Home Affairs confirms smart ID availability for South Africans
Smart ID cards are here — but not for everyone just yet. The Department of Home Affairs has kicked off its rollout for select naturalised citizens and permanent residents. Are you on the list? Here's what you need to know.
The Department of Home Affairs has officially launched the roll-out of Smart ID cards for naturalised citizens and permanent residents from visa-exempt countries, effective May 12.
In a statement, the department confirmed the system is operating smoothly and expressed satisfaction with the strong uptake by eligible applicants.
“For the first time, South African citizens and lawful permanent residents across the country can now apply for the more secure Smart ID card,” the department noted.
However, because of the high volume of applications currently being received, the department emphasised it had limited this initial roll-out phase to those who hold a green bar-coded ID and are from visa-exempt countries.
“Once application volumes have stabilised, we will begin assisting applicants from non-exempt countries,” the statement added.
The department will announce the start of this next phase in due course. To assist applicants, a list of visa-exempt countries is available at visa-exempt countries.
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