Home Affairs services cover the documents that prove who you are: the Smart ID card, South African passports, and birth, marriage and death certificates, along with citizenship and immigration matters. A first ID or Smart ID card is free for citizens applying at 16 and for pensioners over 60. All other citizens pay R140, a replacement is R140, and a standard 32-page adult passport is R600 inside South Africa. You can apply at a departmental office, at one of 410 participating bank branches, or start the process online through eHomeAffairs.
What Home Affairs charges
| Document | Fee in South Africa | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First ID or Smart ID card at 16 | Free | Also free for citizens over 60 |
| Smart ID card, all other citizens | R140 | No photographs needed at live capture offices |
| Replacement of a lost, stolen or damaged ID | R140 | Two identical ID photographs needed |
| Temporary Identity Certificate | R70 | Short validity, two photographs needed |
| ID reissued to fix a departmental error | Free | Proof of the correct information required |
| Adult passport, 32 pages | R600 | R1,200 at a mission abroad |
| Maxi passport, 48 pages | R1,200 | R2,400 at a mission abroad |
| Child passport, under 16 | R600 | R1,200 at a mission abroad |
| Emergency travel certificate | Not issued inside the country | R140, issued abroad to return home |
| Document for travel purposes | R600 | Applied for at an office |
| Registering a birth within 30 days | Free | First birth certificate issued free |
| Copy of a birth certificate, Form BI-154 | Fee payable | Confirm the amount before you go |
| Marriage certificate from the marriage officer | Free | Handed over on the day of the marriage |
| Unabridged marriage certificate, Form BI-130 | Fee payable | Confirm the amount before you go |
Passport fees were set by Government Gazette 47256 and took effect on 1 November 2022. They have not been amended since.
One caution on the ID fee. The Western Cape Government service page states in its price block that a first ID or Smart ID card is free for youths and for pensioners over 60, while an earlier section of the same page states that Smart ID applications cost R140. The price block is the more specific statement and is the one reflected above, but the discrepancy sits inside an official source. Confirm the amount with the office or branch handling your application before you pay.
Where you can use Home Affairs services in 2026
| Channel | What you can do there | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| Home Affairs office | Every civic service, including certificates and amendments | Optional through the Branch Appointment Booking System, walk-ins accepted |
| Participating bank branch | Smart ID replacement, with first-time applications and passports being added | No prior booking needed for a Smart ID replacement |
| eHomeAffairs online | Submit and pay for a Smart ID or passport application | A branch visit is still required for fingerprints and photograph |
| South African mission abroad | Passports, IDs and certificates for citizens overseas | Contact the mission directly |
The bank channel is the fastest-moving part of the system. The department told Parliament in a written reply that 410 bank branches were live by 13 August 2026, with 574,371 applications processed through bank channels. That is up from 203 branches at the end of June and 32 under the previous model. If you want the step-by-step, our guide on how to get a Smart ID at your bank covers which banks participate and what to bring.
Home Affairs says it is targeting up to 750 participating branches during the 2026/27 financial year, and that first-time Smart ID applications, passport applications and home delivery will be added to the bank network.
The green ID book still works
Roughly 16 million South Africans still carry the green barcoded ID book. It remains a legal identity document. No commencement date has been gazetted for its withdrawal, and the department has not announced that existing books have lost validity. What has changed is that new applications are issued as Smart ID cards, not green books. The detail on how the department intends to end the green book is tracked in our piece on the green ID book phase-out.
Passports and travel documents
A standard adult passport is R600 and a maxi passport with 48 pages is R1,200. Applying at a mission abroad doubles both figures. There is no such thing as an emergency passport for South Africans travelling out of the country: the R140 emergency travel certificate exists only to bring stranded citizens home, and it lapses on arrival. Our breakdown of the South African passport cost and process sets out the forms and supporting documents.
On the immigration side, the department has begun replacing paper visa processing with the electronic travel authorisation now live at four airports, initially for travellers from four countries.
What Home Affairs does not issue
This is where a lot of wasted trips start.
- Police clearance certificates come from the South African Police Service Criminal Record Centre in Pretoria, not from Home Affairs. The police clearance certificate cost and process runs through SAPS.
- Driving licences and licence discs are handled by driving licence testing centres and the Road Traffic Management Corporation.
- Matric certificates and re-issues are handled by the Department of Basic Education.
- Apostilles and legalisation for documents going overseas are done by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, after Home Affairs has issued the underlying certificate.
How long each document takes
A Temporary Identity Certificate is normally issued while you wait. An abridged marriage certificate is generated once the marriage officer submits the register, and can be issued the same day it is applied for. A copy of a birth certificate on Form BI-154 takes roughly 6 to 8 weeks, and an unabridged marriage certificate on Form BI-130 takes roughly the same. Applications lodged at a South African mission abroad take substantially longer because the paperwork is forwarded to Pretoria in batches.
Smart ID and passport turnaround varies sharply by office. The department has told Parliament that 145 of its local offices are still unmodernised and that 75 of those are scheduled for upgrading during 2026/27, which is the main reason waiting times differ so much between a metro branch and a rural one.
Common problems
Nothing shows when you track your application. SMS the word ID followed by your 13-digit ID number to 32551. Each message costs R1. The Home Affairs contact centre is 0800 60 11 90.
Your name does not match at the bank. Bank records often hold an initial where the population register holds full names. Take your existing green ID book or previous card with you.
Your document went to the wrong office. Documents are normally returned to the office where the application was lodged. If you applied abroad and want to collect in South Africa, you must submit a written request to change the destination at the time of application.
There is an error on the card you collected. If the mistake was the department’s, the reissue is free. You will need Forms BI-9 and BI-309 plus proof showing the correct information, such as a birth certificate.
The office says it cannot do live capture. Not every office has the live capture system needed for Smart ID cards and new passports. Check before travelling, or use a participating bank branch instead.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Smart ID card in South Africa?
Free for a first ID at 16 and for citizens over 60. R140 for all other citizens and for any replacement.
Can I get a Smart ID at a bank?
Yes. 410 bank branches were live as at 13 August 2026, covering Capitec, FNB, Standard Bank and Absa, with Old Mutual’s bank being onboarded. Smart ID replacement needs no prior booking.
Is my green ID book still valid?
Yes. It remains a legal identity document and no withdrawal date has been gazetted. You cannot apply for a new one.
How much is a South African passport?
R600 for a standard 32-page adult booklet applied for inside South Africa, R1,200 for the 48-page maxi version, and R600 for a child passport.
Does Home Affairs issue police clearance certificates?
No. Police clearance certificates are issued by the South African Police Service Criminal Record Centre.
Do I need to book an appointment?
No. Booking through the Branch Appointment Booking System is optional at departmental offices, and walk-ins are accepted. Smart ID replacements at bank branches require no booking at all.
What to watch
Three things could change the figures above. First, the department’s target of up to 750 participating bank branches during the 2026/27 financial year, and the promised addition of first-time Smart ID applications, passport applications and home delivery to the bank network. Second, the 2026/27 Annual Performance Plan, which the department said would set out how the green barcoded ID book is to be discontinued. Third, passport fees, which have been unchanged since 1 November 2022 and can only be amended by notice in the Government Gazette under the South African Passports and Travel Documents Act. Any of those would trigger an update to this page.
