On 15 July 2025, the South African High Commissioner to New Zealand, H.E. Johnny Sexwale, officially launched on behalf of the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, the new Department of Home Affairs (DHA)-VFS Global Passport Application Centre in Auckland. This milestone follows years of dedicated effort and ongoing engagement between the South African High Commission in Wellington, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), and the South African community in New Zealand—particularly those residing on the North Island.
The launch of the centre marks a major step forward in improving access to civic services for South African nationals living abroad. The initiative delivers on a commitment made by the Department of Home Affairs in 2022 to extend its partnership with VFS Global to New Zealand.
South African nationals in New Zealand can now lodge their passport renewal applications at two convenient locations managed by VFS Global: Auckland and Wellington. These centres provide a streamlined and secure environment for submitting passport applications, eliminating the need for long-distance travel and improving service delivery. It is crucial to point out that at this stage, the two centers offer limited civic services i.e.
- Adult passport applications and renewals.
- Child passport applications. First passport and ID applications can only be submitted at the SA High Commission in Wellington.
Key benefits of the new system include:
Quicker turnaround times for passport processing and renewal; real-time tracking of application status, with optional SMS notifications.
The opening of the VFS Passport Application Centre is a clear reflection of the South African Government’s commitment through the DHA to improving consular services and ensuring that South African citizens abroad receive the same high standard of service as they would at home. This development forms part of the Department of Home Affairs’ broader strategy to modernize its systems and make public services more accessible to citizens, regardless of their location.
The High Commission encourages all South African nationals in New Zealand to make use of the new VFS Global centres for their passport renewal needs, whilst the High Commission remains available as an option to render full civic services to all South African nationals in New Zealand.
