Financial services firm First National Bank (FNB) has expanded its collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to enable the reissuance of smart IDs and passports using its banking app and branch network.

Additionally, it will also accept first-time applications for these services. The initiative supports the DHA’s efforts to improve service delivery and accessibility nationwide.

“The DHA plays a vital role in the lives of South Africans. Our ambition is to expand this service nationally, with a particular focus on reaching communities that have historically faced challenges in accessing these essential services,” says FNB Points of Presence CEO Zibu Nqala.

“In addition to the mobile banking app capabilities that will be introduced, over time, we will also look to enable every branch to assist customers with the service. This will ensure representation across all provinces and allow us to continue providing convenient, community-focused services in partnership with the DHA,” she adds.

“With the DHA’s newer technology, reaching millions of South Africans through FNB’s systems and infrastructure will be a reality,” says FNB CEO Harry Kellan.

“Smart IDs and passports are critical to all South Africans; whether to apply for basic services, to open bank accounts, to seek employment or to travel. We continue to innovate to meet our customers’ needs and are proud to extend our decade-long partnership with the DHA, while supporting government’s digital and modernisation agenda,” he comments.

In the coming months, customers will be able to apply for reissuance using the FNB Banking App or the DHA’s existing online booking system.

On the Banking App, customers can apply for their smart ID or passport to be reissued and delivered to their address or collected at one of the bank’s branches.

Should customers require assistance, they will continue to visit one of FNB’s designated branches, as they currently do, for photographs and fingerprints. They can also collect their smart IDs and passports from the same branch where they applied.

FNB will enable status tracking for customers to view where in the process their smart IDs or passports are, once the application is completed.

Since the bank’s partnership with the DHA began in 2015, FNB has issued more than 570 000 smart IDs and passports – 312 000 smart IDs and 258 000 passports – through seven participating branches.

These numbers reflect the success and scale of the collaboration, the bank says.

“Our partnership with the DHA is rooted in a shared commitment to improve access to services and we are proud to support the department in delivering meaningful impact to communities across the country,” says Nqala.