How to get a smart ID or renew your passport at a bank in South Africa

South Africans who need to apply for their smart ID card or renew their passport can do so at a Home Affairs-supported bank branch after applying through the department’s eHomeAffairs platform.

The system enables users to book application slots at Department of Home Affairs (DHA) branches or a supported branch of the applicant’s bank.

With DHA branches notorious for long queues, completing these applications at a Home Affairs-approved bank branch can save you much time and frustration.

The DHA launched eHomeAffairs in April 2016 and began testing it with applications for South African citizens aged between 30 and 35.

Initially available at select branches from four of the country’s major banks, the DHA has now expanded its services to offer smart ID applications and passport renewals at thirty bank branches around the country.

Home Affairs signed agreements with Absa, FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank, Discovery Bank, and Investec to participate in the extended pilot programme.

Registering for the eHomeAffairs platform is relatively straightforward. Users must fill in information such as their name, surname, ID number, date of birth, email address, and phone number.

The contact information is required to verify logins. When you attempt to sign in, a one-time PIN system sends a code to your cellphone number or email address, depending on your chosen channel.

Once signed in, users can click the “Create New Application” button at the top left-hand side of the eHomeAffairs home page. The system will then ask them whether the application is for them or someone else.

The next page automatically populates form fields, including your ID number and full name.

Users are only required to indicate how they became South African citizens: by birth, descent, naturalisation, resumption, or other.

Once selected, users can click on the “Create Application Products”. The next page lets users choose whether they want to apply for a smart ID, passport renewal, or both.

Most of the application form fields will be pre-populated with user details. However, these applications will require users to provide the following information:

• Country of citizenship
• Birth town
• Residential and postal address
• The location at which you wish to have your biometrics captured and from which to collect your documents

Applicants can then click “Submit” at the top of the page to move on to the next stage, document submission, where they must upload a copy of their ID before making payment.

The payment process involves loading your banking details onto the eHomeAffairs portal and then logging into your Internet banking or mobile banking app to finalise the transaction.

However, you don’t have to make payment immediately. Once you have loaded your banking details on the platform, you can proceed to book a slot at the branch you selected.

DHA quiet on launch of services at more bank branches

Home Affairs was expected to make an announcement regarding the private-public partnership (PPP) with major banks at the end of November 2024.

It is understood that the goal was for the first new branches to start offering Home Affairs services under the new PPPs in 2025.

However, until the department finalises the agreements, the number of eHomeAffairs bank branches remains at 30.

According to earlier feedback from South African banks, rollout plans include at least 34 more branches in the near future. However, these banks are waiting on Home Affairs before the can begin expanding the service.

FNB and Absa plan to add the most of these branches — with 18 and 12 additions — respectively.

Discovery Bank also plans to add branches in Pretoria, Cape Town, and KwaZulu-Natal.

The table below lists all the DHA-supported bank branches through which South Africans can apply for a smart ID card or renew their passport.