What is ROSA?
ROSA is the acronym for the ‘Registration of South
Africans Abroad’, a software programme developed
by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
to enable travellers to register on-line.
The information travellers register on ROSA allows
the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
to assist South African citizens in the event of an
emergency. The registration is a free, voluntary
service provided by Government (through the Department
of International Relations and Cooperation). ROSA
is only available to South African citizens who are
travelling, living or working abroad.
ROSA is an initiative that is endorsed and supported by
the Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA).
Why should I register?
Vast numbers of our people who travel abroad every day
do not encounter any difficulties. However, through
our missions abroad, we have assisted a growing number
of South Africans who have become victims of crime, accidents,
illness, death, natural/man-made disasters, civil unrest,
or whose family and/or next-of-kin needed to contact them
in an emergency.
Registration through this website is NOT considered
proof of South African citizenship. If you apply
for any service from an Embassy, High Commission or
Consulate General (mission) while abroad, you will be
asked by staff to provide proof of South African citizenship,
such as a passport or bar coded ID book.
By registering your trip on-line with ROSA you assist
the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
to locate you during an emergency, thus verifying your
status and liaising with your next-of-kin. Information
on
ROSA is not continuously monitored and will only be accessed
during a declared consular emergency.Registration
is voluntary and free of charge. We encourage you
to consider registration as an integral part of your travel
planning and security. How do I
register?
The ROSA software is an on-line registration process
available on the website of the Department of International
Relations and Cooperation. The address is http://www.dfa.gov.za/consular/index.html
Click on the  button
and follow the easy steps.
The ROSA software is unique. The software allows
for a traveller to:
- register as an Individual Traveller;
- register as Group Travellers;
- register multiple destinations;
- update their profiles (Individual or Group);
and
- de-register their profile from the system.
How can the Embassy or Consulate assist me
while I am abroad?
The Chief
Directorate: Consular Services in the Department
of Foreign Affairs, in close collaboration with the
Consular Sections of South
African Representatives abroad, provides consular
services to South African citizens who work, live and
travel abroad.
Consular Services operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
On weekends and after hours, assistance is rendered
in co-operation with the Department's Operations Room
in Pretoria. The Operations Room supports our 121 Representatives
in 105 countries affording services that cover the entire
world.
A detailed list of services is available at http://www.dfa.gov.za/consular/services.htm
How will my information be used?
ROSA will be utilised by Consular Officers at Head Office
or at a South African Mission abroad in the event of a
disaster, emergency or other crisis as outlined above.
Information on ROSA is only accessed by
the Department during a declared consular emergency.
Only authorised officers of the Department of International
Relations and Cooperation will have access to the information
which will solely be used in the event of an emergency.
This will enable the Department to e.g. react by contacting
the next-of-kin to verify the status of the South Africans
travelling abroad that might have been affected by the
emergency.
Registration and Privacy
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation
is committed to ensuring that any personal information
received through the ROSA on-line registration process
is safeguarded against unauthorised disclosure.
The Department will not disclose the information you
provide through the registration application to any
third parties (this includes family members) unless
you have first given written authorisation to do so.
In the event that family members make enquiries about
your whereabouts, such requests will be forwarded to
you. You may choose to inform the mission of your
decision to respond or not.
This internet site uses secure encryption
to safeguard your privacy and therefore any unauthorised
interception by third parties of the information you
send via the internet is unlikely. The Department
does not accept responsibility for any such interception.
Important Notification
The responsibility
remains with the individual traveller to-
- act responsibly and be aware of the risks
- consider and purchase full travel insurance or an
overseas health plan
- respect the culture and customs of the countries
visited.
The consular assistance provided by the Department
of International Relations and Cooperation, in the case
of an emergency, is usually of a non-financial nature,
and the Department will not be responsible for payment
of legal, medical, travelling expenses or any other expenses
on behalf of the traveller. It
is reiterated that information on ROSA
is only accessed by the Department during a declared
consular emergency.
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