Who can get a Smart ID in SA? The rules for citizens, permanent residents and naturalised citizens

South Africans trying to apply for a Smart ID are increasingly asking the same question: who actually qualifies?

The confusion is particularly common among naturalised South African citizens and lawful permanent residents, many of whom were previously unable to get Smart ID cards and had to continue using the old green bar-coded ID book.

But the rules have changed.

Since 12 May 2025, naturalised South African citizens and lawful permanent residents have been able to apply for Smart ID cards and use the eHomeAffairs platform.

The change opened access to more than 1.4 million eligible people, according to the Department of Home Affairs.

Here’s how the system works for the different groups.

South African citizens

South African citizens have long been eligible to apply for Smart ID cards.

The Smart ID is gradually replacing the older green bar-coded ID book and includes additional security features designed to make identity documents harder to forge or tamper with.

Home Affairs’ long-term goal is to move eligible South Africans away from the green ID book and towards the Smart ID system.

Eligible South African citizens can apply through Home Affairs offices equipped with the necessary live-capture systems and, depending on the services available, through participating banks.

Can naturalised South African citizens apply for Smart IDs?

This is where much of the confusion has come from.

A naturalised citizen is a person who was not originally a South African citizen by birth but later legally became a South African citizen through naturalisation.

For years, many naturalised citizens were unable to obtain cards because of problems with Home Affairs’ IT systems.

Instead, they were effectively forced to continue using the green bar-coded ID book, despite being South African citizens.

That changed in May 2025.

Home Affairs announced that naturalised citizens could, for the first time, apply for Smart IDs through the department’s systems and use eHomeAffairs like other eligible applicants.

This means that a naturalised South African citizen’s country of birth should not, by itself, permanently exclude them from getting a Smart ID.

However, applicants may still experience administrative problems where records need to be verified or updated.

Can permanent residents get Smart IDs?

Yes. Lawful permanent residents are also eligible to apply for Smart IDs.

A permanent resident is not the same as a South African citizen.

Permanent residence allows a person to legally live in South Africa permanently, but it does not automatically make them a South African citizen.

Despite this difference, Home Affairs expanded the Smart ID system to also include lawful permanent residents in May 2025.

The department has described naturalised citizens and permanent residents as the last major groups of people eligible for South African identity documents who had previously been excluded from obtaining Smart IDs.

A major change after years of exclusion

The change is particularly significant because naturalised citizens and permanent residents were previously among the groups left behind as South Africa moved towards Smart IDs.

Home Affairs said that IT failures had prevented many people born outside South Africa, including naturalised citizens and permanent residents, from accessing the Smart ID system.

In some cases, naturalised citizens could only get Smart IDs through a special manual process.

The department says those system reforms have now brought the different groups into the same broader Smart ID system.

Can they apply online for Smart IDs?

Home Affairs confirmed that the May 2025 changes also opened access to eHomeAffairs for naturalised citizens and lawful permanent residents.

That means eligible applicants in these groups can now use the online system as part of the application process.

However, the exact process can depend on the type of application and the service channel being used.

South Africa has also been expanding Smart ID services through participating bank branches.

Under Home Affairs’ newer digital partnership model, some participating branches can process applications directly through systems connected to Home Affairs, without applicants needing to complete the traditional online booking process beforehand.

The rollout is taking place in phases, so services can vary between branches.

What if you’re still using a green ID book?

Having a green bar-coded ID book does not necessarily mean someone is excluded from applying for a Smart ID.

In fact, replacing these older documents is one of the main reasons Home Affairs is expanding access to the Smart ID system.

The department’s official plans specifically refer to the eventual replacement of green bar-coded IDs for eligible citizens and permanent residents, including naturalised citizens.