South Africans get walk-in smart ID and passport services at major banks

JOHANNESBURG — 30 April 2024

South Africans can now skip online appointment bookings and walk directly into bank branches to apply for smart IDs and passports. This follows expanded services resulting from the Department of Home Affairs’ partnership with Absa, Capitec, Discovery Bank, FNB, and Standard Bank.

FNB will lead the rollout, targeting services in 240 branches within 12 months according to its Points of Presence CEO Zibu Nqala (speaking to MyBroadband). The expansion starts with 15 high-demand branches, focusing on underserved communities.

Seven FNB branches in Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo already process applications through the eHomeAffairs programme that began in 2015.

The new model differs from the initial pilot: branches will now operate independently using bank staff instead of Home Affairs officials on-site.

Applications no longer require pre-payment or pre-registration through government websites. Citizens can bypass the previous online booking system entirely.

“Instead, they will be able to walk into participating branches and complete the process directly with bank staff,” states the service update.

The changes will add hundreds of application points nationwide, eliminating mandatory pre-bookings.