The Department of Home Affairs announced on Monday that naturalised South African citizens and legal permanent residents from visa-exempt countries can now apply for the country’s modern smart ID cards for the first time – a milestone welcomed as a victory for both social inclusion and national security.

This important development was announced by Minister Leon Schreiber in a post on X (formerly Twitter), in which he confirmed that more than 1,4 million people who had to use the old green ID book for a long time can now make the transition to the new, more secure identity card.  

“For the first time ever, more than 1,4 million naturalised citizens and legal permanent residents are now eligible to obtain smart ID cards and can use eHomeAffairs,” Schreiber wrote. “We are starting with applicants from visa-exempt countries, and will then expand to all others.”

According to the Department this step is an important milestone in the digital transformation process. The smart ID card, which is already available to South Africans born in South Africa, is much more secure than the old ID book and helps to better protect identity against fraud.

Minister Schreiber described the announcement as a “victory for social inclusion, as thousands of people were previously excluded from access to modern identification services. He also emphasised that it is a “victory for national security” as the country becomes less dependent on an outdated and vulnerable document.

Initial phase focuses on visa-exempt countries

The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that the current phase is only aimed at people with the old green ID book who come from visa-exempt countries. The system has already been successfully launched and the influx of applicants is encouraging.

Applications from other countries will be considered in a later phase when the current volume stabilises. The Department has promised to provide clear communication when the next phase is activated.

A list of visa-exempt countries is available on the Department’s website: https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/exempt-countries

What does it mean for you?

If you are anaturalised South African citizen or legal permanent resident from one of the visa-exempt countries and you currently have a green ID book, you can now apply for your smart ID card via eHomeAffairs.

This development brings South Africa a step closer to a more inclusive, digital and secure system of identification.