British High Commission Pretoria
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-27)

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 (https://www.gov.uk/world/south-africa/news).

We provide services to British nationals living in and visiting South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. 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).

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-high-commission-pretoria)

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-high-commission-pretoria).

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/government/publications/south-africa-list-of-lawyers). 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).

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 (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/countries/ZA).