South African High Commission
Embassy South African High Commission, South Africa House, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DP, United Kingdom:
220 reviews
of visitors, the most complete information about the address, business hours, location on the map, photos, phone number, website and other contacts.
Address: South Africa House, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DP, United Kingdom
Website: southafricahouseuk.com
Phone number: +44 20 7451 7299
GPS coordinates
Latitude: 51.5068470Longitude: -0.1272132
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reviews
Shelly Sims
Very unprofessional staff, they never answer the phones or emails
2 months ago
justin baca
Well I knew it was going to be a pretty painful experience applying for a new passport, both from past experience and from all the appalling reviews here. I was therefore prepared to wait the ridiculous 5 months as had been warned by other reviews. I wasn’t even that surprised when my passport was finally ready a whole 7 months later! So my warning to anyone out there is apply well in advance! Do not think to yourself that the 4 months waiting time as stated on their site is ‘probably a worst case scenario’. No, that would be the best case scenario.
5 months ago
Neal Krawchuk
We went to the South African Consulate on White Hall and was served by Moses and Moses they really looked after us and assisted us through each stage of the application even with certifying my English marriage certificate.
Even between our application Moses had to deal with very frustrated customers who he wasn't able to help merely because they hadn't prepared themselves enough he held his composure and professionalism throughout and maintained his smile and good nature! Both guys are a real asset to the government!
5 months ago
cleo hollis
The lady at Counter C is superb. I'm used to dealing with very unhelpful staff. You can see that she takes her job seriously and has good work ethic. Great sense of humour too.
3 months ago
Chelsea Niles
Fantastic service and professional staff. I'd go with mom next time she visits South African High Commission.
4 months ago
Michael Penn
No staff. Its a struggle to get assistance
2 months ago
Greg Kuzmicki
My review might not make any difference in the performance of this horrible place with extremely unhelpful staff! Even one star is too generous!
8 months ago
Marla Perez
You have to que outside to start the process.. that's for passports.. others I'm not sure
2 months ago
Demetria Ellis
The staff was helpful
6 months ago
Josh Lauer
I have had no issues when renewing passport and id book. As long as you go on the website beforehand and make sure you have all the forms, photocopies etc. you should be fine. Only thing to note is that if you apply in person, you need to collect some of the forms from them. There is usually a very helpful man (sometimes woman) around helping fill out forms, giving you the correct forms, etc, so there is no need struggle.
The only thing better, if all could be done online.
And to one of the previous posters: There is in fact bathroom facilities there, so I think he may have gone to the wrong place.
3 months ago
Crazy Cat
This is for Counter A at 15 Whitehall, London.... The lady working there is just so slow and feels like she is working there just to pass the time. No communication what so ever!!!
First of all we get given a ticket with a number on and told to wait until your number is called
Second of all there is not even some sort of electronic display to show when your number is appearing.
Anyway I thought maybe they would call out the number from behind that thick glass. Nope that doesn't work to well since the background noise is way to loud to hear them...... Many people walking up to the counter and asking what they said!!
Then the lady disappears for 30 minutes or more and everyone is left wondering what the hell is going on.
Luckily behind Counter C there was a very helpful lady who helped us when we told her our sob story but she couldn't tell us where counter A lady disappeared to!
Counter C lady was great but we still had to wait for A to return so we could pay and for her to process the applications..... who knows how long that would take.
So A returned sometime later and to her surprise there was some more work for her to complete.
Well we got all our stuff in the end but I was still left wondering what the hell was the ticket all about!!
3 months ago
Melinda Thompson
Staff are polite and helpful, but the processes that they have to follow do not seem to permit them to make a difference.
4 months ago
Marc
14 months and counting, still no passport, still no response.
3 weeks ago
Joseph Heath
Useless
2 months ago
T Hampt
Unbelievably bad! Firstly there is no way to contact them. No one answers the phones, no matter when you ring. No one responds to emails. It took me a trip to London and four hours in queue, just to apply to renew my passport. It's now been nearly three months of waiting with no sign of progress as you cannot track your application's progress. The home affairs website tracking service has been " temporarily suspended". I got someone in SA to try the SMS service...no reply after a week! No idea where my passport is in the process or if there is any way I will get it within the four month (!) period they claim it takes. So despite applying well in advance, I will now have to cancel my holiday. Well done, SA embassy in London, for making South Africans feel right at home.
4 weeks ago
Lisa Bryan
Pretty much impossible to speak to an actual person when you call. No matter what options you select they just refer you to the website (which then doesn't answer the question you had to begin with). Either improve your website or increase your call operators.
7 months ago
Melissa Wilkerson
Fantastic ????
7 months ago
Susan Peek
Free service to get documents signed and notarised when selling property in South Africa. Grant was friendly, knowledgeable and service was very efficient. Go in at 9am to sign documents and pick up between 3-5pm same day. Would have been even better if telephone number shared on website - called the number on website only to be told to call another... I got an appointment in same week (called on Monday morning and got Friday morning appointment).
4 months ago
Marina Feenix
I was very impressed with the staff here today when I went to renew my passport. They were quick and friendly. Moses was very helpful and assisted me a lot, this made a huge difference to my day for which I´m very grateful.
3 months ago
Diana Diana
Having read all the reviews on the website I was not looking forward to renewing my family's passport's so today armed with all the documents that one needs we proceeded to join the queue which was reasonably short, once at the door we were seen by the receptionist who checks all your paperwork is correct, once we passed this hurdle we were seen by a extremely helpful Sohwabo sibayi who put all our concerns and fears to rest, he even out of his way to make photocopies and helped fill in the forms where I was unsure what to fill in, we were a family of 5 so he was kept busy for quite some time anyway long story short if you've got all the information they want you will have no worries
3 months ago
Gem Persaud
Hilariously poor service!!! Dysfunctional office.
It has taken almost 2 years for my daughters passport. We have still not received it. To date I have made 53 attempts to call them over the last 2 weeks. They cut you off before they even answer.
3 months ago
eugene tartera
After having to deal with the rude person behind the counter, I've been waiting for 6 months - still no passport. Several attempts to call - still no answer... My Gran applied in SA for her passport and got it in 3 weeks and I'm here stuck in the UK and still waiting... Worst service I have ever experienced.
4 months ago
Phunk Phinkleton
The South African High Commission has treated my girlfriend and I absolutely appallingly over the last two days. We intend to visit South African in the next 3 months. I am a South African citizen and she is Latvian and will be visiting the country for the first time. She requires a visa to do so. We have phoned the embassy many times many times over the past two days to get some information about this visa application. My girlfriend has succeeded in getting through to the embassy twice and after a 30 second conversation with someone there has been hung up on twice. I have never actually managed to get through to anyone at the embassy despite many attempts. The call is typically disconnected without anyone answering. It is incredibly disappointing to see my country represented in this way. I just hope going there in person yields some better results and less rudeness or I fear she might just give up and not bother visiting the country at all. Way to go South Africa.
8 months ago
Arthur Jackson
The embassy process can be pretty tiring! However a few things I wish I had known beforehand: try to get there early (say 8-8.30am) if you want to be served at the start. They accept applications from 9-11am, so you need to get there before 11am and get a number in order to be served that day. If you are served at the start and something is wrong with your application, then (if possible) you can go get the required documents and return before 11am to get another number - they will still see you again, although you will have to wait.
You don't need the return postage paid envelopes as stated on their website, as you have to come yourself to pick up the visa/passport in the end. You need a police check form for every (!!) country you have lived in over the age of 18, not just the most recent country.
If applying for a visa, they will take a photocopy of your passport and then return your passport that day (useful if you want to keep travelling, and very different to, say, a UK visa!). You then need to return as close as possible to the "Collection Date" they give you, where the visa will be put into your passport. This is normally about two weeks later, and for most visas you have to come in personally to pick it up (apparently for some visa/permit types you can nominate someone else to pick up the visa, but not sure which). Note also that they tend to issue visas only for 3-4 weeks before you fly (ie, once they process the application the visa begins immediately, not on a later set date!). You could however get a statement from your SA institution asking the visa to be issued for slightly longer to accommodate for applying earlier. Either way, make sure you factor in 2-3 visits to the embassy as they probably won't accept it first time, so make sure you give yourself enough time for these visits and processing time before your flight.
Lastly, as a general rule, they need every letter to be signed and dated on proper letterhead from the company/university. Even more helpful if you can have your name and ID/passport number in the letter. A lot of people were turned away for not having the documents correctly signed, so if you go by a different first/last name than your passport, or anything out of the ordinary, be prepared to show a legally signed and dated document to prove this.
Of course NONE of this is official, but really hope it helps!
6 months ago
Scot Wilson
As good as I expected. This is not first class service but staff are helpful and you are helped where needed. Yes it does take half a day to do something but I have had the same level of service in Croydon sorting UK visas. So overall nothing to write home about but at least these services are available in the UK. Be warned do your homework before submitting any forms (because if something is wrong you get sent to the back of the queue).
4 weeks ago
Tamera Lewis
I am going to have to go through this ordeal sooner rather than later #dreadingit. Can someone please tell me what I need to take with me to renew my passport? I'm presuming I have to go there and cant do it any other way?
3 months ago
Sandra Kosierowski
Queue is terrible and they make you stand outside in the cold while there are numerous chairs available inside, also takes 6 months to get a new passport. Thank you South Africa great job as always.
3 months ago
Jennifer Booker
For a high commission the service is appauling. I don't understand how in South Africa you can get a new passport turned around in 2 weeks, but over here they will tell you 4 months and it takes 2 months longer. You can't attend without having a queue out the door, and everything is done so slowly by the staff in there. It's taken me 3 attempts to collect my children's passports because either the queue is too long, or last time they had them marked as ready in the system but despite keeping me waiting for over an hour they could not find them. Also, they never answer the phones so don't bother calling.
4 weeks ago
Till Hildegard
After reading the reviews I was really concerned about renewing my passport. But on the day I arrived I was in and out in less than half an hour. After being told the process would take 4-6 months I was emailed just short of two months to say my passport was ready for collection and the collection process couldn't have been quicker or easier. The only reason I've given four stars instead of five, is that I tried both phoning and emailing and both of these have gone unanswered.
7 months ago
Janam pandya
The security guard is the only person who's worth anything at that place. It's time to throw away the whole stuff members away and start afresh. They fail dismally at their jobs, as a newbie to this process, I have questions and I need clarification. But the only answer I managed to get from the person serving me was "oh well good luck with that" and "good luck to her" then she just walked off.
8 months ago
Nancy Prime
Professional and timely service. The Commission has been helpful in its advice, both over the phone and in person.
3 weeks ago
Nate Wapner
This place makes you realise exactly why South Africa will never move forward as a developed country. Bad service, bad staff just bad in EVERY aspect. Never mind the “Search” function on their website that DOES NOT WORK” - come on SA you’re embarrassing.
3 months ago
Jerry Kuziak
So disappointing, we have been here, over 15 times, at a cost of over £500, every time they ask us to get more information, so were sent away to get all the proof they asked for come back and they ask for something different. So unorganized, not only that they said we needed proof that we are not British another cost of £250. To then come back again to say the letter not needed. Its horrid, awful, unprofessional, no customer service and noone is trained fully. Disgrace and a total embarrassment
4 weeks ago
Christina Aresco
The worse most dishonest embassy never answer take ages to give visas bloody useless on whole!!!
7 months ago
John Mcmurray
I have been waiting 9 months for a passport renewal. I email weekly, no response, I try calling, no answer or numbers don't work. Have no idea what they are actually doing to help the SA citizens here. Shocking service. Should just go back to SA and be like the rest..useless
4 months ago
Janani V
Been waiting 18 mths for a certified copy of my birth certificate. I was told that it could take up to 6 months but 18 is ridiculous.
They took my money, plus emails and the cost of numerous fruitless phone calls. I'll now have to send a letter via registered mail (more cost) to get a response. My situation is desperate. I'm a pensioner and my birth certificate is essential for houding purposes. Cant even find how to complain so resorting to this.
6 months ago
Mark Schumann
Tried calling so many times place is an absolute joke just like the country. Cant get through to a single person. You must call between 3 and 5 only and you still cant get through. Highly upset as I've lost my license and need to try sort it out, but as usual SA just let's all of it's people down
4 months ago
Nicholas Riordan
Just a horrible horrible place.
11 months ago
Jodie Jones
poor service ,the lady in reception very rude . these people get paid lots of money to work abroad but difintly poor service.
this is embarrassment for a big country like South Africa! does the minister of home affairs actually do check up and read reviews or any sort of investigation!
4 month for passport and 6 month for birth certificate what a joke while other embassies takes 6 to 8 weeks max.
4 months ago
Brandon Pena
Email contact on website checked: invalid
Telephone contact checked: Always engaged...even out of hours!!
I phoned the SA office in Pretoria. Boom!!! A reply within 4 minutes...guess where my child's ID is since 27/10/2015?.....SA office in London.
Appalling service from the UK office. I would have expected it from the Pretoria office. So why is the service in UK so poor? Well I know...but I should keep it to myself. Time for our UK citizenship I reckon. Now to collect the passport from the zoo.
8 months ago
Tabare Fierro
The worst service ever! Get a grip!
If you want to be annoyed, feel devalued and perhaps pick up a desease, then please feel free to visit this filthy establishment.
A dirty place with unhelpful staff. The worst is the people who assist you think they are doing you a favour and not their jobs. So disappointed that this place pretends to represent S.A.
IT DOES NOT!
This place needs new management and a thorough clean! Most of all, better processes.
Start looking after your people. Get some standards and learn from other High Commision how it's done as you obviously have no idea.
Yours Sincerely
Every Person Who Have Ever Visited You
4 months ago
Thomas Calkins
No one answers the phone or responds to emails. Applied to renew my passport 4 months ago. Queues weren't incredibly long for the time of year I applied (December). Didn't receive any emails telling me it was ready. Needed it to travel so decided I would go in and check if it was ready. Luckily it was ready to be collected and there were no queues in which I had to wait in.
Not a terrible service but there is room for improvement. It would really help if someone just answered the phone calls and responded to emails.
9 months ago
Veronica Jones
So far crap! Call every day,can't get hold of them,website is absolutely useless! They are not bothered at all the info's they put there! You can't reach consular services for birth/marriage certificates...what do you do then? Please anyone help! Can't afford to get off work all the time hoping to get to embassy and being rejected!
Absolutely appalling service! Such a shame this administration is so bad,for such a beautiful country! Hope they improve because at the moment,I just wanna give up but I desperately need some documents but they do not answer the phone! There is not even an email address!!
6 months ago
Ryan Waters
I went to apply for a renewal today and was pleasantly surprised - staff were very friendly and gave the facts. Yes the queue was long but as is most service offices.
Only reason I don’t give a 5 star is the turn around time for a passport. I didn’t realise mine was expiring and as my grandmother is ill, I need to travel uregently but can’t on a British passport - this law is absurd.
Ps: don’t be rude or irate with the staff, it doesn’t get you anywhere. I saw allot of South Africans being abrute about the process and sadly they can’t change it, they are only doing their jobs!
3 months ago
Gene Panaro
My sister's permanent residence is here in the UK. She went for a holiday to South Africa but she had to apply for a new passport while she was there because it had expired. The embassy sped up her application and it was ready for her a couple weeks later. However they sent it to the UK instead and now she is stranded in South Africa, away from her home, her family and job! The embassy states i will take 2 months for her passport to reach the uk but how is she supposed to collect her passport! When we phoned for help the woman on the hone said 'no one can collect your passport for you' so now we are stuck for options. this embassy need to get their act together and set up proper contact information for situations like these.
6 months ago
Janani V
Waiting about twenty minutes. Then another ten to pay...Monday in December 11am. Not as bad as in SA!
4 months ago
Gao Feng
Went to renew my SA passport May 2018. Was treated like dirt and threatened to be thrown out because I asked the security guy to lower his voice as I could not hear the person who was attending to me. Guess what? To-date mid February 2019 I have not received my new passport. Pretoria sent it to London awhile back. Have phoned and phoned London. Guess what? No answer. Have emailed. Guess what? No answer. Thinking of applying for a new passport through an agency.
6 months ago
Patrick Bishop
Worst nightmare
Week 3 no answer!!!!!! They don't answer they just simply do not answer or reply to emails. The service there is average I was helped by a nice American lady. Passport taking 5months ....
Sister's wedding in 2 weeks time!
7 months ago
Debbie Wiley
I had nothing but great service. Very helpful and friendly staff. I think some south Africans are hard to please!!
10 months ago
Tangela Watson
No one answers the phones ever ... and when they do they pass ypu around or ask you to call back!!!! No one is willing to help
I have been trying for the past month now to get the appropriate documents and appointments to enable me to have my daughter move over here with me which has become a matter of urgency, yet i have had absolutely no help and no willingness from anyone to take ownership of the task to even point me in the right direction...
All the while my daughter is stuck in an inhospitable environment until I can get her over to the UK
Im shocked but more-so saddend that a little girl suffers due to their lack of care !!!!
5 months ago
