Important information for people who could not get smart ID cards
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has emphasised that its rollout of smart IDs for naturalised citizens and permanent residents will first focus on people from visa-exempt countries.
The department launched its platform for naturalised citizens and permanent residents to apply for smart ID cards on Monday, 12 May 2025.
“The Department of Home Affairs has this morning successfully launched its rollout of smart IDs for naturalised citizens and permanent residents from visa-exempt countries,” it said in a statement.
“Across the country, South African citizens and lawful permanent residents are now applying for the more secure Smart ID for the very first time.”
The DHA added that the system is stable and the department is encouraged by the high volume of applications received through the platform.
However, it advised that naturalised citizens and permanent residence holders who aren’t from visa-exempt countries should wait before applying.
“The process is currently only focused on applicants who are in possession of a green barcoded ID and are from visa-exempt countries,” it said.
“Once volumes reduce, applicants from non-exempt countries will also be assisted.”
The department said it would inform the public when the next phase of applications opens.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber recently revealed that the department had corrected an IT system issue that prevented most of these individuals from applying for the card.
Since the card’s launch in 2012, only a handful of naturalised citizens who had obtained an invitation to apply from the Home Affairs director general have been able to get the document.
The minister described the fix as the DHA’s most significant milestone since it began revamping its IT systems several months ago.
The table below lists all 137 regions from which passport holders are exempt from requiring a visa to enter South Africa. The list with duration of stay and other details is available on the DHA website.
| Visa-exempt passports | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African Union Laissez Passer African Development Bank Laissez-Passers Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Australia Austria Bahamas Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bolivia Botswana Brazil British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands | Bulgaria Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Chile China Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Ducie and Oeno Islands Ecuador Egypt Ethiopia Falkland Islands Finland France Gabon Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece | Guernsey Guinea Guyana Henderson Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kenya Kingdom of Eswatini Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia | Maldives Mali Malta Mauritius Mexico Monaco Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Netherlands New Zealand Niger Nigeria Norway Palestine Panama Paraguay Peru Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Qatar Republic of Korea Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovak Republic South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain Sweden Switzerland Tanzania Togo Thailand Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turks and Caicos Islands Uganda United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | United Nations Lasse Passer United States of America Uruguay Venezuela Vietnam Zambia Zimbabwe |
Smart ID and passport applications from home
In recent feedback to MyBroadband, the DHA said the application process for smart ID cards and passports will soon allow people to apply for the documents without appearing physically.
Schreiber said launching these services at bank branches was a precursor to integrating them into banking apps, but it isn’t a requirement.
“Our goal is to enable our services to be available virtually, including through banking apps, so that clients can access those services from the comfort of their own homes,” the minister said.
“This is all part of the same process, as integrating Home Affairs services onto banking platforms in branches is the logical precursor to delivering those same services online and on apps.”
When the integration comes to fruition, digital bank users won’t just have access to the services through banking apps — they’ll be able to complete their applications without appearing in person.
Earlier this year, the minister revealed that banks would soon be able to integrate smart ID and passport application services into their banking apps.
This came after an agreement was struck between the Border Management Agency (BMA), Government Printing Works (GPW), and the South African Revenue Services (SARS).
“The agreement marks a new era that will fundamentally reform and improve the way that government works in the Republic of South Africa,” the DHA said in a statement following the announcement.
“Regarding the agreement, the service ecosystem composed of Home Affairs, the BMA, and GPW will leverage world-class technology capacity within SARS to revolutionise all civic and immigration services.”
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