The Department of Home Affairs has stressed that there will be no charge for those applying for their identity documents for the first time.

Since the department announced new tariff increases for identity documents last week, it has been inundated with people wanting to “beat the deadline” before the increased prices become effective on Friday, April 1.

“There is no need to panic. In as far as IDs are concerned, the tariffs only apply to those who apply for a second copy of an ID when it has been lost or mislaid. The idea is to encourage South Africans to value their IDs, in the same way you would value your bank card, driver’s licence and other important documents,” the department clarified.

Furthermore, in instances where details were incorrectly captured by Home Affairs officials, the department would cover the costs of re-issuing the ID.

“In cases of humanitarian crises occasioned by fire, floods or other natural disasters, Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will waive the costs related to reproducing the IDs, and therefore people affected by such natural disasters will have their IDs issued free of charge,” the department added.

Tariffs for passports on the other hand have now increased to R400. This is due to improved security features to ensure criminal elements are not able to reproduce them or use them for nefarious activities at home or abroad, the department said.

Last week, the department announced that the cost of a passport would rise from R190 to R400 from April 1.

Other increases will see the price of temporary identity certificates and re-issuing IDs go from the current R20 to R140.

Child passports will rise from R145 to R400; emergency travel certificates from R70 to R140; temporary passports from R90 to R180; and maxi passports from R380 to R600.

– BuaNews