Safer more secure SA passports and smart IDs coming soon
Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber recently announced that safer passports and smart ID cards were in the works.
Updated passports and smart IDs for South Africans
The new Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, recently revealed that South Africa’s Smart ID cards and passports were heading for an update.
These updates will reportedly take place in the next few years and involves better security features.
According to MyBroadband, Schreiber announced these developments in the Department of Home Affairs’ 2024/2025 budget vote speech on Monday.
“Both the passport and smart ID card will be refreshed and updated in order to enhance the security features of these documents, with the aim of building trust by more countries and organisations worldwide,” Schreiber said.
Schreiber also shared some good news for naturalised citizens who have not yet been able to apply for Smart ID cards for more than a decade.
The minister said that support for Smart ID cards was gradually being phased in, with a number of cards already issued and more in progress.
“Once the system has been adjusted to verify compliant applications, all naturalised citizens will be able to visit any Home Affairs office equipped with live-capture facilities to apply for their smart ID cards,” Schreiber added.
No actual dates for the expected updates of the new smart IDs and passports has been provided, however, although Schreiber states that the updates will be implemented during the current administration, which is set to end in 2029.
How much are South African passports in 2024?
After a fee adjustment for South African passports and other official travel documents came into effect on 1 November 2022, here’s how much South African citizens have to fork out:
- Adult tourist passports are R600 for 32 pages
- Maxi tourist passports costs R1 200 for 48 pages
- Child passports are R600
- Official passports are R600
- Diplomatic passports R600
- Documents for travel purposes are R600
- Crew member certificates are R600.
Meanwhile, application fees for SA passports or travel document made outside the country at Missions, Embassies or Consulates, are as follows:
- For adult tourist passports it will cost R1 200 for 32 pages
- For adult maxi tourist passports it will cost R2 400 for 48 pages
- For child passports it will cost R1 200
- Emergency travel certificates will cost R140.