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

Home Affairs’ online booking system for smart ID and passport applications at various bank branches offers South Africans a speedy and convenient process to get their documents.

A MyBroadband reader recently booked a slot to renew their passport at the Nedbank branch in Durban North and received the renewed documents seven days after applying.

However, this wasn’t without some issues accessing the eHomeAffairs platform. When they first tried to access the system, it was experiencing downtime, but the service was running again the following day.

“It was a very simple, quick process,” they said regarding the online booking forms.

However, they noted some challenges. The first was understanding the payment process, which they said was due to a lack of clarity from the bank.

The eHomeAffairs platform requires applicants to provide their bank account details, which creates a payment request they must complete through their banking app or online banking.

The reader also noted another issue — the system told them they would need to bring a barcoded copy of their application form with them to the appointment.

“It said I have to take a barcoded copy of the application form, which I didn’t have, to the appointment. I tried to find it on the platform with no joy,” they said.

However, they later found a notice saying the barcoded application form did not exist and wasn’t required for the appointment.

The reader completed the online booking process on Thursday, 29 May 2025, securing an application slot at the Nedbank branch in Durban North on Monday, 23 June.

They said the slot was one of the earliest available at the branch, and they didn’t have to wait long on the day of their appointment.

“I arrived 15 minutes early and joined a queue outside the branch. At 10:00, a lady asked for my ID number, which she checked off her list,” they said.

“I was ushered through to a holding area inside the branch, which was impeccably clean and well organised.”

They explained that an official asked for their ID before telling them to sit in the waiting area.

“A few people were called before me, but my name was called within 10 minutes. I presented my ID and the lady captured my thumb prints and electronic signature,” they recalled.

They were then shown to the photo booth for the official to capture photos for the new passport.

“Sat for another five minutes and was called by another official who asked for my ID and passport,” the reader said. “Thumb prints were captured again as well as a smaller version of my electronic signature.”

They were then handed a piece of paper informing them of the branch’s collection times and provided their cellphone number for the SMS collection notification.

“Total turnaround was about 20 minutes. Very impressive,” they said.

Despite being told that the process takes approximately three weeks, they received the SMS collection notification just seven days after visiting the Nedbank branch.

A timeline of their booking and application process is summarised in the table below.

How to secure a slot on eHomeAffairs

The eHomeAffairs platform, launched in April 2016, currently allows South African citizens by birth and naturalised citizens from visa-exempt countries to apply for smart IDs and passports at 30 bank branches.

Registering on the platform requires users to fill in information including their name, surname, ID number, date of birth, email address, and phone number.

The contact information is required to verify logins through two-factor authentication. When signing in, the system sends users a one-time PIN to their cellphone number or email address.

After signing in, users can click the “Create New Application” button at the top left of the home page, which takes them to a page where they must state whether the application is for them or someone else.

The following page automatically populates most form fields, but applicants must still indicate whether they became a South African citizen by birth, descent, naturalisation, resumption, or other.

After making the selection, the system unlocks a “Create Application Products” button, which takes users to a page where they can choose to apply for a smart ID, passport renewal, or both.

Most fields are automatically filled in again. However, the system requires applicants 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

After clicking “Submit” at the top of the page, users are taken to the document submission page, where they must upload a copy of their ID before moving to the payment stage.

The system requires applicants to load their banking details on the platform and then log into their Internet or mobile banking to finalise the transaction.

It’s important to note that immediate payment isn’t required. After loading their banking details on the eHomeAffairs portal, applicants can proceed to book a slot at their preferred bank branch.