A six to twelve month wait for critical documents like passports and ID books is unacceptable!
The Department of Home Affairs and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation are failing on their joint responsibility to ensure South Africans living overseas get their passports, IDs and other critical documents in an efficient and timely fashion.
With an average waiting time of six to twelve months for such documents, these delays can greatly impact on an individual’s freedoms. This delay in document procurement was one of the largest factors preventing South Africans abroad from being able to vote in the recent general election.
The DA Abroad will petition Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, to:
- Reduce waiting times for civic documents such as passports, ID books and birth certificates from six months to two months.
- Ensure that electronic services implemented in South Africa be implemented abroad as well.
- Make an online tracking service available so that those abroad can receive updates and check on the status of their applications.
- Provide foreign missions with adequate resources to contact consular offices and ensure that enquiries are responded to.
Please share the petition with your friends and family too.
Note that if you are currently waiting on a Home Affairs document and it has been more than 6 months since your application was submitted, the please do email the DA’s Shadow Minister of Home Affairs’ team on assistance@da.org.za who can then investigate the status of your application.