How to Apply for a Smart ID or Passport Without the Queue

The image most of us have of Home Affairs is a queue that wraps around the building before sunrise. It doesn't have to be that way anymore. Since the Department moved ID and passport applications onto an online system tied to bank branches, you can do almost everything from your phone and only show up once - for a 15-minute biometrics appointment. This guide shows you exactly how, what it costs, and the trick to finding a slot when the calendar looks full.

There are two online doors into the system, and it helps to know the difference. eHomeAffairs (at ehome.dha.gov.za) is the self-service portal where you fill in your application and pay. BABS, the Branch Appointment Booking System, is the booking layer for Home Affairs offices. For most people the smoothest path is eHomeAffairs plus a bank branch, because the bank counters are quieter and run on appointment only.

You can use your bank - any bank

This is the part many people miss: participating branches of Absa, FNB, Standard Bank, Nedbank, Capitec, Discovery, Investec, African Bank and TymeBank capture Smart ID and passport applications, and the service is open to anyone with a South African ID - you don't need to be a customer of that bank.

Two honest caveats for 2026: the rollout isn't finished, so not every town has a branch yet (a few provinces still had none earlier in the year), and the bank route is currently for South African citizens born in South Africa. If you were born outside the country, or you need an emergency passport, you'll use a Home Affairs live-capture office instead.

What it costs

• Smart ID card: R140. It's free for your first-ever ID at 16, and free for pensioners aged 60 and older.
• Passport: from R400.
• Replacement ID: R140. A temporary ID is R70.
• There is no extra charge for using the online portal.

You pay online by debit, credit or cheque card. If you bank with FNB or Capitec, you can even start the whole thing inside the banking app.

Step by step

1. Register a profile at ehome.dha.gov.za using your ID number, a password and the OTP they SMS you.
2. Complete the application for a Smart ID or passport and pay the fee with your card.
3. Book your appointment - choose a participating bank branch or Home Affairs office and a date.
4. Save the barcoded confirmation letter (download or screenshot it). You'll get an SMS reminder three days before.
5. Attend the appointment for your photo and fingerprints. Bring the confirmation and your green ID book to hand in. It takes 15–30 minutes.
6. Collect when Home Affairs SMSes you - usually about 14 working days later.

The trick to finding an open slot

The single biggest frustration is opening the calendar and seeing nothing available. Two things help a lot:

• Log in early in the morning. New slots are typically released between 06:00 and 08:00. Logging in during that window gives you the best shot.
• Search a narrow date range. A wide search sometimes returns a false "no slots" result. Pick a start and end date a few days apart and work through the calendar week by week.

If you genuinely can't find a bank slot, remember that Home Affairs offices accept walk-ins for all services - but a BABS booking gets you a priority counter and a much shorter wait.

Stay safe

Only ever use the official portal at ehome.dha.gov.za. There are fake "booking" sites and middlemen who charge a fee to do what you can do yourself for free - ignore them. Home Affairs will never ask you to pay a booking fee into someone's personal account. For any query, their free line is 0800 60 11 90.