If your South African ID is lost, stolen or damaged, you can apply for a re-issue. Report the loss at a police station first when the document is missing, then apply for a Smart ID card at a Department of Home Affairs live-capture office or a participating bank branch.
Home Affairs charges R140 for a Smart ID re-issue. A temporary identity certificate (TIC) costs R70 while you wait, if you need short-term proof of identity.
Need the online Smart ID or passport route first? XTRAfrica explains how to apply for an ID or passport online and the Smart ID online application login guide.
Official portals
eHomeAffairs — start selected Smart ID applications online
Home Affairs booking — book some office appointments
Banks that issue Smart IDs — Digital Partnership branches
Apply for an identity document (gov.za) — national service page
Home Affairs Contact Centre: 0800 60 11 90 or email hacc@dha.gov.za
What you need
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
How to Replace a Lost South African ID
Replace a lost or stolen South African ID: get a SAPS affidavit, pay R140, then apply at Home Affairs or a DHA partner bank.
August 29, 2026 at 11:41:11 PM
August 29, 2026 at 11:41:11 PM
🕒 9 min read
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South African Smart ID card (Department of Home Affairs / Wikimedia Commons)
If your South African ID is lost, stolen or damaged, you can apply for a re-issue. Report the loss at a police station first when the document is missing, then apply for a Smart ID card at a Department of Home Affairs live-capture office or a participating bank branch.
Home Affairs charges R140 for a Smart ID re-issue. A temporary identity certificate (TIC) costs R70 while you wait, if you need short-term proof of identity.
Need the online Smart ID or passport route first? XTRAfrica explains how to apply for an ID or passport online and the Smart ID online application login guide.
Official portals
eHomeAffairs — start selected Smart ID applications online
Home Affairs booking — book some office appointments
Banks that issue Smart IDs — Digital Partnership branches
Apply for an identity document (gov.za) — national service page
Home Affairs Contact Centre: 0800 60 11 90 or email hacc@dha.gov.za
What you need
Requirements differ slightly by channel. Bring what applies to your route:
Police affidavit / case number: gov.za says affidavits are often required when replacing lost or stolen documents such as an ID. Get one at any police station.
Form BI-9: completed at Home Affairs if fingerprints were not previously submitted (Western Cape Government guidance).
Payment: R140 for the Smart ID re-issue. Banks may add their own convenience fee.
Your cellphone number: so Home Affairs can SMS progress updates.
Bank Digital Partnership: DHA says you do not need to bring documents for this walk-in bank service — confirm with your branch.
Step 1 — Report a lost or stolen ID
If the card or green book is missing, go to your nearest South African Police Service station. Ask for an affidavit stating that your ID was lost or stolen, and keep the case number. Official guidance: What is an affidavit?.
A government Vuk’uzenzele Smart ID FAQ also says you must provide a police case number and affidavit after losing a Smart ID, and pay the prescribed fee for the new card.
Step 2 — Choose where to reissue
Option A — Participating bank (Digital Partnership)
The Department of Home Affairs partners with selected banks for Smart ID services. Official services currently include Smart ID re-issues for lost, stolen or damaged cards, and green ID book to Smart ID replacements. See dha.gov.za/banks.
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Capitec Bank and Standard Bank allow walk-ins at participating branches (no appointment).
Application at the bank takes about 15 minutes, according to DHA.
DHA fee is R140. Your bank may charge a convenience fee.
Collect at the same bank branch where you applied.
You must apply in person — nobody else can apply for you.
First-time IDs, passports, name changes and complex civic services are not available at banks in this phase.
Option B — Home Affairs office
Use a live-capture office for a Smart ID card. Photos are taken digitally at equipped offices, so you usually do not bring passport photos for the Smart ID itself.
Check whether your office uses live capture and which documents it wants that day.
Bring your police affidavit and case number if the ID was lost or stolen.
Complete Form BI-9 if required.
Pay the R140 re-issue fee.
Have your photo and fingerprints captured.
Collect in person when notified — ask the office about collection rules when you apply.
Option C — eHomeAffairs then biometrics
Eligible citizens can start a Smart ID application on eHomeAffairs, pay online, then finish biometrics at a Home Affairs office or enabled bank. Full walkthrough: Home Affairs online ID or passport application.
Current fees
Smart ID / ID re-issue: R140 (DHA banks page; Western Cape Government)
Temporary identity certificate (TIC): R70 (gov.za and Western Cape Government)
Bank convenience fee: may apply on top of the R140 — ask your bank
Errors on a newly issued ID: Home Affairs replaces free of charge (gov.za)
Temporary ID while you wait
If you need proof of identity before the new card is ready, ask Home Affairs for a Temporary Identification Certificate (TIC). gov.za lists the TIC fee as R70 and says you need your ID number for verification plus two ID photos for that certificate.
Fingerprints are verified when the TIC is issued.
How to check ID application status
Western Cape Government says you can track progress by SMS: text ID followed by your 13-digit ID number to 32551. Each SMS costs R1.
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You can also call the Home Affairs Contact Centre on 0800 60 11 90 or email hacc@dha.gov.za. If you applied through a partner bank, DHA says status updates come from that bank’s usual channels.
For passport applications instead of IDs, see how to check your South African passport status.
Common problems
No live-capture office nearby.
Only live-capture offices issue Smart ID cards. Call ahead, or use a participating bank branch from the official DHA banks list.
Bank branch cannot process my case.
DHA says you may be referred to a Home Affairs office for cases banks cannot handle.
I only have a green ID book.
You can convert a green book to a Smart ID at Home Affairs or at a participating bank under the Digital Partnership.
eHomeAffairs login fails.
Use the Smart ID online application login guide, or walk into a bank Digital Partnership branch that does not require an eHomeAffairs booking.
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Scam warning
Never pay a Facebook, WhatsApp or street agent to “fast-track” an ID.
Do not share your eHomeAffairs password or OTP.
Type dha.gov.za and gov.za addresses yourself — avoid sponsored short links.
Only collect from the Home Affairs office or bank branch where you applied.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a police affidavit for a lost ID?
Yes for a typical Home Affairs lost/stolen replacement — gov.za lists affidavits for replacing lost or stolen IDs. For the DHA bank Digital Partnership, DHA currently says no documents are needed; still keep your affidavit for your own records and if a bank refers you to Home Affairs.
Can I replace a lost ID completely online?
No. You can start online on eHomeAffairs where eligible, but biometrics and collection still need an in-person visit.
Can someone else apply or collect for me?
DHA’s bank FAQ says applications must be done in person so biometrics can be captured. Ask your office about collection rules when you lodge the application.
Is the green ID book still valid?
Western Cape Government notes that green ID books remain valid while Smart ID rollout continues. Replacements are issued as Smart ID cards at live-capture points.
Official sources
Checked against official DHA, gov.za, Western Cape Government and Vuk’uzenzele pages on 29 August 2026 (ET). Confirm fees and documents with the office or bank on the day you apply — requirements can change without notice.
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