Department Of Home Affairs Services

Department Of Home Affairs Services

Department Of Home Affairs Services, The Department of Home Affairs is a department of the South African government.
The department is responsible for:



  • Maintenance of the National Population Register (the civil registry), including the recording of births, marriages/civil partnerships and deaths.
  • Issuing identity documents and passports.
  • Issuing visas for visitors to South Africa (although visa applications pass through embassies or consulates which are part of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation).
  • Managing immigration to South Africa and naturalization of permanent immigrants.
  • Handling refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa.
  • Controlling ports of entry at land borders, seaports and airports.

Civic Services

The Department’s core Civic duties are

  • Maintaining the National Population Register (NPR)
  • Managing the birth, marriage and death records
  • Determining and granting citizenship
  • Issuing travel documents and passports
  • Issuing identity documents (ID)

These are achieved by issuing South African nationals and residents with documents pertaining to:

  • Births, Marriages and Deaths
  • Identity Documents and Identification
  • Citizenship
  • Travel Documents and Passports