Home Affairs operating hours extended

Residents who have not collected or applied for their smart ID cards are being urged to take advantage of the extended operating hours at Home Affairs branches.

Home Affairs offices are set to remain open for an additional two hours this week, until 16 January, to allow for applications and collections of smart ID cards.

This follows an extension in December to allow holidaymakers to obtain and ensure essential travel documents are up to date.

The Department of Home Affairs has, however, advised citizens to book application or collection appointments before visiting offices, using the Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS), available on the Home Affairs website.

Those without a booking may still visit offices as walk-ins.

“On these days, offices will close at 6pm, instead of 4pm. Services offered during the extended hours will be available at offices equipped to process smart ID cards,” said Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber.

This comes amid ongoing efforts to boost applications of smart ID cards and drastically reduce the use of green ID books.

The minister revealed last year that out of the 348 existing Home Affairs offices, 101 still do not have the capability to issue smart IDs.

“As we speak, these offices are still issuing the green ID book that is at the heart of the scourge of identity theft and fraud our country is facing,” said Schreiber.

He said the department would be scaling up existing collaboration with banks, to ‘accelerate access to smart IDs with the goal of ending the production of new green ID books’.

“This will be a momentous step towards delivering dignity for all, while simultaneously clamping down on fraud,” he said.

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