{"id":640283,"date":"2026-04-14T08:00:53","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T06:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=640283"},"modified":"2026-04-14T08:01:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T06:01:35","slug":"apply-for-a-new-smart-id-in-15-minutes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/banking\/640283-apply-for-a-new-smart-id-in-15-minutes.html","title":{"rendered":"Apply for a new Smart ID in 15 minutes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MyBroadband recently tested Home Affairs’ new smart ID card application process at one of the newly activated FNB branches and found the experience was quick but not flawless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have held onto my first green ID book since 2008, when my high school assisted our Grade 10 cohort in obtaining our identification documents. This was five years before the smart ID card was introduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I have used the eHomeAffairs system to renew a passport at a bank branch, I never had the desire or motivation to upgrade to the smart ID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though my overall experience with the eHomeAffairs process was pleasant, my green ID book is still in pristine condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have had no issues with using it when applying for loans, SIM cards, or other products and services that require an officially recognised form of identification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the recent launch of the first bank branches to support walk-in smart ID cards, I believed it was time to make the switch and avoid any future anxiety about the green ID book being invalidated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon my arrival at the FNB Woodmead branch on a Saturday morning around 10:00, I was quickly assisted by an FNB staff member waiting at the self-service ticket-issuing machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After explaining that I wanted to apply for a smart ID, she double-checked to ensure I did not use the older eHomeAffairs system to book an appointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After confirming that I wanted to use the new walk-in system, she escorted me around a dozen people sitting waiting to be helped with banking-related services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was taken to a dedicated section for smart ID card applications. After sitting down at a small, blocked-off desk, the staff member asked for my green ID book to begin the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only piece of equipment she had was a tablet with a camera. She used this to link my application to my bank account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First minor glitch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
The landing page for the applications process already mentions a passport option, which the DHA plans to introduce in the future.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After she entered my details, I received a push notification from my FNB mobile app asking for permission to access my profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After logging into the banking app, I approved the request. The staff member could then verify my identity by using the tablet’s camera to take a photo of my face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, after a 20-second timeout expired, the system threw an error. The staff member again tried to take the photo, but it failed to verify me for a second time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We then restarted the process, including re-entering my personal details, granting the bank permission to access my profile in the mobile app, and re-taking my photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, the system successfully verified my identity. I then had to agree to use a digital signature that used my initials and surname in an italic font.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The staff member explained Home Affairs had temporarily approved this approach as the system used to capture handwritten signatures electronically was not functional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo and fingerprint captured in a jiffy <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Sign on one of the blocked-off desks used for processing smart ID applications. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After accepting this, I was taken to a photo booth with a computer and biometric equipment to capture my smart ID photo and fingerprints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I initially had to wait for a lady who was doing this portion of the application ahead of me before I could sit down for my turn. In her case, the photo capture failed three times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That seemed to cause a type of timeout in her application, and the bank’s staff advised that I should capture my biometrics first before they tried taking her photo again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My photo was accepted by the system the first time, after which all ten of my fingerprints were scanned \u2014 first the four from my index to my pinkie on both hands, then both thumbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thereafter, I was taken back to the desk to complete payment. FNB currently charges no additional amounts beyond Home Affairs’ R140 smart ID fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process automatically generated a payment request via electronic fund transfer on my FNB app, which I needed to accept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The money was deducted from my account, and the staff member advised that my smart ID should be ready for collection at the same branch within two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the process, the FNB staff members were friendly and efficient. The technical bugs which required staff mitigation delayed this process by less than five minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was in and out of the bank branch in 15 minutes and did not need to fill in a single form \u2014 a much better experience than any Home Affairs visit I’ve ever had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

FNB Woodmead walk-in Smart ID application photos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
The small booth with computer and system for capturing biometrics. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Laxton biometrics system used for capturing smart ID photos and fingerprints. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Capturing fingerprints for my smart ID. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MyBroadband recently tested Home Affairs’ new smart ID card application process at one of the recently-activated FNB bank branches and found the experience was quick but not flawless.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":341042,"featured_media":640360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10106,18668],"tags":[29534,33805,103540,1313,100111,104472,1703,104473,17442],"class_list":["post-640283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-banking","category-government","tag-biometrics","tag-department-of-home-affairs-dha","tag-dha-digital-partnership","tag-fnb","tag-green-id-books","tag-green-ids","tag-home-affairs","tag-home-affairs-digital-partnership","tag-smart-id-cards"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/640283"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/341042"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=640283"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/640283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":640607,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/640283\/revisions\/640607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/640360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=640283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=640283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=640283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}