Last checked: 21 Oct 2026
What to bring to VFS for a South African passport
Summarised from the VFS Global consular services information page [source]. Complete all forms in black ink, no correction fluid, and write N/A rather than leaving blanks.
Adult passport (16 and older)
- Form DHA-73 passport application: complete section A and sign section E. Section B is completed at your appointment.
- DHA-529 Determination of Citizenship Status: required for every passport application made outside South Africa. Questions A9 and A10 must be answered and section E signed.
- DHA-9 fingerprint form: not downloadable at VFS; you complete it at the appointment.
- DI-47 loss report plus a police report, if your passport was lost or stolen.
- Originals and copies of: current SA passport, SA ID (green ID book or Smart ID card), SA birth certificate, marriage certificate if a married surname is to appear in the passport. The centre can certify copies if you show the original.
- Dual citizens: proof of how and when you acquired the other nationality, such as a naturalization certificate and retention certificate. A foreign passport or ID is not proof of how and when you acquired it. The February 2026 Embassy adult checklist still asks for a copy of a retention certificate if applicable [source]. For the 6 May 2025 ruling and the DHA online check, see citizenship.
- Foreign-language documents need a sworn English translation; foreign birth, marriage and divorce documents must be legalised or apostilled.
- Four colour photos, 35 mm x 45 mm, head and shoulders. Photos can be taken at the centre for a fee. Do not attach them to the form.
First adult passport (turning 16): apply for the first ID card first or together with the passport, and both parents and the child must attend [source].
Child passport (under 16)
- DHA-73 and BI-529 (section E signed by a parent); parental consent on page 2 section C is signed in the office, and both parents must be present for applicants under 18.
- If one parent is not in the USA, consent must be obtained from Home Affairs in South Africa or a South African embassy where that parent lives.
- Originals and copies: child's current passport, SA birth certificate, both parents' SA IDs and passports.
- Under 15 and a half: no fingerprints required. Four photos, 35 x 45 mm.
First ID
- BI-529, DHA-9 (at appointment), certified unabridged birth certificate and both parents' ID and passport first pages, certifications not older than 3 months. Four photos.
Embassy checklist (for comparison)
The Embassy adult checklist also asks for a copy of a retention certificate if applicable, and a divorce decree or written request where you change or keep a surname [source]. Embassy photo specification: official image.
