For years, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has been working to move its identity document (ID)  system online, aiming to eliminate collection delays causedFor years, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has been working to move its identity document (ID)  system online, aiming to eliminate collection delays caused

How to apply for South African Smart ID at major banks (step-by-step guide)

2026/03/30 22:36
9 min read
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For years, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has been working to move its identity document (ID)  system online, aiming to eliminate collection delays caused by backlogs. In April 2016, the eHome Affairs system was launched, allowing people to apply for smart ID cards and passports online, but the system struggled to keep up with demand. 

In 2025, Home Affairs partnered with banks to streamline the process, and by March 2026, several banks rolled out the digital system, making it easier for citizens to apply.

To help you navigate the process, we have put together a simple step-by-step guide on how to apply.

How to apply for a Smart ID at South Africa’s banks 

South Africans can get their smart ID at a bank in two ways. One is to start online through eHomeAffairs and then finish the process at a bank. The other option is to use the new fully digital in‑branch service, available at selected Capitec and Standard Bank branches

1. Option 1: Apply online, collect at a bank (eHomeAffairs)

First, check which bank branch is closer to you. The list of banks that offer ID services is below. 

Register on eHomeAffairs

  1. Go to the official site: https://ehome.dha.gov.za/ehomeaffairs.
  2. Click “Register” and create a profile. Enter your ID number, personal details, set a password, and answer the security questions.
  3. Enter the one-time password (OTP) sent to your cellphone to verify your number.

Start a Smart ID application

  • Log in with your ID number and password.
  • Choose “New Application,” then select application types.
  • Complete the application form by filling all required fields and submit

Supporting documents

  • Uploading documents online is not mandatory; however, upload any required supporting documents if prompted, for example, a certified copy of a birth certificate or a parent or guardian ID for first‑time IDs; originals must still be shown at the bank.
  • Submit the application and note the reference number.

Pay online via your bank.

eHomeAffairs will ask you to pay the smart ID fee of R140 via internet banking.

  • On eHomeAffairs, select your bank and confirm payment.
  • Log in to your bank’s mobile app or online banking platform.
  • Go to “government payments” or similar, choose the pre‑populated “Home Affairs payment” and approve it.  Note that the amount and reference are already filled in.
  • Once payment clears, eHomeAffairs updates your application to ‘paid’.

Booking information

  • On eHomeAffairs, pick Bank Branch as your office.
  • Choose your bank and specific branch, e.g. “Absa Sandton”
  • Select a date and time slot if the branch requires online booking. This is still mandatory at most eHomeAffairs bank sites.
  • You will get a confirmation with:
  • Your application reference number
  • Booking date/time
  • Chosen bank branch

Take that confirmation (printed or on your phone) plus your original supporting documents to the bank.

Go to the bank for biometrics and collection

  1. Check in at the dedicated Home Affairs counter inside the bank.
  2. Staff will capture your fingerprints and take your photo; you do not need ID photos at smart ID‑enabled sites.
  3. They will confirm your details on the system and submit biometrics to Home Affairs.
  4. After processing, you will get an SMS when the card is ready. Collect it at the same bank branch you chose for the application, with your current ID or temporary ID and SMS.

2. Option 2: Skip eHomeAffairs and apply directly at certain banks

At certain Capitec and Standard Bank branches, customers can walk in and do everything in‑branch without using eHomeAffairs or booking online.

Capitec’s self‑service terminals:

  • Walk into a participating branch during normal trading hours (no booking).
  • At the smart ID self‑service terminal:
    • Authenticate with your fingerprints and possibly facial recognition.
    • Confirm your personal details on the screen.
    • Pay the application fee on the terminal or via your Capitec account; Capitec says this step takes about five minutes.
  • Your application goes directly to Home Affairs over a secure API; no separate eHomeAffairs login needed.
  • You will get an SMS when the ID is ready for collection at the same branch.

Standard Bank’s in‑branch route is similar, but staff assist you rather than a self‑service kiosk.

What you must have ready

  • Your current green ID book or existing smart ID.
  • First‑time ID 16+, your birth certificate, and often a certified copy of a parent/guardian’s ID.
  • Proof of residential address (e.g. municipal bill, bank statement).
  • Application fee in your bank account or available card limit.
Where to apply for a smart ID in the bank
Bank Address Contact Booking Passports
Gauteng
Absa Centurion Lifestyle Centre Shop 36 c/o Lenchen and Old Johannesburg Road, Centurion Lifestyle Centre, Centurion 066 460 0356 Online booking Yes
Absa Towers Cnr Commissioner And Troye Streets, Johannesburg 011 350 4111 Online booking Yes
Absa Key West Shop 80 Key West Shopping Centre, cnr Paardekraal Drive and Viljoen Street, Krugersdorp 079 900 6457 Online booking Yes
Absa Sandton Cnr Rivonia Road and 5th Street, Sandton 066 290 3314 Online booking Yes
Capitec Eyethu Mall Orange Farm Shop L15, Eyethu Orange Farm Mall, Link Rd, Orange Farm, 1805 0860 102 043 Walk-ins No
Capitec Sandton City 83 Rivonia Road, Sandhurst, Sandton, 2196 011 326 7462 Walk-ins No
Discovery Bank Head Office 1 Discovery Place, c/o Rivonia Road and Katherine Street, Sandton 0860 998 877 Online booking Yes
FNB Centurion Lifestyle Centre Cnr Lenchen and Old Johannesburg Rd, Centurion Lifestyle Centre, Centurion 066 460 0530 / 012 653 2661 Online booking Yes
FNB Lynnwood Shop L04 Upper-level, Cnr Simon Vermooten & Lynnwood Rd, Equestria, Pretoria 066 460 0130 Online booking Yes
FNB Merchant Place 4 Merchant Place, c/o Rivonia and Freedman Dr, Sandton 066 290 3307 Online booking Yes
FNB Glen Shopping Centre Shop U2, The Glen Shopping Centre, Glenvista 061 495 4441 Online booking Yes
FNB Krugersdorp President Square Shop 4, Market St, President St, Paardeplaats, Krugersdorp, 1739 087 345 3290 Online booking Yes
Investec Bank Sandown 100 Grayston Dr, Sandown, Sandton 011 286 7000 Online booking Yes
Nedbank Arcadia Shop 25, Nedbank Plaza, Beatrix Street, Arcadia 066 460 0122 Online booking Yes
Nedbank Constantia Kloof 16 Constantia Boulevard, Constantia Kloof, Roodepoort 011 639 4208 Online booking Yes
Nedbank Lakeview Office Park 1st Floor, Lakeview Campus, Lakeview Office Park, 16 Constantia Blvd, Constantia Kloof, Roodepoort, 1709 080 055 5111 Online booking Yes
Nedbank Rivonia 135 Rivonia Road, Sandown, Sandton 066 290 3257 Online booking Yes
Standard Bank Centurion Cnr Lenchen and Old Johannesburg Rd, Centurion Lifestyle Centre 012 671 4042 Online booking Yes
Standard Bank Killarney Mall Killarney Mall, Riviera Rd, Killarney, Johannesburg 011 486 0002 Online booking Yes
Standard Bank Jubilee Mall Shop 47, Jubilee Mall, Jubilee Road, Hammanskraal, 0407 011 351 7814 Online booking Yes
Standard Bank Maponya Mall Shop 86, Maponya Mall, Chris Hani Rd, Klipspruit, Soweto, 1809 086 010 1341 Walk-ins No
Standard Bank Rosebank 50 Bath Ave, Rosebank, Johannesburg, 2196 086 010 1341 Walk-ins No
Standard Bank Simmonds Street 5 Simmonds St, Selby, Johannesburg 011 631 1624 / 011 639 4205 Online booking Yes
Standard Bank Westgate Shop 160, Entrance 3, Westgate Shopping Centre, 22 Douglas St, Horizon View, Roodepoort, 1724 086 010 1341 Walk-ins No
Western Cape
Absa Stellenbosch Oude Bloemhof Building, Cnr Plein And Ryneveld Streets, Stellenbosch 021 809 2311 Online booking Yes
Capitec Cape Town V&A Waterfront V&A Waterfront 087 563 6270 Walk-ins No
Capitec Hermanus Shop 4, Fashion Square, Main Rd, Hermanus, 7200 086 010 2043 Walk-ins No
Capitec Stellenbosch Shop AW07, Eikestad Mall, Bird St, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch, 7600 086 010 2043 Walk-ins No
Capitec Swellendam SwellenMark Mall, Shop 18 Voortrek St, Swellendam, 6740 086 010 2043 Walk-ins No
Capitec Tygervalley Shop BL143, Tyger Valley Centre, Carl Cronje Dr, Bellville Park, Cape Town, 7530 086 010 2043 Walk-ins No
Capitec Vredenburg Shop 4, Main St, Vredenburg, 7380 086 010 2043 Walk-ins No
FNB Greenpoint Shop 1 & 2, ERF 176300, Media Quarter, Somerset Road, Greenpoint 087 345 6090 Online booking Yes
Nedbank St George’s Mall Shop 3 The Box, St Georges Mall, c/o Riebeeck Street 0800 555 111 Online booking Yes
Standard Bank Canal Walk Shop 599, Upper Level, Canal Walk Shopping Centre, Century Blvd, Century City 021 529 8216 Online booking Yes
Standard Bank Parow Shop 30B, Parow Centre Cnr De La Rey Street, Voortrekker Rd, Parow East, Cape Town, 7501 086 010 1341 Walk-ins No
Standard Bank Mitchell’s Plain Promenade Corner AZ Berman Road And Morgenster Road, Mitchell’s Plain 0860 123 000 Online booking Yes
KwaZulu-Natal
Capitec Pietermaritzburg Central Shop 2, 400 Church St, Pietermaritzburg, 3201 086 010 2043 Walk-ins No
Capitec Howick Harvard St, Howick, 3290 086 010 2043 Walk-ins No
FNB Cornubia Shop U56, Cornubia Boulevard, Cnr N2 Highway & M41, Durban 031 308 7900 Online booking Yes
Nedbank Durban North 57 Adelaide Tambo Dr, Durban North, 4051 0800 555 111 Online booking Yes
Standard Bank Kingsmead 1 Kingsmead Way, Durban 031 308 7900 Online booking Yes
Eastern Cape
Absa Port Elizabeth 51 Govan Mbeki St, Gqeberha Central, Gqeberha, 6001 041 404 8319 Online booking Yes
Capitec Jeffreys Bay Fountains Mall, St Francis St, Fountains Estate, Jeffreys Bay, 6330 086 010 2043 Walk-ins No
Standard Bank Newton Park 1 Pickering St, Newton Park, Port Elizabeth 041 404 8319 Online booking Yes
Northern Cape
Capitec Kathu Shop 8 Hendrik Van Eck Rd, Kathu, 8446 086 010 2043 Walk-ins No
Standard Bank Kathu Mall Shop 62 Village Walk Shopping Centre, Kathu, Hendrik Van Eck Street, Postmasburg 053 723 9610 Online booking Yes
Limpopo
Capitec Matoks N1 Botlokwa Plaza, Matoks, 0812 086 010 2043 Walk-ins No
FNB Burgersfort Shop 55 Twin City Complex, Dirk Winterbach Street, Burgersfort 072 457 8619 / 013 216 0098 Online booking Yes
Mpumalanga
Nedbank Nelspruit Shop 65 The Crossing Shopping Centre, c/o Samora Machel and Madiba Drive, Nelspruit 081 336 5941 Online booking Yes

Free State and North West currently have no branches. 

The department also plans to roll out a national digital ID system before year-end, a move that could allow other government departments to link their services digitally and improve public access.

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