South Africa's Green ID Book Ends 31 March 2028: What to Do
South Africa's green ID book will stop being valid identification on 31 March 2028. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber announced the date on Thursday, Oct. 1, TechCentral reports. The department will stop making the book a year earlier, on 31 March 2027.
About 14.7 million citizens and permanent residents still hold only a green ID book, according to eNCA. Here is what to do if you are one of them.
When does the green ID book stop being valid?
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 31 March 2027 | Green ID book production ends and the machines are shut down |
| 31 March 2028 | The green ID book is no longer recognised as valid ID |
The earlier target was 2029, TechCentral notes, so the deadline has moved closer.
How do I replace it with a Smart ID?
- Find a branch that does it. Home Affairs' My Home Affairs Online lists participating bank branches. Pick "Locate a Partner Branch", choose your bank, then enter your city, suburb or postal code, Stuff explains.
- Go with your green ID book. Schreiber says 515 bank branches take walk-ins with no appointment, and that an application can take as little as five minutes. Ask your branch before you travel, because not every one works the same way.
- Pay the fee. A replacement costs R140 (Briefly). People over 60 and first-time applicants pay no application fee.
- Wait for the SMS. Cards are usually ready two to three weeks after you apply, Briefly reports, and you collect it at the same branch.
Which banks offer Smart ID?
Capitec, FNB, Absa and Standard Bank are all in the programme, Stuff reports. Capitec said on Wednesday it had handled more than 594,000 Smart ID applications at 248 branches since March. Schreiber expects more than 1,000 service points by the end of 2026, up from 214 locations that offered Smart ID replacements before the government of national unity was formed.
What is still to come
- First-time applications and passports will "shortly" be added at bank branches, Schreiber said. Courier delivery of IDs and passports to your home is also planned.
- Wider access. Home Affairs plans to open Smart ID cards to groups that have faced limits, including naturalised citizens, permanent residents and South Africans living abroad, before production ends.
Why the book is going
Schreiber called the paper book one of the most defrauded identity documents on the continent. Its photo is fixed in by hand, so it can be tampered with. "The continued use of the green ID book is irreconcilable with the functioning of a modern society," he said, as quoted by TechCentral.
Dates and branch numbers are as announced on Oct. 1, 2026. Check the official sites above before you go.
