SA discontinues temporary passports

Johannesburg - No more temporary passports will be issued from September 1, the South African home affairs department said on Thursday.

"[The] temporary passport was initially issued as an interim travel document due to longer turnaround times taken to issue a permanent tourist passport," it said in a statement.

"This turnaround time has improved drastically, rendering the issuance of temporary passports redundant."

The department said it became aware that South Africans travelling abroad and to neighbouring countries were refused entry if they had temporary passports.

"In this regard, only an emergency travel certificate (ETC) will be issued to an applicant under circumstances of emergency travel purposes... to countries that accept ETCs for purposes of assisting family members in distress or if a family member is deceased."