China has four missions in South Africa: the Embassy in Pretoria and Consulates-General in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. For passports, travel documents and notarisation you go to the mission that covers the province where you live, normally after applying in the China Consular (中国领事) app. In an emergency, call your mission’s 24-hour consular protection line or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hotline 12308. All details below come from the missions’ official websites, as of October 2026.
The four missions and their consular districts
Districts follow provincial borders, with one twist: Pretoria (City of Tshwane) belongs to the Embassy, while the rest of Gauteng (Johannesburg, East Rand, West Rand and so on) belongs to the Johannesburg Consulate-General.
| Mission | District | Address | 24-hour consular protection | Document enquiries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embassy, Pretoria | City of Pretoria, North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, plus Eswatini | 225 Athlone Street, Arcadia 0083, Pretoria | +27 10 492 5583 | +27 12 431 6537 (weekdays 08:00–12:00); pretoria@csm.mfa.gov.cn |
| Consulate-General, Johannesburg | Gauteng (except Pretoria), Free State | 25 Cleveland Road, Sandhurst, Sandton 2196, Johannesburg | +27 10 498 6234 | +27 76 196 1019 (weekdays 08:30–12:30); passports jhb_hz@csm.mfa.gov.cn; notarisation jhb_gzrz@csm.mfa.gov.cn |
| Consulate-General, Cape Town | Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape | 25 Rhodes Avenue, Newlands, Cape Town 7700 | +27 21 674 7668 | Phone and WhatsApp +27 72 528 0283; WeChat ChineseConsulateCPT; capetown_hz@csm.mfa.gov.cn |
| Consulate-General, Durban | KwaZulu-Natal | 45 Stirling Crescent, Durban North, Durban 4051 | +27 76 174 2938 | 031 563 4731 (weekdays 08:00–12:00); durban@csm.mfa.gov.cn |
Public counter hours (as of October 2026, closed on public holidays; check the website before you go): Embassy consular window Tuesday and Thursday 08:30–11:30; Johannesburg document counter 09:00–11:30; Cape Town document hall Tuesday and Thursday mornings; Durban Monday to Friday 08:30–11:30. Missions may close on both Chinese and South African public holidays.
The Embassy notes that after hours its protection line forwards to 12308, and the transfer can fail, so it recommends dialling +86 10 12308 or +86 10 6561 2308 directly.
The China Consular app: how passports work now
Overseas passport services are “handled anywhere”, so any Chinese mission in South Africa can accept you, but applying to the mission for your district is the safest route. The process:
- Download the China Consular (中国领事) app from the Apple App Store, Tencent MyApp, Xiaomi or Huawei stores, register with a Chinese mobile number or email and complete real-name verification.
- Choose “Passport and Travel Document”, select the mission, fill in your details and upload a photo and your current passport’s data page.
- The app runs face recognition; if it fails, you will need a video interview or an in-person meeting.
- Submit, then hand in documents at the mission on your appointment date. Track progress under “My orders” and choose collection in person or by courier.
- Payment: the Embassy does not accept cash or cheques; pay by card on site or by bank transfer.
| Service | Processing time | Fee (Embassy, Pretoria) |
|---|---|---|
| Passport renewal (under a year’s validity, fewer than four visa pages, etc.) | 10 working days after acceptance | R250 |
| Replacement passport (lost, stolen, damaged) | 10 working days | R250 |
| Travel document (urgent return to China) | Usually 4 working days; express possible | R250 (excluding express fee) |
Children under 16 need one legal guardian present in person or on the video interview. For genuine emergencies the Embassy runs an offline “green channel”; phone or email before you go. Consulates-General publish their own fees on their websites.
If you lose your passport
- Report it at the nearest SAPS police station and get a case number and affidavit.
- Apply for a replacement passport in the app, or for a travel document if you must fly home urgently.
- Once you have the new passport, your South African visa or permit must be transferred or reissued through Home Affairs (DHA); see our visa section.
Once a replacement is applied for, the old passport is cancelled even if you find it later.
What consular protection can and cannot do
Missions can give you lists of local lawyers, hospitals and interpreters, contact your family, visit you if you are detained and press for due process, and issue safety alerts. They cannot pay medical bills, fines or legal fees, interfere in South African courts, or handle South African visas for you. For robbery, burglary and other crimes, call South African emergency numbers first (see emergency numbers), then your mission.
The Johannesburg Consulate-General also lists the Chinese Community Police Cooperation Centre (南非华人警民合作中心): 011 622 8286 / 011 622 9515, useful when you need help in Chinese with a police matter. More community groups are in our directory of Chinese associations; South African government websites are collected in useful official links, and more reference material is in our resources section.
FAQ
I live in Pretoria. Can I use the Johannesburg consulate?
Pretoria is in the Embassy’s district. Passport services can technically be handled anywhere, but choose the Embassy in the app to avoid being redirected.
Can I pay the passport fee in cash?
The Embassy states it does not accept cash or cheques, only card or bank transfer. Check each consulate’s latest notice.
Do the missions issue China visas for my South African partner or friends?
Foreigners normally apply through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center; the Johannesburg centre’s email is johannesburgcenter@visaforchina.org. Follow the centre’s official requirements.
How do I call 12308 from South Africa?
Dial +86 10 12308 or +86 10 6561 2308 from a mobile. It is staffed 24 hours for consular protection and document questions.
Sources
- Chinese Embassy in South Africa: consular districts and missions
- Chinese Embassy: passport and travel document guide
- Chinese Embassy: China Consular app instructions
- Chinese Consulate-General in Johannesburg: contact
- Chinese Consulate-General in Cape Town
- Chinese Consulate-General in Durban: hours and contacts
- China Consular Service (MFA)