Latest news with #e-HomeAffairs
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Home Affairs launches global centres to speed up passport services for expats
South Africans living abroad no longer have to endure the long wait of up to 18 months for passport renewals. Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber has announced the opening of new international Home Affairs service centres that aim to drastically cut waiting times and improve access to essential services. The Department of Home Affairs has officially launched its first centres in Sydney and Melbourne, with a third to open in Perth by the end of September. Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand are also now operational. ALS READ: Home Affairs confirms availability of smart IDs for South African residents These additions complement the department's existing centre in London, United Kingdom. 'Over the coming months, the Department of Home Affairs will expand this global footprint by opening more centres in the United Arab Emirates and China, followed by France, Germany, and The Netherlands later this year, and North America early next year,' the department stated. The initiative, described as a game-changer for South Africans overseas, forms part of a broader strategy to offer 'Home Affairs @home' – a vision of fully accessible online services for citizens wherever they reside. Services at the new centres include: 1. Passport applications and renewals for adults and minors 2. Birth registration applications 3. A new online appointment system with walk-in options tracking and email support for real-time updates hours from Monday to Friday, 09:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00 6. A five-week turnaround time, significantly down from the previous 12–18 months ALSO READ: Home Affairs gives quick steps of getting your ID The department is also upgrading its e-HomeAffairs live capture platform, which will soon allow the issuance of Smart IDs and eliminate the need for paper forms. Schreiber said the improvements are about more than just speed. 'These changes are about delivering dignity to South Africans – wherever they live in the world,' he said. 'Home Affairs is now delivering for South Africans, including those living abroad, like never before.' Bookings for appointments can be made via the following links: 1. Australia: Zealand:
The South African
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The South African
UPDATE on Smart IDs for naturalised citizens
For the longest time, Smart IDs for naturalised citizens were simply not available. Almost unconstitutionally, anyone who'd become a lawful permanent resident in South Africa was effectively barred from obtaining one. However, one-month ago, on Sunday 11 May 2025, Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber announced Smart IDs for naturalised citizens were finally going ahead. It is understood that more than 1.4-million lawful permanent residents are now eligible for the latest ID. Government has long touted the enhanced security of the Smart ID card. And yet millions were unable to access it, until now. Image: File Frankly, we were appalled that such a situation even existed. In the past we were regularly contacted by readers on our WhatsApp line. Despite having all the same constitutionally enshrined rights, naturalised citizens were being discriminated against for decades. To become a naturalised South African citizen, you must first hold permanent residency for at least five years. However, the good news is that Smart IDs for naturalised citizens are now available to anyone eligible through the e-Home Affairs platform. The application cost is R140. 'This is a major milestone on the digital transformation journey of Home Affairs. It is a victory for social inclusion and national security. These citizens and lawful residents were previously excluded from the Smart ID and restricted to the vulnerable green ID book,' said Dr. Schreiber Dr. Leon Schreiber's reforms at Home Affairs have been impressive in just over one year since taking office. Image: File Technology and IT system issues were the reason for unavailability of Smarts IDs for naturalised citizens prior, reports BusinessTech . Due to the vagaries of the old Home Affairs' paper-based system, only certain residents could access Smart IDs on an invite-only basis. This was because all processing had to be done manually. Worse still, naturalised citizens were only permitted to visit a handful of outdated Home Affairs offices that still supported the issuing of old green ID booklets. Embarrassingly for previous leadership, Smart IDs have been around since 2013. And green ID booklets were purported to be phased out somewhere between 2018 and 2022. And yet, they still remain in use, despite government's own concerns about fraud and identity theft. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
