# Travel >> Travel Preparation >> Passports

How to Track a South African Passport Application

Since 2007, the South African government has made it possible for citizens to track the status and delivery of not only their passport book, but applications for their official South African documents as well. Application status can be checked in two ways, by means of a text message or a visit to the proper Internet site.

Identity document number

Instructions

Text Message
- 1
  Dial 32551 to send an SMS or text message query.
- 2
  Enter "P" without the quotation marks, followed by a space. Enter your ID or identity document number. The message should look like this: P 5001010050080
- 3
  Send the message. The cost of sending your message will be R1, or one African Rand.
- 4
  Read the displayed results.
Internet
- 5
  Visit the ID/passport book query web page.
- 6
  Enter your identity document number.
- 7
  Click on "Enquire."
- 8
  Read the displayed results.