Reynolds Travel Centre Monthly E-mag Issue 03 | Page 26

All the bank branches where you can get your Smart ID and passport

When the service launched there were 11 participating bank branches – from Absa, FNB, Nedbank, and Standard Bank – which were part of the Home Affairs system and supported ID and passport applications.

Since then there have been several changes, and at the time of publication Home Affairs listed 13 bank branches as offering its services.

If you select a bank branch when applying for a Smart ID or passport, you are asked to book an appointment to have your fingerprints captured and photograph taken.

Once your application is paid and your biometric data is captured, Home Affairs will send you an SMS when your smart ID or passport is ready for collection.

Home Affairs launched its online Smart ID and passport applications portal almost two and a half years ago.

It was initially only open to South Africans between 30 and 35, but Home Affairs gradually increased the range of people allowed to use the website.

By 25 August 2016, the eHomeAffairs website was made available to everyone with South African citizenship.