British High Commission Pretoria
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.
Urgent assistance
If you’re travelling in South Africa, read our South Africa travel advice.
Public access to the High Commission is by appointment only. See below options for contacting us online or by phone if you need our help.
If you’re in South Africa, Eswatini or Lesotho and you need advice, which is not covered by reading our travel advice then you can contact us online
If you’re in South Africa, Eswatini or Lesotho and you need urgent help (for example, you’ve been attacked, arrested or someone has died), call +27 12 421 7500 or +27 21 405 2400.
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 in South Africa
Our relationship with South Africa has now transitioned to a development partnership model built around mutually agreed priorities. This engagement is led by the Development Partnerships Unit based in the British High Commission, Pretoria. It is supported by a partnerships programme which works with South African institutions to strengthen their development role in Africa, in areas including tax capacity building, tackling climate change and service delivery monitoring.
- Development Tracker: South Africa to explore international development projects funded by the UK government by country and sector
- South Africa and the UK updates, news and events from the UK government in South Africa
Our people
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Adam Bye OBE
British Deputy High Commissioner to South Africa
Contact us
British High Commission, Pretoria
255 Hill Street
Arcadia
Pretoria
Gauteng
0002
South Africa
24/7 Telephone - General and consular enquiries
+27 12 421 7500 or +27 21 405 2400
Telephone - Passport enquiries
+44 300 222 0000
Visa enquiries from within South Africa - Monday to Friday, 24 hours. Calls cost £1.37 per minute on top of your standard network charges.
Telephone: +44 203 481 1736
Public access to the consular section is by appointment only.
24/7 consular support is available by telephone for all routine enquiries and emergencies. Please call +27 12 421 7500 or +27 21 405 2400.
Alternatively, use our contact form for online enquiries:
www.gov.uk/contact-consulate-pretoria
Corporate information