South Africa currently has 27 Department of Home Affairs-approved bank branches where you can get your smart ID card or renew your passport. On 27 June 2023, home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi approved a temporary extension of operating hours at 198 offices by two hours to meet the demand for smart ID card and passport services. The extension applies to the 198 modernised live capture offices, which can process smart ID cards and passports. Motsoaledi attributed the need to extend hours to the higher demand for such services during school holidays. In addition to these 198 offices, South Africans can book appointments online to submit smart ID and passport renewal applications at 27 bank branches nationwide.
Here is a breakdown of the branch allocation per bank:
– Standard Bank: 9
– FNB: 7
– Nedbank: 5
- Absa: 4
– Discovery Bank: 1
– Investec: 1
Discovery Bank isn’t included in the Department of Home Affairs’ list of bank branches, but it is listed on the eHome Affairs platform. Discovery Bank customers can book at the bank by emailing a preferred timeslot to [email protected] after capturing their application on the platform.
The latest addition to the list of bank branches that offer passport renewal and smart ID card services is the Standard Bank in Kathu Mall in the Northern Cape. However, the branch is still in the testing phase and is only accepting walk-ins for now. It isn’t listed on the department’s list of branches or the eHome Affairs platform.
In 2022, the department announced its plans to roll out a pilot to offer smart ID card and passport renewal services to more bank branches. Currently, there are 27 bank branches that are operational and available to service clients requiring DHA services. The department aims to roll out to a further 43 sites once the partnership agreements are signed. However, getting more banks to sign up their branches to offer such services has been slow due to concerns about extended periods of downtime.
