Last checked: October 2026
Good news for Saffas in the UAE: you no longer need to queue at the Consulate to renew your green passport. Since July 2025, VFS Global has been the Department of Home Affairs' (DHA) only outsourced partner for South African passport renewals in the UAE. You can apply at the VFS centre in Wafi City, Dubai, or at the South African Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
Your application is captured in Dubai, sent to Home Affairs in Pretoria for processing, and the new passport comes back to VFS Dubai for you to collect.
⚠️ Fees, forms and requirements change. Always double-check the official VFS page before your appointment: South Africa Passport Services – VFS UAE
At a glance
- Where: VFS Global Visa Application Centre, Wafi Mall (Wafi City), Umm Hurair 2, Dubai
- Nearest Metro: Dubai Healthcare City (Green Line)
- Book online: services.vfsglobal.com/are/en/zap
- Cost (standard passport): AED 489 (AED 258 DHA fee + AED 231 VFS service charge)
- Payment: Credit or debit card only — no cash
- Processing time: Roughly 8–10 weeks (not guaranteed)
- When to apply: 12–18 months before your current passport expires
When should you apply?
Earlier than you think. VFS and Home Affairs recommend applying at least 12 months before your passport expires, and VFS's own page now suggests up to 18 months ahead. Processing happens in South Africa, so delays are out of anyone's hands in Dubai.
You can renew early if your passport is full or you're changing your surname after marriage or divorce.
Don't book flights until your new passport is physically in your hands. You'll need your current passport to stay in the UAE legally, too, so keep your residence visa in mind when planning.
Fees
All amounts are in AED and paid by card at the centre on the day of your appointment.
- Adult passport renewal (32 pages): AED 258 DHA fee + AED 231 VFS charge = AED 489
- Child passport renewal: AED 258 + AED 231 = AED 489
- Maxi passport (48 pages): AED 516 + AED 231 = AED 747
- Lost or stolen passport replacement: AED 516 + AED 231 = AED 747
VFS also sells optional extras (form filling, printing, SMS updates, premium lounge, after-hours appointments). These are not required. See the VFS additional services page for current prices.
Step by step
1. Book your appointment
- Go to services.vfsglobal.com/are/en/zap and create an account.
- Choose Apply for Consular Services → Passport.
- Pick your passport type (adult, child, maxi or lost) and book a slot at Dubai (or Abu Dhabi if that's easier).
- Save or print your appointment confirmation.
Booking one appointment per applicant is the norm, so if you're doing the whole family, book a slot for each person.
2. Download and fill in the forms
Download the forms from the VFS page. Fill them in with black ink and block letters.
- DHA-73 – Passport application form. Complete Section A and sign Section E. Leave Section B blank; VFS completes it 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 must be signed, or the form gets sent back.
- DI-47 – Only if your passport was lost or stolen (bring a police report too).
- DHA-9 (fingerprints) – Don't download this one. You'll get it at the centre.
📝 The big rule: Don't leave any field blank. Write "N/A" where something doesn't apply. And no Tippex or correction fluid — Home Affairs will reject the application. If you make a mistake, start a fresh form.
3. Get your photos
You need four colour photos, 35 mm x 45 mm, professionally taken, showing your full face, head and shoulders. They must not be edited or retouched in any way.
- Don't stick them on the form. VFS staff certify them at your appointment.
- Bring a digital copy as well; VFS asks for it to be emailed at the centre.
- The Wafi centre has photo booths and photocopy stations if you're caught short, but it's safer to arrive prepared.
4. Gather your documents
For every document, bring the original plus a photocopy. VFS can certify the copy as a true copy on the spot when they see the original.
Adults
- Current South African passport
- South African ID (green ID book or Smart ID card)
- South African birth certificate
- Marriage certificate — if you want your married surname in the passport
- Completed DHA-73 and DHA-529
- Four passport photos (not attached) + digital copy
- Your appointment confirmation
- A bank card for payment
If any of these apply to you, also bring:
- Surname change (maiden or married): a formal written request letter plus your marriage certificate.
- Married outside SA: the foreign marriage certificate, your spouse's ID or passport, and the marriage registration form from the VFS site.
- Divorced: the final divorce decree plus the marriage certificate. If divorced outside SA, include the divorce registration form.
- Dual citizen: proof of how and when you got the other citizenship, such as a naturalisation or registration certificate. A foreign passport or ID card on its own doesn't count. If you got it by descent, bring your full birth certificate showing your parents' birthplaces.
- Naturalised South African: your naturalisation certificate.
- Documents not in English: a sworn English translation, and foreign certificates must be apostilled or legalised.
5. Attend your appointment
At VFS you'll:
- Check in with your confirmation
- Hand over forms and documents for review
- Have your photos certified and fingerprints captured (DHA-9)
- Pay by card
- Receive a receipt with a tracking reference — keep it safe
Arrive a little early. Wafi Mall parking is free for the first three hours on weekdays, which should comfortably cover your visit.
6. Track and collect
Use your reference number to track progress on the VFS website. When the passport is back in Dubai, you'll be notified to collect it at the centre. Collection is usually in person, so bring your receipt and ID.
Renewing a child's passport (under 16)
Children's passports follow the same process, with a few extra rules:
- Both parents and the child must attend the appointment.
- The parental consent section on page 2 of the DHA-73 (Section C) is signed in front of VFS staff, so don't sign it beforehand.
- If one parent is not in the UAE, they need to give consent through Home Affairs in South Africa or the SA embassy where they live.
- If both parents have died, the legal guardian brings a certified court order or adoption certificate, plus their own ID and passport.
- Children under 15½ don't give fingerprints.
- The DHA-529 is signed by a parent on the child's behalf.
Bring for the child:
- Child's current SA passport
- Child's SA birth certificate (unabridged)
- Parents' marriage certificate
- Both parents' SA ID books or Smart ID cards
- Both parents' SA passports
- Completed DHA-73 and DHA-529
- Four photos + digital copy
🎂 Turning 16 soon? Teens aged 15½ and older must apply for their first adult passport and, at the same time or before, their first Smart ID card. Home Affairs now makes this compulsory. The first ID card is free, but the VFS service charge applies.
Lost or stolen passport
Book under the lost passport option. You'll pay double the normal DHA fee (AED 516 + AED 231 VFS charge) and need:
- Form DI-47 (loss of passport report)
- A police report from the UAE police
- Everything else on the adult checklist above
If you need to travel urgently in the meantime, contact the South African Consulate General in Dubai or the Embassy in Abu Dhabi about emergency travel documents. VFS doesn't issue those.
A note for dual citizens
In May 2025, the Constitutional Court ruled that South Africans don't automatically lose their citizenship by taking another nationality. Anyone who lost it that way since 1995 is treated as never having lost it.
You still need to fill in the DHA-529 and bring proof of your other citizenship. If you've had problems with Home Affairs on this before, it's worth reapplying now.
Top tips from the community
- Apply the moment you're in the window. 12 months out is the minimum; 18 months is safer.
- Fill in forms at home, carefully. Blank fields and Tippex are the most common reasons applications bounce.
- Make two sets of copies of everything — it's cheap insurance.
- Bring a black pen. You'll fill in at least one form at the centre.
- Check your passport photo rules before going to a studio. Smiles, glasses glare and shadows can cause rejections.
- Keep your old passport after you collect the new one. VFS cancels it, but it may still carry valid visas.
- Update your UAE records (Emirates ID, residence visa, bank) with your new passport details once it arrives.