The Department of Home Affairs announced that it will stop issuing Temporary passports from the 1st of September 2014.

Temporary passports were mainly used because the process issuing time was shorter than for a Permanent Passport, which is valid for 10 years. However Home Affairs announced that this turn-around time has improved drastically and therefore temporary passports are not needed anymore.

It takes 13 days to issue a passport with the Live Capture system and 24 days using the manual system. However Emergency Travel Certificates are still issued on the same day. The nature of circumstances presented as an emergency need is considered and emergency needs are e.g.: a lost passport while traveling abroad; and traveling to countries that accept ETCs for purposes of assisting family members in distress or if a family member is deceased.

It will be no longer possible for South Africans to travel with a temporary passport abroad or to other South African states.