If you need to do business with the Department of Home Affairs, you will be pleased to know that office hours have been extended for the month of February.

The department announced that it will extend operating hours at all modernised offices until 7pm from February 3 to 28. This means that these Home Affairs offices will serve clients from 8am in the morning until 7pm in the evening on weekdays, for the whole month, excluding weekends.

READ: You can now apply for your Smartcard ID online

The department will ensure that everyone who is inside an office at the time of closing receives the service they require.

Office managers / supervisors are to apply their discretion in closing an office 30 minutes prior to knock-off time, subject to the number of people being served. This is to allow officials to conclude all the necessary work before 7pm. The department encourages people intending to visit Home Affairs offices to do so as early as possible on their preferred day.

Applications for and collection of smart ID cards and passports will be prioritised during the extended operating hours. Other services such as the issuance of birth certificates and death certificates, and applications for amendments and rectifications will also be rendered.

The department urges people who applied for smart ID cards more than two weeks ago to visit the offices where they applied for the documents, to collect them. On average, the department has around 400,000 uncollected smart ID cards nationwide, since inception.

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