Department of Home Affairs - Smart ID and passport appointments
How to book a Home Affairs appointment online
Home Affairs bookings are free and made on MyHomeAffairsOnline, the upgraded Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS). You can also apply and pay online through eHomeAffairs, or walk into a participating bank branch for a smart ID.
- Booking site
- myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za
- Online application
- ehome.dha.gov.za (eHomeAffairs)
- Services
- Smart ID card, passport, collections
- Booking cost
- Free - only the document fee is payable
- Smart ID fee
- Free first issue at 16, R140 re-issue
- Passport fee
- R600 (32 page), R1,200 (48 page maxi)
- Contact centre
- 0800 60 11 90
Who can book
- South African citizens and permanent residents with a 13-digit SA ID number - the system verifies your details against the National Population Register
- First-time smart ID applicants aged 16 and older (bring a parent or guardian if you are under 18 and applying for the first time)
- Anyone replacing a lost, stolen or damaged ID, or converting a green ID book to a smart ID card
- Adults applying for a new or renewed passport, and parents applying for a child's passport
- Anyone collecting a smart ID or passport that has already been processed
- Bookings are linked to the ID number that made them and cannot be transferred to another person
What to bring on the day
- Your booking confirmation (print it or keep the SMS or email on your phone)
- Your green ID book or current smart ID card, if you have one
- First-time ID: your birth certificate and your parents' IDs (or a death certificate if a parent has passed away)
- Passport for a child under 16: the child's birth certificate and both parents' IDs, and the child must be present
- eHomeAffairs applicants: the barcoded confirmation letter downloaded from the portal, plus originals of any supporting documents you uploaded
- A debit or credit card for payment at the branch - most Home Affairs offices no longer accept cash
- No printed photos are needed at live-capture offices; your photo and fingerprints are taken at the counter
Step by step
-
Go to MyHomeAffairsOnline
Open myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za directly or through the Branch Appointment Booking System link on dha.gov.za. The old BABS address, services.dha.gov.za, now shows a notice that the system has moved and redirects you to the new site.Tip: Never book through a WhatsApp number, Facebook page or agent. Home Affairs bookings are free and only exist on the official site. -
Create your profile with your ID number
Click Register and enter your 13-digit SA ID number, your names exactly as they appear in your ID, your cellphone number and an email address, then set a password. Since the June 2026 upgrade every profile is linked to one ID number and one email address, which is how Home Affairs stops syndicates from hoarding slots. -
Verify with the OTP
A one-time PIN is sent to your cellphone by SMS. Enter it to confirm your number and activate the profile. You will get a fresh OTP each time you log in, so keep the same phone with you. -
Choose the service you need
Log in and select the service: a smart ID card application (first issue, re-issue or green book conversion), a passport application, or a collection of a document that is ready. Only smart ID and passport services run on the booking system; births, marriages, deaths and amendments are still walk-in. -
Pick a province, town and branch
Select your province, then the city or town, then a Home Affairs office. Not every office is on the booking system yet, so if your nearest branch does not appear, check the next closest town. Call the contact centre on 0800 60 11 90 for the current list of participating offices. -
Select a date and time slot
The calendar shows the days with open slots. Pick a day and time, check that your details are correct and confirm. You will receive a confirmation by SMS or email and an automatic reminder three days before the appointment.Tip: Slots are released in batches. If nothing is available, check again early in the morning or try a different branch rather than paying someone who claims to have one. -
Pay for the document (not the booking)
Booking is free. You pay the standard document fee at the branch by card: R140 for a smart ID re-issue (free for first-time applicants aged 16 and pensioners over 60), R600 for a 32-page passport or R1,200 for the 48-page maxi passport. If you applied through eHomeAffairs you will have already paid online. -
Arrive on time with your documents
Bring your confirmation, your ID book or card and the documents listed above. The branch takes your photo and fingerprints on a live-capture system. If you cannot make it, log back in and cancel or reschedule so the slot goes back into the pool for someone else.
BABS vs eHomeAffairs vs walk-in: which route to use
There are three legitimate ways to get a smart ID or passport in 2026. They overlap, so pick the one that fits your situation.
| Route | What it does | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| MyHomeAffairsOnline (BABS) | Books a time slot at a Home Affairs office. You still apply and pay at the counter. | Anyone who wants to skip the queue, first-time ID applicants, collections | Booking free, pay the document fee at the branch |
| eHomeAffairs | Full online application: fill in the form, upload documents, pay by EFT, then book a slot at a Home Affairs enabled bank office (or walk into any Home Affairs office) for biometrics. | Passport renewals, re-issues, people with internet banking who want to pay upfront | Free to register, document fee paid online |
| Walk-in | Go to a Home Affairs office without a booking, or to a participating bank branch under the Digital Partnership Programme. | Smart ID re-issues and green book conversions at Capitec, Standard Bank, FNB and Absa branches; anyone in an area without online-booking offices | Document fee only; banks may add a convenience fee |
Rule of thumb: if you only need a smart ID replacement and live near a participating bank, walk in. If you need a passport, use eHomeAffairs so the payment is done before you arrive. If you are applying for a first-time ID or collecting a document, book on MyHomeAffairsOnline.
How the eHomeAffairs online application works
eHomeAffairs at ehome.dha.gov.za is the Department's online application and payment portal for smart ID cards and passports. The official how-to guide sets out ten steps:
- Register a profile with your personal details, a password and security questions.
- Enter the SMS OTP to confirm your cellphone number.
- Log in and enter the logon OTP sent by SMS.
- Complete the application form for a smart ID card and/or passport. You can apply for yourself or for a minor directly related to you (typically a child who needs a passport). All fields in red are compulsory.
- Submit the form.
- Upload supporting documents if the system asks for them. You must still present the originals at the branch or bank.
- Make the online payment by capturing your banking details. This only sends an instruction to your bank: you then log in to your internet banking and authorise the payment, and the bank verification can take a few minutes.
- Book at a Home Affairs enabled bank office for biometrics. A booking is compulsory at a bank office but not at a Home Affairs office, where you can present your confirmation without a booking.
- Download and print the barcoded confirmation letter.
- Take the letter and your ID book to the branch or bank office on the day.
Getting a smart ID at a bank branch
Home Affairs launched its Digital Partnership Programme with banks in March 2026. The official DHA banks page lists Capitec, Standard Bank, FNB and Absa as participating banks, each with its own branch finder on the bank's website. Business Day reported 410 live bank branches and 574,371 applications processed through banks as at 13 August 2026, with OM Bank being onboarded and a target of 750 branches by the end of the financial year.
- You do not need to bank with that bank to use its Home Affairs counter.
- Capitec and Standard Bank accept walk-ins at participating branches; other banks may require a booking, so check the bank's branch finder first.
- The application is fully digital: the bank captures your photo and fingerprints and verifies you against the National Population Register in real time. Home Affairs says it takes as little as five minutes.
- You collect the card at the same branch where you applied.
- The Home Affairs fee is R140. Banks may charge a convenience fee on top, so check the bank's website.
Passports at banks: as at September 2026 the DHA banks page lists passport applications as not yet available at Digital Partnership bank branches (phase 1 covers smart ID re-issues and green book conversions). Passports still go through eHomeAffairs or a Home Affairs office. Some earlier eHomeAffairs bank service points do handle passports; the eHomeAffairs booking screen shows which ones.
Smart ID and passport fees in 2026
- Smart ID card, first issue: free for citizens turning 16 and for people aged 60 and over
- Smart ID card, re-issue (lost, stolen, damaged or green book conversion): R140
- Temporary Identity Certificate: R70
- Adult passport, 32 pages: R600
- Adult maxi passport, 48 pages: R1,200
- Child passport (under 16): R600
Passport fees were last adjusted on 1 November 2022 and have not changed since. Pay by card at the branch or by EFT through eHomeAffairs. The appointment itself never costs anything.
How long it takes
Home Affairs reported in May 2026 that in the 2025/26 year it issued 96.32% of adult passports within 13 working days and 98.72% of child passports within 18 working days, against a target of 90%. It also issued more than four million smart ID cards in the year, the highest output in the Department's history.
Home Affairs has not published a fixed turnaround for smart ID cards in its 2026 statements. The Minister said in February 2026 that turnaround times for smart IDs and passports had been cut by 66.7%, and the bank partnership statement says cards are collected "within weeks". Track your application by SMS or on the eHomeAffairs portal, and book a collection slot on MyHomeAffairsOnline once you are told it is ready.
Booking scams: slots are free
In January 2026 the Department of Home Affairs warned the public about fraudsters who charge a fee to "secure" appointments, help with applications or collect documents on someone's behalf, often using fake adverts with the Home Affairs logo and a cellphone number. The Department's position is that booking appointments and using its official systems come at no extra cost beyond the standard application fees.
The June 2026 MyHomeAffairsOnline upgrade was built specifically to stop syndicates who blocked slots on the old BABS and resold them. Because every booking is now tied to a verified ID number and email address, a slot bought from an agent will not be in your name and you will be turned away.
- Only book on myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za or ehome.dha.gov.za
- Never pay anyone for a booking, a "fast track" or a collection
- Do not share your OTP with anyone; Home Affairs will never ask for it
- Report fake adverts to the contact centre on 0800 60 11 90
No slots available? What to do
- Try a different office. Slots are per branch. A smaller town office 30 minutes away often has availability when the city office is full.
- Check early and often. New slots and cancellations appear throughout the day.
- Use eHomeAffairs. If you have internet banking you can apply and pay online, then walk into any Home Affairs office with your confirmation letter without a booking.
- Walk into a bank. For a smart ID re-issue, Capitec and Standard Bank branches take walk-ins.
- Walk into Home Affairs. Offices still serve unbooked clients; bookings just let you jump the queue. Arrive before opening if you go this route.
- Call 0800 60 11 90 for the list of offices on the booking system and their operating hours.
Home Affairs contact details
- Contact centre (toll-free): 0800 60 11 90
- Booking site: myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za
- Online applications: ehome.dha.gov.za
- Bank branch list: dha.gov.za/banks
- Office contact details: dha.gov.za, under Contact Us, by province
Frequently asked questions
How do I book a Home Affairs appointment online?
Is BABS still working?
Does it cost anything to book a Home Affairs appointment?
What is the difference between BABS and eHomeAffairs?
Can I get a smart ID at a bank without a booking?
Can I apply for a passport at a bank?
How long does a smart ID or passport take?
What do I bring to my Home Affairs appointment?
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