The Department of Home Affairs is engaging with banks to expand its eHomeAffairs services to other parts of SA, says a spokesperson.
Introduced last year, the eHomeAffairs portal allows Gauteng and Western Cape citizens to apply for their smart identity documents (IDs) and passports at certain bank branches.
The department partnered with the country's four major banks ? Absa, Nedbank, Standard Bank and First National Bank ?to allow citizens to use their banks for the online application of smart IDs or passports.
Citizens can access the eHomeAffairs portal on the department's Web site to make a booking with their respective banks, submit their booking for biometrics via their bank, make the payment online and then collect the smart ID or passport from the bank branches.
DHA spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete says: "The department is working on a rollout plan to expand its services using bank branches. All banks that have signed memorandums of understanding with the department have submitted draft proposals on the number of branches available for rolling out the eHomeAffairs services. A formal announcement will be made to the public once all the logistics are concluded."
The department has stated the introduction of the online application portal is part of its strategy to move services from paper to digital and eliminate lengthy queues at its offices.
To date, 135 552 clients have used the eHomeAffairs portal, according to Tshwete.
The department initially allowed citizens between the ages of 30 to 35 to apply for their IDs via the banks, but the age group was extended to start with individuals between the ages of 25 to 40.
Department minister Malusi Gigaba previously noted increasing the age group is part of government's resolve to replace the green ID books.
Home affairs is in a race to replace 38 million green bar-coded IDs with smart ID cards that have better security features and are extremely difficult to forge.
Banks where eHomeAffairs services can be accessed are: Absa Lifestyle in Centurion, Absa Towers North, Absa Ghandi Square, FNB Lifestyle Centurion, FNB Menlyn, FNB Merchant Place, Nedbank Rivonia, Nedbank Roodepoort, Standard Bank Centurion, Standard Bank Rosebank and Standard Bank Canal Walk in the Western Cape.
Share