An easy guide on how to apply for a passport online in South Africa

Scroll down for information on how to apply for an ID online 

How to apply for a South African passport online

South Africans can apply for a passport online , and renew their expired passports online too. Here is my detailed guide on how to do an online passport application. For updates on the ” How to apply for a passport online process”, be sure to enter your email address here. Don’t forget to click on the confirmation link in the email you receive.

When travelling abroad the general rule is that your passport needs to be valid for 6 months. Most countries require this. My children’s passports were expiring in 2 months time which was a bit of a problem. We tried going to Home Affairs a while ago but one look at the long line snaking outside the office and we were out of there. After mustering up enough courage, I scheduled another trip to Home Affairs a few months later.

Before going in, I phoned to find out what the queue was like. The woman on the other end of the line said that it was worse than Christmas and New Year on the beach. I gave up. Then I decided to look into applying online. I remembered seeing somewhere that it was only available for adults between the age of 25 to 40 but I thought I’d check it out anyway.

Online registration and submission

I went to the Department of Home Affairs’ website and saw a link to apply for your South African passport or Smart ID online. It took me to https://ehome.dha.gov.za/echannel . I registered on this website then found options to apply for a passport online for myself or for minors. I selected the Minor Passport option, completed the forms and submitted them online.

The questions were quite straightforward however there was one unusual question – “How many spouses do you have?” . Maybe, it’s not so unusual in the South African context though.

I was required to select a branch where I wanted to collect my passport. Apart from Home Affairs branches all over the country, there were options to select certain ABSA and Standard Bank branches in Johannesburg and Pretoria (about three of each bank) as well as Cape Town. I selected Standard Bank Killarney which was most convenient for me. Mine and my husband’s ID copies were required, which I uploaded and submitted online.

Payment

I was then required to initiate a payment instruction, by entering my bank account details. Thereafter I logged into my Standard Bank internet banking account and found the My Bills option under Payments. I selected the Department of Home Affairs as a beneficiary.  The payment instruction then appeared under My Bills. I entered my reference number and approved the payment. The passport renewal fee is currently R400 for a normal passport.

Booking an Appointment

Once the payment had been registered by the Department of Home Affairs, I was taken to a page to book an appointment for biometrics (fingerprints). Note that if you want to go to Home Affairs for this step, no booking is necessary. (Just expect to wait in long lines). I selected Standard Bank Killarney again and then had to select a time slot.

Confirmation

I received an appointment confirmation which I had to take with me to the bank.

Notifications

At every step above, I would receive an email and SMS notification.

Appointment

I went to Standard Bank Killarney in Johannesburg on Friday at 2pm – which was the latest appointment I could get. They had a separate Home Affairs section within the Bank. There were no queues at all. They took photos of my kids in the photo booth and asked for mine and my husband’s electronic thumbprints and signatures.  I didn’t even have to give in photos or any other documents however do take your ID book/card and old passport with ( if you have one). I was told that I would receive a notification to collect the passports in 2- 3 weeks. The staff were efficient and compared to Home Affairs, the whole process was a pleasure.

I received an SMS and an email on 22 August (10 days later) to say that the passports were ready for collection.

Additional Notes

• Beware of incorrect information – Prior to making the appointment, I had emailed Standard Bank to confirm that their Killarney branch processed passport applications and they replied to say that it was “only open to all Standard Bank customers between the age of 25 to 40 who have an active Internet Banking account”. Then I asked the same question on their Facebook page and they confirmed that it was open to all ages. When I went into the Killarney branch they told me that it had just opened up to all ages from a week ago.  Apparently their call centres had not been informed yet.
• You have to be a customer of the relevant bank. Payment has to be processed online. You can’t go into the bank and pay as they are not authorised to accept payments. Adults applying for their minor children can use their accounts to pay for the children.

How to apply for your passport online – Summary

1. Go to https://ehome.dha.gov.za/echannel . Select the option to apply for a passport online.

2. Complete the forms and submit them. Select the branch where you want to do your biometrics and collect your passport.

3. Initiate a payment instruction by entering your bank account details, and logging into your Internet Banking.

4. Book your biometrics appointment.

When to apply for your passport

• If you are applying for a new South African passport online when you have an existing one, your old passport needs to expire within the next 6 months.
• If you are applying because your old South African passport is full, then you need to have 3 or less blank pages. If you have more than 3 blank pages, you will not be able to apply for a new one.

How to apply for an ID online

The process of applying for an ID online is similar to that of the online passport application. The system will guide you through the process.

1. Go to https://ehome.dha.gov.za/echannel

2. Indicate whether the application is for yourself or a minor.

3. Click on “Create New Application”

4. You will be asked ” How are you a citizen”. Once you have selected the correct option, go to the next step.

5.  When asked what are you applying for, select ” First Application” or “Re-Issue” under “Identity Card Application”.  If you want to apply for both an ID and a passport at the same time, you will need to select both options on this page, as you will not be able to create 2 separate applications simultaneously.

6. Complete the form. For minors, you will have to provide the parents’ details as well. Select which home affairs or bank branch, you want to collect your ID from.

7. Upload the required documentation.

8. Process payment as above. The first issue of an ID is free. A re-issue will cost R140.

9. Make your bank branch booking for biometrics. Take the relevant supporting documents with you to the bank with a printout of your booking confirmation. This includes the birth certificate and parent ID for a minor, and any documents that you were asked to upload during the booking process.

10. After you have been for your appointment, you will be informed when your ID is ready for collection.

Good to know

• For an ID application, a minor will require one parent present whereas for a passport, both parents are required.
• A 17-year old applying for a first ID does not have to do it on a parent’s account. They can create their own account.

Update: As at January 2024, here is the list of bank branches where you can do passport and ID applications. 

ABSA passport applications

• Absa Centurion Lifestyle Centre (Pretoria)
• Absa Towers (Johannesburg)
• Absa Sandton City (Sandton)
• Absa Key West (Krugersdorp)
• Absa Greenacres (Port Elizabeth)
• Absa Stellenbosch (Western Cape)

FNB passport applications

• FNB Centurion Lifestyle (Pretoria)
• FNB Lynnwood (Grove Shopping Mall) (Pretoria)
• FNB – 4 Merchant Place (Johannesburg)
• FNB Portside (Cape Town)
• FNB The Glen (Johannesburg)
• FNB Burgersfort (Limpopo)
• FNB Cornubia (KZN)

Nedbank passport applications

• Nedbank Sandown (Johannesburg)
• Nedbank Constantia Kloof (Roodepoort, Johannesburg)
• Nedbank Lakeview Office Park (Roodepoort, Johannesburg)
• Nedbank Arcadia (Pretoria)
• Nedbank St Georges Mall (Cape Town)
• Nedbank Nelspruit Crossing (Mpumalanga)

Standard Bank passport applications

• Standard Bank Centurion (Pretoria)
• Standard Bank Killarney Mall (Johannesburg)
• Standard Bank Simmonds Street (Johannesburg)
• Standard Bank Canal Walk (Cape Town)
• Standard Bank Promenade Mall (Cape Town)
• Standard Bank Jubilee Mall (Hammanskraal)
• Standard Bank Kingsmead (Durban)
• Standard Bank Newton Park (Port Elizabeth)
• Standard Bank Kathu Mall (Postmasburg , Northern Cape)

Investec passport applications

Investec Bank Sandton (Johannesburg)

Discovery Bank passport applications

Discovery Place Sandton (Johannesburg)

Update – June 2022 – Book an appointment online at Home Affairs

It is now possible to book an appointment online for a passport or ID application at Home Affairs offices using the Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS). This is ideal for those who don’t live near banks that provide these services, or don’t have accounts with the relevant banks or simply cannot get an available appointment slot at a bank online. To use this service, go to the DHA website and click on BABS to proceed. You can book up to four weeks in advance.

The BABS service is currently available at the Home Affairs offices listed below. Applicants are encouraged to use the BABS online booking system because, eventually. only clients who have booked an appointment online will be attended to for ID and passport applications. You will also be notified if Home Affairs’ systems are offline to avoid an unnecessary trip to their offices. See more about this service here.

For more updates on this process and the roll-out to the rest of the country, be sure to enter your email address here. Don’t forget to click on the confirmation link in the email you receive.

South African Passport fees (New passport prices from 1 November 2022)

Adult or child passport (32 pages): R600

Maxi tourist passport (48 pages): R1200

Document for travel purposes : R600

Emergency travel certificate: R140

* Please note that normal online passport applications are suspended during lockdown level 3 and above.

Did you do a passport renewal or passport application online ? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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— Sara Essop (@InAfricaNBeyond) May 2, 2018

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