Home Affairs and documents - dates and guides
How to apply for a smart ID card, passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate and police clearance in South Africa, with fees, timelines and official booking channels.
Home Affairs documents must be applied for in person or through the official eHomeAffairs channel - there is no legitimate way to apply through a third-party site. Bookings for smart ID and passport applications at participating banks and Home Affairs offices are made on the Department of Home Affairs website or the official bookings portal.
Last reviewed 2026-10-13 · next scheduled review 2026-10-14
- Smart ID application
- R140
- Passport
- from R400
- Police clearance
- R115
Coming up
Nothing dated in this section is upcoming right now. See the full Dates Centre or check back after the next scheduled source review.
Home Affairs & Documents guides
- Birth certificate registration: how to register a birth and get the certificate How to register a birth in South Africa, what documents you need, what happens if you miss the registration window, and how to get the certificate afterwards.
- Deceased estate administration: what to do first, and who does what What to do when someone dies in South Africa - death registration, the Master of the High Court, appointing an executor, and how long an estate takes.
- First identity document: how to apply when you have never had an ID How to apply for a first South African ID when you have never had one, what documents Home Affairs needs, what it costs, and how long the ID takes to arrive.
- How to Book a Home Affairs Appointment Online (BABS Guide) How to use the Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS) to schedule a Smart ID or passport appointment at Department of Home Affairs offices across South Africa.
- Lost or stolen ID: what to do, and how to replace it Report a lost or stolen South African ID, block the document so it cannot be used fraudulently, and apply for a replacement Smart ID card or green ID book.
- Marriage certificate and registration: civil, customary and religious marriages How civil, customary and religious marriages are registered, what documents you need, the waiting period, and how to get a marriage certificate afterwards.
- Passport application in South Africa: cost, documents and how long it takes How to apply for a South African passport, the difference between the standard and express processes, what documents to bring, and where to collect it.
- Permanent residence in South Africa: the routes, and how they differ from a visa How permanent residence differs from a temporary visa, the main routes to it, what happens to a spouse or child, and why the process is document-heavy and slow.
- Police clearance certificate: how to apply, what it costs and how long it takes Apply for a South African police clearance certificate for a visa, work permit or foreign job - where to go, what you need, and why the fingerprints matter.
- Smart ID card application: how to apply, what it costs, and how long it takes How to apply for a South African Smart ID card at a bank branch or Home Affairs office, what it costs, how long collection takes, and how to book.
- South African visas explained: the main categories and how to apply The main South African visa categories, who each one is for, what they cost, and where a visa stops and permanent residence begins.
Who actually runs these services
Find SA Status explains and links. We do not run any of these services and cannot act on your behalf. For anything that needs action - an application, a payment, a status check - go directly to the official body.
- Department of Home Affairs (opens in a new tab) www.dha.gov.za/
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