South African travellers will pay higher fees for new passports starting in November this year for the first time in 11 years, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced on Monday.
The amended fees, which are above 50% or more of the current passport prices, will come into effect on 1 November 2022, the minister said.
The changes to passport and emergency travel certificate fees were informed by the outcome of a bench-marking exercise with other countries which found that South African tariffs were up to three times lower, Motsoaledi said.
The decision was also informed by the fact that production costs were much higher than what the travellers will be paying for their passports, he added.
There are different fees for applications made in South Africa — and those coming from its diplomatic missions abroad, he explained.
According to the new fees, a South African passport or travel document applying from within the country will be raised from US$22.22 to $33.33 per 32-page document.
For a 48-page passport the traveller will have to dish out some $67 per booklet, he said.
Fees payable in respect of applications for a South African passport made outside of the country from the country’s diplomatic posts are $67 for a 32-page book — and $132 will be paid for the 48-page travel document, the minister said.
However, an emergency travel certificate which is given to travellers who are stranded abroad will cost only $8 per copy, and its used only once.
“There is no emergency travel certificate for South Africans who need to travel abroad, however,” Motsoaledi said.
NM/as/APA