Home Affairs Statement Regarding the Termination of the Acceptance of South African Temporary Passports in the United Kingdom
The Department of Home Affairs has noted that the British Government announced on 19 April 2006 that it would stop accepting South African temporary passports for travel to the United Kingdom.
The British Government will terminate the acceptance of temporary passports with effect from 01 June 2006.
Accordingly, the Department of Home Affairs was informed of this decision and duly accepted it. In addition, the Department was in constant contact with the British government and we also received a briefing from British officials on the matter prior to the announcement.
In the light of this development, we would like to call upon the public to apply for their passports such that they will be able to exercise their right to travel to the United Kingdom and other countries as and when they need to. We are keenly aware that there are challenges with passport-issuing process which we recognize. We are working very hard to resolve these problems.
The British Government has therefore put in place transitional arrangements that will allow travelers holding a temporary passport, issued on or before 19 April 2006 to travel to the United Kingdom up to 1 June. This will ensure that anyone who plans to visit the United Kingdom is able to do so. Those who hold a valid airline ticket purchased before 10 May 2006 will be allowed to travel before 1 June 2006. Anyone with a temporary passport who purchases an airline ticket between 11 and 30 May 2006 can also travel to the UK before 1 June 2006 but would need obtain a United Kingdom visa. From 1 June 2006, South African temporary passports will no longer be accepted for travel to the UK.
We are quite confident that once South Africans have applied for their passports at their earliest opportunity, they will be able to travel to the UK unhindered.
Issued by: The Office of
the Director General
The Department of Home Affairs
Last Revised: Tuesday, October 09, 2007
