection, sometimes claiming to work with the department.
Booking through the official system costs nothing beyond the prescribed fee. Treat unsolicited offers the way you would treat scam messages circulating on WhatsApp, and never hand over your ID document to a stranger at a Home Affairs queue.
Common problems
Your marital status is wrong on the system. This is a frequent cause of failed first-time applications. Check your status on the population register before you pay.
The branch cannot process a passport. Confirm the branch’s service list in advance rather than assuming every participating bank branch does everything.
You paid the wrong amount. The abroad tariff is double the in-country tariff, and conditional tariffs apply in some cases.
Your application has gone quiet. Follow up with the reference issued at capture, and keep proof of the appointment. A failed capture is not a production delay, it means the application may never have started.
Your passport is full but not expired. You apply for a new booklet. Consider the maxi passport if you travel often.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a passport in South Africa in 2026?
R600 for a standard 32-page adult passport and R1,200 for the 48-page maxi.
Why is it more expensive at an embassy?
The gazetted schedule sets separate, higher tariffs for applications lodged outside the country.
Can I get a passport in a few days?
No. There is no fast-track emergency passport for outbound travel from South Africa.
How long is a South African passport valid?
Ten years for adults and five years for children.
Can I apply at a bank?
Yes, at participating branches, but the services offered differ by branch and by programme.
Do I need a new passport if mine expires in four months?
Probably. Many countries require six months of remaining validity from your date of entry.
What to watch
Passport tariffs were last adjusted in 2022 and are set by regulation under the South African Passports and Travel Documents Act, so the trigger for any change is a new Government Gazette notice from the Minister of Home Affairs, issued in consultation with the Minister of Finance. Home Affairs has been actively gazetting fee changes elsewhere, including a R500 electronic processing fee for the Electronic Travel Authorisation published on 17 August 2026, which suggests further tariff activity is plausible. Also watch the bank branch expansion towards the stated 750 target and the rollout of the department’s digital identity plans, both of which will change where and how people apply.
