A new initiative by the Department of Home Affairs to provide door-to-door passport delivery for South Africans living abroad has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who argue the move prioritises overseas citizens over those at home.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber announced the Home Affairs @ Home programme this week, confirming that from 1 November 2025, South Africans applying through the department’s global service centres will have the option to receive newly issued passports directly at their international addresses. The initiative will launch across 18 cities worldwide, with more expected to follow.
ActionSA has condemned the development, calling it “a misplacement of priorities” and accusing government of overlooking ongoing service failures in South Africa.
ActionSA spokesperson and MP Lerato Ngobeni said millions of South Africans continue to endure long queues, system outages and delays when applying for identity documents, while the department introduces what she described as “luxury services” abroad.
“It is offensive that the Minister can finance courier passport delivery to London, Dubai or Sydney, yet pensioners and learners at home struggle to access IDs needed for social grants or matric examinations,” Ngobeni said.
The party says it will demand disclosure from the Minister on the cost of the overseas courier service and who will ultimately pay for it.
Minister Schreiber defended the initiative while addressing South Africans in The Hague, saying it is designed to reduce long waiting times for passport processing overseas — in some cases from 18 months down to around five weeks.
Delivery fees will range between US$30 and US$60, depending on location. Schreiber said the project forms part of a broader technology-driven improvement plan within the department to modernise systems and enhance service delivery both domestically and internationally.
