South Africa: New Security Measures for Passport Collection Implemented

To bolster fraud prevention, the Ministry of Home Affairs has implemented new security measures for South African passport applicants. Whereas previously third parties could collect passports on behalf of applicants, applicants must now collect their passport in person. They must submit fingerprints during the collection process to activate the new passport. Additionally, applicants must now collect their passport from the same office where they submitted the application; they cannot request that their passport be transferred to another office, as was previously allowed. Details on the passport collection process at South African diplomatic posts are yet to be announced.