Home Affairs sets March 2028 deadline to replace green ID books

South Africans still using the green bar-coded identity book will have until March 31, 2028, to replace it with a Smart ID card, according to Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber.

Polokwane Review reports the department will stop producing green books a year earlier, on March 31, 2027, after which remaining holders will have 12 months to transition to the newer identification system.

Schreiber said production machinery for green books will be shut down and permanently decommissioned in March 2027.

The announcement provides a firm deadline for a process Home Affairs has been working towards for years. The department has been expanding access to Smart IDs through participating bank branches, aiming to make the transition easier for people who still use the old document.

Home Affairs previously said about 16 million people relied on green ID books; Schreiber has now put the remaining number at approximately 14.7 million.

The department has cited security and identity-fraud concerns as reasons for moving away from the green book.

Home Affairs described the document as particularly vulnerable to fraud, while the Smart ID uses biometric and other security features.

The transition will also cover groups that previously faced difficulties obtaining Smart ID cards.

Schreiber said Home Affairs will ensure that naturalised citizens, permanent residents and South African citizens living abroad can access Smart ID cards before the green book becomes invalid.

Naturalised citizens and lawful permanent residents became eligible to apply for Smart IDs in 2025 after changes to Home Affairs’ systems.

Existing department policy means first-time ID applicants and people aged 60 and older are exempt from the Smart ID fee.

For other eligible green-book holders, Home Affairs previously listed the replacement fee at R140.

The transition is supported by an expanding network of participating banks.

In August, Home Affairs said Smart ID services were available at 372 bank branches, with more than half a million applications processed through the banking partnership since its launch in March 2026.

The department has set a target of 750 participating branches by the end of 2026.

The change will mark the end of the green bar-coded ID book as South Africa’s recognised identity document after decades of use.

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