Smart ID card application: how to apply, what it costs, and how long it takes

The Smart ID card replaced the green ID book as the primary identity document, and the process is deliberately physical: your fingerprints and photograph are captured at the application, and your fingerprints are checked again at collection. That second check is why nobody can collect on your behalf.

Where to apply

• A Department of Home Affairs office, including the large modernised offices that handle higher volumes.
• A participating bank branch, if you are an existing client of a bank that offers the service.

Both routes capture the same application into the same system, so neither is “more official” than the other. The bank route is usually faster and by appointment; the Home Affairs route is available to everyone.

What to take

Your situation	What to bring
You have a green ID book	The green ID book
First identity document ever	Unabridged birth certificate
Replacing a lost or stolen card	Proof of identity plus an affidavit, and the re-issue fee
Your name has changed	The marriage certificate or name-change documentation

You do not bring photographs. The office captures them, along with your fingerprints and signature.

What happens at the application

The process takes about twenty minutes once you are in front of an official:

1. Your existing identity document or birth certificate is verified.
2. Your fingerprints are captured electronically on all fingers.
3. Your photograph and signature are captured.
4. You confirm your residential address and contact number.
5. You receive a receipt with an application reference.

Keep that receipt. It is the only thing that lets a follow-up query be traced, and it is what you show at collection.

Fees

A first-time Smart ID application is free. A re-issue after loss, theft or damage carries a fee, which changes from time to time and is set in the regulations rather than by the individual office. Confirm the current amount when you book rather than arriving with an old figure.

How long it takes

Cards are typically ready within weeks, not days. Two things stretch that:

• An identity record problem. If your birth record is not on the system, or a detail does not match, the application cannot be finalised until it is resolved. This is the most common cause of a long wait, and it is not fixed by re-applying.
• A fingerprint quality failure. Poor prints need a re-capture, which means another appointment.

If the wait is longer than the office indicated, follow up with the reference number on your receipt rather than starting a new application. A second application on the same record creates a duplicate and delays both.

After you have it

A Smart ID card does not expire on a fixed date for most adults, but the card can be replaced when it is damaged, and the details on it must be updated when your circumstances change.

If you lose the card, the lost or stolen ID guide covers the affidavit, the re-application and why blocking the document matters. If you have never held an identity document at all, the first identity document guide starts a step earlier, with the birth certificate. For travel you need a passport, which is a separate application entirely.

Last reviewed 13 October 2026. Fees and booking channels are set by Home Affairs and change; confirm the current position before you travel to an office.