In a bid to make essential services more accessible during the busy holiday period, the Department of Home Affairs has announced extended operating hours at its offices from 8 to 19 December 2025 and again from 5 to 16 January 2026.
During these windows, branches will stay open doors until 6pm adding two extra hours each day for the processing and collection of Smart ID cards and passports.
Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, said the move underscores the department’s ‘people‑centred’ approach,
“We remain committed to providing accessible and people‑centred services, with our offices operating on extended hours ahead of and during the festive season, I encourage South Africans to make use of the longer opening hours to ensure that their essential documents are up to date, including travel documents.”
He added, “The extended hours we are offering will go a long way in assisting people to get the documents they need to spend precious time with friends and family, and to prepare for the New Year.”
Clients are urged to schedule appointments through the Branch Appointment Booking System (BABS) on the Home Affairs website, though walk‑ins will still be accepted. To speed up pick‑ups, separate counters will be set up for Smart ID and passport collections.
The announcement follows the recent launch of the Travel Ready Campaign at the new Baywest Mall Home Affairs office in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. Speaking at the event, Minister Schreiber praised the staff, “I salute the commitment of members of #TeamHomeAffairs who will be working longer hours to ensure that South Africans can enjoy their festive season with friends and family.”
He urged applicants to use the extra time to collect their documents, noting that “we now offer dedicated counters for collections as we continue our journey towards delivering dignity for all.”
The extended hours run until 19 December 2025 and resume from 5 to 16 January 2026. All services will be available at offices equipped to handle Smart ID and passport transactions.
