Services for South African citizens
New Visa requirements for South African nationals visiting the UK (09/02/2009)
With effect from Tuesday 03 March, South African passport holders will require a visa
in order to visit or transit the United Kingdom. However, until mid-2009, South African
nationals who have previously travelled to the UK on their current passport will be exempt
from the visa requirement. This decision follows a global review of the UK's pre-entry
immigration controls and reflects the UK government's commitment to strengthen its borders.
PASSPORTS:
Issued to: South African citizens 16 years and older
Tourist or Maxi Passports
South African tourist passports are issued to South African applicants who are 16 and above and are valid for 10 years. South African tourist passports are not renewable. On their expiry, new tourist passport applications will have to be filed.Requirements
- BI 73 Passport Application form; with signature and left thumb print.
- BI 9 form – Full set of fingerprints.
- BI-529 form
- Divorce decree. To be provided by all female applicants who are divorced and wishing to assume a new surname;
- Written Request to Change Surname. This is provided by all female applicants who are: recently married and want their surnames to be amended accordingly, retaining their maiden surnames and those who want to use double – barrel surnames;
- Notarized Copy of South African Identity Book or Birth certificate;
- Notarized certificate of Naturalization. To be provided by all applicants who are naturalized South Africans.
- Loss of Passport Report and Police Report for Loss of Passport. To be provided by all applicants who have lost their passports and are applying for a new passport;
- 2 Passport photos;
- CZK 1026 fee for processing, CZK 1540 fee for processing maxi passport.
Child Passports
Child passports are issued to children who are fifteen years and below. Children passports are not renewable. On their expiry, new passport applications will have to be filed.The requirements for their passports are as follows:
- BI 73 Passport Application Form.
- The passport application form has to be signed by the parents of the child concerned. Single mothers can sign as the sole parent of their child
- BI-529 form
- Notarized Copy of South African Birth certificate;
- CZK 1026 fee for processing
- Letter of permission to issue a passport. To be provided in a case where parents of the child concerned are divorced and the other one only has physical custody. The parents not having custody but allowed - by the court, to have access to the child, can provide the requested letter of permission. In terms of South African passport regulations, the parent who has sole custody and sole guardianship can sign passport applications of their children on their own.
- 2 Passport photos.
Temporary Passports
Temporary Passports are issued to all applicants who have to travel urgently while their passports are currently being processed. Applicants for temporary passports must also apply for permanent passports. It is valid for a year. The fee for processing is CZK 462.Refusal of South African temporary passports by British Authorities
The United Kingdom decided on 19 April 2006, that South African temporary passport holders would no longer be allowed to enter the United Kingdom on such documents with immediate effect.
The decision was reportedly taken due to concerns about the shortcomings with the passport issuing process in South Africa and the impact that has on British immigration controls. The rationale behind the ban had been necessitated by the fact that South African temporary passports are prone to abuse by third country nationals. Fraudulently obtained South African passports are regularly encountered at UK ports, held by a variety of nationalities.
This decision does not prevent South African nationals travelling to the UK, but requires them to obtain a full South African passport.
Transitional arrangements will apply to those who already hold South African temporary passports issued on or before 19 April 2006. Those travellers who purchased tickets prior to 19 April 2006 will be able to travel on their temporary passports to the UK before 1 June 2006; and those who purchased an airline ticket between 10 and 30 May 2006, can travel to the UK before 1 June 2006 provided that they have first secured a visa for entry to the UK.
With effect from 1 June 2006 no South African temporary passport will be accepted by British Immigration Authorities.
Identity documents
South African citizens and permanent residents, 16 years and older, must be in possession of an identity document. Persons applying for their South African ID book for the first time must lodge their applications through their nearest Department of Home Affairs in South Africa. Missions abroad can only process applications for re-issuance.Requirements:
- Form BI-10, Application for the Re-Issue of an Identity Document
- BI 9 form – Full set of fingerprints.
- BI-529 form
- Two (2) recent photographs; head and shoulder measuring 40 mm x 30 mm with applicant's name and ID number written on the reverse side
- CZK 359 fee for processing
- Certified copy of applicant's old ID Book or birth certificate
- Copy of Marriage Certificate, Divorce Decree or Spouse's Death Certificate, if applicable.
Birth certificate
Full birth certificates are issued upon request to persons who are South African citizens and whose births were duly registered in South Africa. These persons have obtained their citizenship as follows:- Birth in South Africa to South African citizens (by birth, naturalization) or foreigners who have valid permanent residence or work permits in South Africa.
- Birth registration for those who were born abroad to South African citizens:
This documents once issued includes the parent's particulars of applicant. The requirements are as follows:
- A duly completed Form Form BI 154 (Application for birth certificate)
, Application for Birth Certificate (this form must be completed in black ink)
- An administrative fee of CZK 192 in cash,
- BI- 529
- Copy of passport or ID
Full birth certificates are issued in South Africa and requires a processing period of 6 months
Registration of birth
(those who were born abroad to South African citizens)Application for birth certificate and passport can be submitted together with registration of birth
Required documents:
- BI-24 (notice of birth - medical and health use only) – must be completed in black ink
- BI-24 (notice of birth)
- Copy of birth certificate of child (officially translated if not in English)
- Copy of marriage certificate (officially translated if not in English)
- Copy of ID of both parents (or passport copy)
- Affidavit from Czech parent that he or she agrees with the registration of child in South Africa
- Form BI 154 (Application for birth certificate)
- BI- 529 to be added to all applications
- BI 73 (passport application)
- Fee for birth certificate application: Kc 192
- Fee for passport application: Kc 1026
Marriage in the Czech Republic
Documents needed:
A foreigner who desires to get married in the Czech Republic has to submit following documents.
- birth certificate
- document about citizenship
- letter of no impediment (validity maximum 6 months)
- letter of no lawful objection in regards of South African law
- proof of Permanent residence (eg. from population register in S.A.)
- (no. 2, 3, 4, could be in one document)
- death certificate if a foreigner is a widower/widow (this document does not have to be translated if mentioned in egg. letter of no impediment)
- divorce certificate if a foreigner is divorced
- proof of valid permit to stay in Czech Republic issued by the foreign police not older then 7 working days (forms at foreign police)
- proof of identity
- Documents issued in another countries must be legalized. (kind of legalization will be specified according to a foreign country by Czech authorities)
Authorized translator must translate foreign documents.
If a foreigner does not speak Czech a competent interpreter must be present at the marriage ceremony.
Legalization of documents
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Hradčanské náměstí č. 5
Praha 1
Tel: 22418-2153
Legalisation/Authentication of South African Documents
All South African documents must have APOSTILLE for use in the Czech Republic.
Legalizing or authenticating documents means that official documents are affixed, sealed and signed with an Apostille Certificate (where countries are party to The Hague Convention of 5 October 1961)
Documents for legalization can be sent to Department of Foreign Affairs by the Embassy.
Dual nationality
SOUTH AFRICAN CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT ACT, 2004 (ACT NO. 17 OF 2004)The Amendment Act repealed section 9 of the South African Citizenship Act, 1995 as of 15th September 2004, which regulated the use of the citizenship or nationality of another country by a South African dual citizen.
This inter alia means that the system of exemption/letters of permission to make use of a foreign passport has now been terminated. No further applications in this regard may therefore be processed.
The repealed section 9 has been replaced with a section as specified in the new section 26B. Section 26B reads as follows:
“ A major citizen who enters the Republic or departs from the Republic making use of the passport of another country; or while in the Republic, makes use of his or her citizenship or nationality of another country in order to gain an advantage or avoid a responsibility or duty, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 12 months”.
From section 26B you will notice that it will henceforth be an offence for a major South African citizen to enter the Republic or to depart there from making use of the passport of another country. In other words making use of a passport other than a South African passport.
Furthermore, it will also be an offence for such a citizen, while in the Republic, to use his or her foreign citizenship or nationality to gain an advantage or to avoid a responsibility or duty.
In essence, the Amendment provides that a South African dual citizen can use his or her foreign passport (citizenship/nationality) freely outside South Africa, but in South Africa, may not use his or her foreign nationality or citizenship to gain an advantage or to avoid a responsibility or duty which he or she, as a South African citizen, would otherwise not have been entitled or subject to.
