How to apply from Eritrea

You must apply for your British passport at the British Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea.

Your application will be forwarded to the UK’s Regional Passport Production Centre in Pretoria, South Africa for processing.

Please note the following changes that will affect your passport application. With effect from 15 September 2011, the Regional Passport Processing Centre in Pretoria, South Africa will process your passport. The passport will be printed in the United Kingdom

These changes will ensure that you receive the new style passports which were introduced in the UK in October 2010. The new passports have more sophisticated security features, required to meet international quality and security standards. It is not affordable to print these new passports overseas.  New designs and processes reduce the likelihood of identity theft and passport fraud, protecting British nationals and our borders.

We recommend that you print this page, so you can refer to it.

• Where to apply
• How much
• How to pay
• Timing
• Delivery back to you
• Specific requirements
• Need more information
• Urgent travel
• Contact us

Where to apply

Applications must be made in person to the British Embassy in Asmara,

British Embassy,
66-68 Mariam Ghimbi Street,
Zip Code 174,
PO Box 5584,
Asmara, Eritrea

If you are applying for your first passport or your passport has been lost or stolen or you are renewing a passport that has been expired for more than 5 years, your application will need additional checks and be processed via the British High Commission in Nairobi.

How much

Passport fees are: 

Adult passport

• 32-page passport – 3,200 Nakfa
• 48 page passport – 3,863 Nakfa

Child Passport

• Child passport (32 pages) – 2,038 Nakfa

Courier Fee– Each customer will be required to pay a courier fee to cover the cost of sending the application to Pretoria, return of supporting documents from Pretoria and for the return of the passport from the UK

• Courier fee – 1814 Nakfa

How to pay

Payment must be made at the British Embassy in Asmara, in cash, in local currency (Nakfa), at the time you submit your application.

Timing

Renewals - We aim to process the new passport within four weeks from the date the fee is taken and the application contains all of the information we need

First Time and Lost & Stolen Applications - We you should allow at least twelve weeks from the date the fee is taken and the application contains all the information we need.800x600Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-GBX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Failure to provide all of the required documentation will result in your application being delayed or returned. We would remind customers that travel should not be booked until a passport has been issued and received by you. We cannot accept responsibility for any costs incurred if travel is booked and subsequently cancelled before you have received your passport.

Delivery back to you

Your passport and supporting documents will be sent back to the British Embassy in Asmara. You will receive a telephone call from the Embassy when your passport is ready for collection.

DHL aim to deliver packages direct to customers or to diplomatic missions.  However, for some areas this may not be possible.  In such circumstances, DHL will contact you directly during working hours to arrange for you to collect your documents from the nearest DHL office or to provide an alternative delivery address.  You should ensure that up to date, correct contact details are included with the passport application form. When collecting documents, you will be required to bring photo identification that matches the name on the shipment.

Specific requirements from Eritrea

Original passport: This country is an exception to the main guidance given on our primary website as it is not advised to be without your original passport in this country and we recognise this. You should bring your passport to the Embassy with the application, where a copy will be taken and sent with the application; the passport will be returned to you.

Specific requirements from Asmara

• Documents required for first-time passport applications: first time adult checklist or first time child checklist
• All first time passport applicants will be required to attend an interview. You may be required to attend an interview if applying to replace a lost/stolen passport. Once your application is assessed, you will be contacted by our staff regarding an interview date and time

Translations

All legal documents in a foreign language submitted with a passport application (such as birth/death/marriage certificates, divorce papers, change of name documents, affidavits, etc) should be translated into English. You can find a list of officially recognised translators on the FCO's main website. You cannot get a friend or relative to do this for you.

Need more information

If you need detailed information about what type of passport you need, what documents you need to supply for different types of application please go to What passport do I need? page.

Urgent Travel

If you need to travel urgently and your normal passport is not available you should contact the British Embassy on (+291 1) 12 01 45. They may be able to provide you with emergency travel documentation. Please note they will not be able to answer general passport questions or give information on passport applications in progress (as they are no longer involved in this process). You should only contact them if you have a need to travel urgently and you will be asked to supply evidence of your need.

Contact Us

If we can't answer your question on the website please call 0027 12 421 7800 (and press 3 to avoid recorded messages tell the operator you are calling from outside South Africa). Please be aware that you may be charged for this call so try the website first.

Please do not contact us before the expected delivery time as detailed above. We will not be able to give further information and you may be charged for this call.