British High Commission
Pretoria

Location:: South Africa
Part of:: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The British High Commission in South Africa maintains and develops relations between the UK and South Africa.

Find out more on our UK and South Africa news page.

We provide services to British nationals living in and visiting South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. You can access UK government services while in South Africa.

If you’re travelling in South Africa, read our South Africa travel advice.

Getting help

If you cannot get the support you need from local services, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can help British people abroad.

We prioritise emergencies and people who are vulnerable, for example, if someone’s:

ill, injured, or involved in a crime
with a British person who’s died

Get help from FCDO

Get an emergency travel document

You can apply for an emergency travel document if you’re abroad and your passport has been lost or stolen, damaged or expired, and you can’t get a new or replacement passport in time to travel.

Apply online for an emergency travel document

If the person needing the emergency travel document is under 16, a parent or guardian should apply on their behalf.

If you are travelling in more than 3 weeks, check if you can get a new or replacement passport in time to travel.

If you are not a British citizen or have not had a British passport before

If you’re not sure, check if you’re a British citizen.

If you’re not a British citizen but think you may be eligible, contact us to apply for an emergency travel document.

Other consular services

Notarial and documentary services

For legal reasons, we’re unable to carry out notarial acts in Commonwealth countries. This includes certifying documents as true copies of originals, administering oaths or taking affidavits. For these or other notarial acts, you should contact a local notary. A standard letter is available to confirm we do not offer these services in South Africa.

We offer a limited range of documentary services. See the list of documentary services we provide.

Consular fees

We charge fees for some of our services. See the full list of consular fees in South Africa.

Development work with South Africa

The UK government supports international development through long-term partnerships. These are tailored to the needs of each country the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office works with, built on mutual accountability and transparency. Sustainable development is central to UK foreign policy, and we are working to go further and faster to reduce poverty globally.

For up-to-date information on the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme work in South Africa, view the Development Tracker.

Our people

Antony Phillipson CMG

British High Commissioner to South Africa

Adam Bye OBE

British Deputy High Commissioner to South Africa

Contact us