If you want to get all your travel documents sorted, the month of February is the time to do so.
The Department of Home Affairs revealed on its website that it will extend hours at all its modernised offices until 7pm from Monday, February 3, until Friday, February 28.
The normal office times are from 8am to 3.30pm. The extended times allow people ample time to have their travel and other documents sorted.
Home Affairs revealed on its site: “These Home Affairs offices will serve clients from 8am until 7pm on weekdays for February. The times will exclude weekends. The Department will ensure that everyone who is inside an office at the time of closing shall receive the service they require.
“Office Managers/supervisors are to apply their discretion to close the office 30 minutes before knock-off time, subject to the number of people being served. This is to allow officials to conclude all the necessary work before 7pm. The Department encourages people intending to visit our offices to do so as early as they can on their preferred day.”
The department said applications for and collection of smart ID cards and passports will be prioritised during the extended operating hours. Other services such as the issuance of Birth Certificates, Death Certificates and applications for amendments and rectifications will also be rendered.
It added: “The Department urges people who had applied for smart ID cards more than two weeks ago to visit the offices where they had applied for the documents, to collect them.”
According to the statement, the department has around 400 000 uncollected smart ID cards nationwide since inception.