You no longer have to queue at Home Affairs to get a Smart ID card. Smart ID applications are now processed at 285 bank branches across all nine provinces, and at selected Capitec and Standard Bank branches you can walk in without a booking and be done in about five minutes.
A Smart ID costs R140 for most applicants and is free if it is your first ID. Processing takes 10 to 14 working days.
Here is exactly how it works, and the full branch list by province.
Which banks offer Smart ID applications
Seven banks now take part in the Home Affairs digital partnership programme: Capitec, Standard Bank, FNB, Absa, Nedbank, Discovery Bank and Investec.
Capitec has by far the largest footprint, with branches in every province. Standard Bank is second. FNB, Absa, Nedbank, Discovery Bank and Investec run much smaller networks concentrated in the metros.
Home Affairs is targeting 750 participating branches by the end of 2026, so this network keeps growing. TymeBank is not part of the programme yet and plans to join a later phase, when Smart ID applications become available through banking apps.
One thing to check before you travel: some banks limit the service to their own clients. FNB is one of them. Others have opened it more widely. Use a branch of the bank you already bank with if you want to avoid the issue entirely.
The two ways to apply
Walk in, no booking. Available at selected Capitec and Standard Bank branches. You arrive during normal trading hours, authenticate with your fingerprints and a facial scan, confirm your details on a screen, and pay on the terminal. Capitec says the whole thing takes about five minutes. Your application goes straight to Home Affairs. You never touch eHomeAffairs.
Book on eHomeAffairs first. This is how FNB, Absa, Nedbank, Discovery and Investec branches work. You complete and pay for the application online, choose a branch, book a slot, then go in for the biometric capture only.
Both routes produce the same card from the same printer in Pretoria. The difference is how long you stand around, not what you get.
Every bank branch that offers Smart ID applications, by province
All 285 branches are listed below, sorted alphabetically within each province.
Gauteng (87 branches)
| Branch | Bank |
|---|---|
| Absa Towers (Johannesburg CBD) | Absa |
| Alberton Promenade | Capitec |
| Alexandra Plaza | Capitec |
| Alexandra Yarona | Capitec |
| Arcadia (Pretoria) | Nedbank |
| Bedfordview Bedford Centre | Capitec |
| Boksburg East Point | Capitec |
| Boksburg East Rand Mall | Capitec |
| Brakpan Voortrekker | Capitec |
| Carletonville Mall | Capitec |
| Centurion Lifestyle | Standard Bank |
| Centurion Lifestyle Centre | FNB |
| Centurion Lifestyle Centre | Absa |
| Centurion Mall 116B | Capitec |
| Constantia Kloof / Lakeview Office Park (Roodepoort) | Nedbank |
| Cosmo City Mall 150 | Capitec |
| Daveyton Sesfikile Square | Capitec |
| Eldorado Park | Capitec |
| Evaton Mall 37b | Capitec |
| Florida Goldman Crossing | Capitec |
| Fourways Crossing | Capitec |
| Germiston Southern | Capitec |
| Glen Shopping Centre | FNB |
| Greenstone Mall | Absa |
| Hammanskraal Jubilee Crossing | Capitec |
| Head Office (1 Discovery Place | Discovery Bank |
| Heidelberg Mall | Capitec |
| Johannesburg Braamfontein | Capitec |
| Johannesburg Fox | Capitec |
| Johannesburg Mall of Rosebank | Capitec |
| Johannesburg Mall of the South | Capitec |
| Johannesburg The Glen | Capitec |
| Jubilee Mall (Hammanskraal) | Standard Bank |
| Katlehong Letsoho | Capitec |
| Kempton Park Cavendish Glen | Capitec |
| Key West (Krugersdorp) | Absa |
| Killarney Mall | Capitec |
| Killarney Mall | Standard Bank |
| Krugersdorp President Square | FNB |
| Lenasia Square | Capitec |
| Lenasia Trade Route Mall | Capitec |
| Lynnwood (Grove Shopping Mall/Equestria) | FNB |
| Mamelodi Square | Capitec |
| Maponya Mall (Soweto) | Standard Bank |
| 4 Merchant Place (Sandton) | FNB |
| Nigel | Capitec |
| Nigel | Standard Bank |
| Orange Farm Eyethu Mall | Capitec |
| Pretoria Bougainville | Capitec |
| Pretoria Hatfield | Capitec |
| Pretoria Middestad Mall | Capitec |
| Pretoria Silver Lakes | Capitec |
| Pretoria Wonderboom Junction | Capitec |
| Randburg Ferndale Mall | Capitec |
| River Square | Standard Bank |
| Rivonia / Sandown (Sandton) | Nedbank |
| Roodepoort Village at Horizon | Capitec |
| Rosebank | Standard Bank |
| Rosebank (Cradock Ave) | Absa |
| Sandown (100 Grayston Dr | Investec |
| Sandton City | Capitec |
| Sandton City | Absa |
| Sandton) | Discovery Bank |
| Sandton) | Investec |
| Sanridge | Standard Bank |
| Silverton Silverwater Crossing | Capitec |
| 5 Simmonds Street (Johannesburg CBD) | Standard Bank |
| Sky City | Standard Bank |
| Soshanguve Mall | Capitec |
| Soshanguve Mall | Standard Bank |
| Soweto Bara Mall | Capitec |
| Soweto Dobsonville | Capitec |
| Soweto Eyethu | Capitec |
| Soweto Maponya Mall | Capitec |
| Springs Avenues | Capitec |
| Springs Mall | Capitec |
| Tembisa Birch Acres | Capitec |
| Tembisa Plaza | Capitec |
| The Glen | Standard Bank |
| The Mall @ Reds | Standard Bank |
| Tshwane Mid City | Standard Bank |
| Vanderbijlpark Vaalgate | Capitec |
| Vereeniging Bedworth Park | Capitec |
| Vereeniging River Walk | Capitec |
| Vereeniging Voortrekker | Capitec |
| Westgate Mall (Roodepoort) | Standard Bank |
| Wonderpark | Standard Bank |
Western Cape (51 branches)
| Branch | Bank |
|---|---|
| Atlantis City Mall | Capitec |
| Bredasdorp The Pavillion | Capitec |
| Caledon Pioneer | Capitec |
| Canal Walk | Capitec |
| Canal Walk (Century City) | Standard Bank |
| Cape Gate Centre | Capitec |
| Cape Gate Centre | Absa |
| Cape Town Adderley | Capitec |
| Cape Town Parliament | Capitec |
| Cape Town V&A Waterfront | Capitec |
| Ceres Voortrekker | Capitec |
| Ceres Vos | Capitec |
| Citrusdal | Capitec |
| Claremont (Cavendish Square) | Absa |
| Durbanville | Capitec |
| George Boulevard Centre | Capitec |
| Goodwood Mall | Capitec |
| Greenpoint (Media Quarter) | FNB |
| Gugulethu Square | Capitec |
| Hermanus Whale Coast Mall | Capitec |
| Khayelitsha Site C Plaza | Capitec |
| Kraaifontein Bloch Centre | Capitec |
| Mitchell's Plain Promenade | Standard Bank |
| Mitchells Plain Promenade | Capitec |
| Mitchells Plain Watergate | Capitec |
| Montague Gardens | Capitec |
| Mossel Bay Langeberg | Capitec |
| Nonqubela Link | Standard Bank |
| Paarl | Standard Bank |
| Paarl Main Road | Capitec |
| Parow Centre | Capitec |
| Parow Centre | Standard Bank |
| Philippi the Junction | Capitec |
| Piketberg | Capitec |
| Pinelands | Standard Bank |
| Portside (Cape Town CBD) | FNB |
| Rondebosch | Capitec |
| Somerset Mall | Capitec |
| St Georges Mall (Cape Town CBD) | Nedbank |
| Stellenbosch (Oude Bloemhof Building) | Absa |
| Stellenbosch Eikestad | Capitec |
| Strand | Capitec |
| Swellendam | Capitec |
| Table View Table Bay Mall | Capitec |
| Thibault Square | Standard Bank |
| Tokai Centre | Capitec |
| Tyger Valley Centre | Capitec |
| Vredenburg | Standard Bank |
| Vredenburg Weskus Mall | Capitec |
| Worcester | Standard Bank |
| Worcester Mountain Mill Centre | Capitec |
KwaZulu-Natal (34 branches)
| Branch | Bank |
|---|---|
| Amanzimtoti Seadoone Mall | Capitec |
| Ballito Junction | Capitec |
| Ballito Lifestyle | Capitec |
| Bergville Mall | Capitec |
| Cornubia Boulevard (Durban) | FNB |
| Dundee | Capitec |
| Durban Anton Lembede | Capitec |
| Durban Bluff Centre | Capitec |
| Durban City View Centre | Capitec |
| Durban Montclair | Capitec |
| Durban North | Nedbank |
| Durban Overport | Capitec |
| Durban Pavilion | Capitec |
| Durban Southway Mall | Capitec |
| Emondlo Mall | Capitec |
| Hillcrest Corner | Capitec |
| Kingsmead (Durban) | Standard Bank |
| Matatiele | Standard Bank |
| Midlands | Standard Bank |
| Newcastle Mall | Standard Bank |
| Nongoma | Standard Bank |
| Overport City | Standard Bank |
| Pinetown CBD | Absa |
| Pongola | Standard Bank |
| Raisethorpe | Standard Bank |
| Richards Bay | Standard Bank |
| Scottburgh | Standard Bank |
| South Coast Mall | Standard Bank |
| Umhlatuze | Standard Bank |
| Umlazi Mega City | Standard Bank |
| Underberg | Standard Bank |
| Vryheid | Standard Bank |
| Westown Square (Pinetown) | Standard Bank |
| Westville | Standard Bank |
Eastern Cape (37 branches)
| Branch | Bank |
|---|---|
| Alice | Capitec |
| Cofimvaba Main | Capitec |
| Colesberg | Capitec |
| Cradock | Capitec |
| East London Beacon Bay | Capitec |
| East London Hemingways | Capitec |
| East London Southernwood | Capitec |
| Elliotdale | Capitec |
| Engcobo High | Capitec |
| Fort Beaufort | Capitec |
| Gqeberha) | Standard Bank |
| Greenacres (Gqeberha) | Absa |
| Idutywa Main | Capitec |
| Jeffreys Bay Fountains Mall | Capitec |
| King Williams Town Stone Towers | Capitec |
| Lady Frere | Capitec |
| Lusikisiki Plaza | Capitec |
| Middelburg Cape | Capitec |
| Mount Ayliff | Capitec |
| Mthata Plaza | Capitec |
| Mthatha (York Rd) | Absa |
| Mthatha Mall | Capitec |
| Mthatha York City Centre | Capitec |
| Ngqamakhwe | Capitec |
| 1 Pickering Street (Newton Park | Standard Bank |
| Port Alfred | Capitec |
| Port Elizabeth Greenacres | Capitec |
| Port Elizabeth Newton Park | Capitec |
| Port St Johns | Capitec |
| Queenstown Calderwood | Capitec |
| Queenstown Robinson | Capitec |
| Sterkspruit Parkies Plaza | Capitec |
| Stutterheim | Capitec |
| Ugie | Standard Bank |
| Uitenhage (Kariega) | Absa |
| Uitenhage Corkwood Square | Capitec |
| Vincent Park (East London) | Absa |
Free State (5 branches)
| Branch | Bank |
|---|---|
| Kroonstad (President St) | Absa |
| Phuthaditjhaba | Standard Bank |
| Theunissen | Standard Bank |
| Winburg | Standard Bank |
| Zamdela | Standard Bank |
Limpopo (25 branches)
| Branch | Bank |
|---|---|
| Bela Bela Mall | Capitec |
| Dennilton Moutse Mall | Capitec |
| Elim Hubyeni Mall | Capitec |
| Giyani Masingita Centre | Capitec |
| Magnet Heights | Capitec |
| Makhado Krogh | Capitec |
| Mall of the North (Polokwane) | Absa |
| Mankweng Paledi Mall | Capitec |
| Matoks | Capitec |
| Metz Mahlakung | Capitec |
| Modimolle | Standard Bank |
| Modjadjiskloof | Capitec |
| Mokopane | Standard Bank |
| Mokopane Mahwelereng | Capitec |
| Mokopane Thabo Mbeki | Capitec |
| Musina | Standard Bank |
| Mutale Tshilamba | Capitec |
| Nkuzana Nkuna Kraal | Capitec |
| Polokwane Biccard | Capitec |
| Polokwane City Centre | Capitec |
| Polokwane the Greenery | Capitec |
| Siloam Mphephu Plaza | Capitec |
| Thohoyandou | Standard Bank |
| Thohoyandou Thavhani | Capitec |
| Tzaneen | Standard Bank |
Mpumalanga (26 branches)
| Branch | Bank |
|---|---|
| Acornhoek Mall | Capitec |
| Barberton Stimela Crossing | Capitec |
| Bronkhorstspruit Church | Capitec |
| Burgersfort | FNB |
| Burgersfort Morone | Capitec |
| Carolina | Capitec |
| Emoyeni | Capitec |
| Ermelo Church | Capitec |
| Hazyview Junction | Capitec |
| Hendrina | Capitec |
| Komatipoort | Capitec |
| Kriel | Capitec |
| Middelburg | Standard Bank |
| Nelspruit Brown | Capitec |
| Nelspruit Centre | Nedbank |
| Nelspruit Crossing | Standard Bank |
| Nelspruit Crossing Centre | Capitec |
| Nelspruit Crossing Centre | Absa |
| Nelspruit Henshall | Capitec |
| Nelspruit Valley Hyper | Capitec |
| Piet Retief Mall at Mfula | Capitec |
| Secunda | Standard Bank |
| Secunda Watterson | Capitec |
| Siyabuswa Mall at Moutsiya | Capitec |
| White River Square | Capitec |
| Witbank Saveways Centre | Capitec |
North West (12 branches)
| Branch | Bank |
|---|---|
| Bapong | Capitec |
| Brits Safari Centre | Capitec |
| Klerksdorp Matlosana Mall | Capitec |
| Mafikeng Mall | Capitec |
| Northam Plaza | Capitec |
| Potchefstroom Mooirivier Mall | Capitec |
| Rustenburg Mall | Standard Bank |
| Rustenburg Platinum Square | Capitec |
| Vryburg | Standard Bank |
| Vryburg Mompati Mall | Capitec |
| Westonaria Forbes | Capitec |
| Zeerust | Standard Bank |
Northern Cape (8 branches)
| Branch | Bank |
|---|---|
| Barkley West | Capitec |
| City Centre Kimberley | Absa |
| Kathu Village Mall | Capitec |
| Kimberley Barkley Road | Capitec |
| Kimberley Diamond Pavilion | Capitec |
| Kuruman Segonyana Mall | Capitec |
| Upington | Standard Bank |
| Upington Kalahari Mall | Capitec |
Coverage is thinnest in the Free State and the Northern Cape. If you are outside a metro in those provinces, check availability before travelling rather than assuming your nearest branch takes applications.
Branch lists change every few weeks as the rollout expands. Confirm on the bank’s own website or in its app under Home Affairs or Government Services before you travel.
What documents you need
First-time application:
- Your birth certificate
- Proof of address
- If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must attend with you and bring their ID
Upgrading from a green ID book, or replacing a lost card:
- Your green barcoded ID book, or your existing Smart ID
- Proof of address
- If the card was lost or stolen, a SAPS affidavit and case number
Bring originals, not photocopies. People get turned away for this every day.
You do not need to bring photographs. The branch captures your photo, fingerprints and signature on the spot.
How much a Smart ID costs
The fee is set by Home Affairs and is the same at a bank branch as at a Home Affairs office. Banks do not add a service charge, although Capitec has been reported to add a small logistics fee at some branches.
| Application | Cost |
|---|---|
| First ID, never held a green book or Smart ID before | Free |
| All other applications, including upgrading from a green ID book | R140 |
| Temporary Identity Certificate while you wait | R70 |
| Replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged card | R140 |
The free application applies to the fact that it is your first ID, not to your age. Most people who qualify are 16-year-olds applying for the first time.
If Home Affairs made an error on your card, the replacement is free. If you made the error, it is R140.
How to book on eHomeAffairs
- Go to ehome.dha.gov.za and click Register. Be careful with the address, there are scam sites. It must end in .gov.za.
- Enter your ID number, name, date of birth, email and cellphone number. You will get an OTP, so use a phone you have on you.
- Log in and select Smart ID Card.
- Choose first issue if you are applying for the first time or upgrading from a green book. Choose re-issue if yours was lost, damaged or stolen.
- Complete the form and upload your supporting documents.
- Pay by card or EFT.
- Choose a participating branch and book your date and time.
Save the booking reference. You need it on the day.
If you are going to a walk-in Capitec or Standard Bank branch, skip all of this.
How long it takes
Standard processing is 10 to 14 working days from your biometric appointment. You get an SMS when the card is ready.
Collect in person at the same branch where you applied. Bring the SMS and your green ID book or temporary ID.
There is no expedited option. If you have heard nothing after 20 working days, contact the Home Affairs call centre with your application reference.
Why applications get rejected
The three common reasons:
- Your details do not match the National Population Register
- Biometric capture failed
- You already have an application in progress
The R140 is not refunded if your application is rejected, so check that your details are correct before you pay.
Can you still use your green ID book?
Yes. The green barcoded ID book is still a legal identity document and no cut-off date has been set. Home Affairs has stopped issuing new ones, so every new application now produces a Smart ID card.
Around 16 million South Africans still hold green ID books. Government has said a deadline will be announced once enough people have switched.
Read our full guide to the green ID book phase-out and what happens next
When you collect your card
Check your name, date of birth, ID number, gender and photograph before you leave the counter. Errors are far easier to fix on the spot than afterwards.
Then take the card to every bank where you hold an account and update your FICA details. Full fee schedules and application requirements are published by the Department of Home Affairs.
