British Consulate-General Cape Town
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-26)

The British Consulate-General in Cape Town represents the UK government in South Africa.

Find out more on our UK and South Africa news page. (https://www.gov.uk/world/south-africa/news).

We provide services to British nationals living in and visiting South Africa. You can access UK government services (https://www.gov.uk/world/south-africa) while in South Africa.

If you’re travelling in South Africa, read our South Africa travel advice (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa).

Public access to the Consulate is by appointment only.

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 (https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/posts/south-africa/british-consulate-general-cape-town)

Get an emergency travel document

You can apply for an emergency travel document (https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document) if you’re abroad and your passport has been lost or stolen (https://www.gov.uk/report-a-lost-or-stolen-passport), damaged or expired, and you can’t get a new or replacement passport (https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport) in time to travel.

Apply online for an emergency travel document (https://www.gov.uk/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 (https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-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 (https://www.gov.uk/check-british-citizen).

If you’re not a British citizen but think you may be eligible, contact us to apply for an emergency travel document (https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/posts/south-africa/british-consulate-general-cape-town).

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 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-south-africa#the-services-we-provide). A standard letter is available to confirm we do not offer these services in South Africa.

See the full list of notarial and documentary services for British people abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/documents-for-british-people-abroad).

Consular fees

See the full list of consular fees (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/consular-services-fees).

We also provide services in Pretoria (https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-high-commission-pretoria).

Development work in South Africa

The International Development Strategy (IDS) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-governments-strategy-for-international-development) sets out a new approach to development. It does this through long-term partnerships tailored to the needs of each country the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office works with, built on mutual accountability and transparency. The Integrated Review Refresh (IR23) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/integrated-review-refresh-2023-responding-to-a-more-contested-and-volatile-world) reiterates that sustainable development is central to UK foreign policy and sets out how the UK will go further and faster to reduce poverty.

For information on how the IDS and IR23 are being implemented in South Africa, view the UK-South Africa development partnership summary (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-south-africa-development-partnership-summary).

For up-to-date information on the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme work in South Africa, view the Development Tracker (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/countries/ZA).