How fast is a Home Affairs ID check on VerifyNow?

A Home Affairs SA ID verification typically returns in 3 to 7 seconds end-to-end. The request hits the Department of Home Affairs population register in real time, so turnaround depends on upstream availability. We surface latency for each request in the response meta object.

Does the Home Affairs check include a photo match?

The Home Affairs check returns the official ID photo on record when you request it. For a selfie-to-photo biometric match you pair the Home Affairs check with the separate /face-match endpoint, which compares a live selfie to the retrieved ID photo and returns a confidence score.

Is customer consent required before running a Home Affairs check?

Yes. POPIA Section 11 requires a lawful basis for processing personal information. For a Home Affairs ID verification that basis is almost always explicit consent or contract performance. VerifyNow includes a built-in consent capture form that stores a signed, timestamped record against each verification.

Can I run bulk Home Affairs checks?

Yes. You can submit single lookups via the API (one request = one ID) or upload a CSV through the dashboard to run a batch. Every check in the batch is billed at the same credit rate as a single lookup, so volume pricing still applies — you do not pay a premium for batching.

What happens if the ID is invalid or not found?

The API returns a structured response telling you the ID is invalid or the record was not found, along with the reason code. Failed lookups that reach the Home Affairs data source still consume credits because the query was executed. Requests that fail on our side (auth errors, validation errors, 5xx) are not billed.

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Home Affairs ID Check Cost in South Africa

2026 pricing and exactly what a real-time HANIS lookup returns. No subscription. No monthly minimums.

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A Home Affairs SA ID verification through VerifyNow costs 10 credits per check. That works out to R29.90 at the Starter tier (R2.99 per credit) andR26.90 at the Business tier (R2.69 per credit, from 10,000 credits per month). Purchases above 10,000 credits use self-service EFT invoicing. Any assigned enterprise discount is applied automatically. There is no monthly fee or subscription.

Choose the SA ID check that fits your workflow

VerifyNow also offers a lower-cost Basic SA ID Verification for checks that need core identity details without an official Home Affairs photo.

No photo1 credit

Basic SA ID Verification

Confirm the core identity details linked to a 13-digit South African ID number. The result can include first names, surname, date of birth, age, gender, citizenship and issue date where available.

R2.99 at StarterR2.69 at Business

Alive or deceased status is available through the dedicated status checks.

Run Basic SA ID Verification

Official photo10 credits

Home Affairs ID + Photo Verification

Run the real-time Home Affairs check with the official ID photo where available. Use this result when your workflow needs stronger identity evidence or a later face match.

R29.90 at StarterR26.90 at Business

Run ID + Photo Verification

How much does a Home Affairs ID check actually cost?

Here is what a real-time Home Affairs SA ID verification on VerifyNow costs, how fast it returns, and exactly what is included in each lookup.

Channel	Typical cost	Turnaround	Included
VerifyNow (online API / dashboard)	R29.90 per check (Starter tier)	3 – 7 seconds	Real-time HANIS lookup: name, DOB, gender, citizenship, marital status, deceased flag, ID photo, audit trail

Per-check price drops automatically with volume — see the tier ladder below. No subscription, no monthly minimums.

What a Home Affairs ID check actually includes

One Home Affairs SA ID verification on VerifyNow returns the following fields, sourced in real time from the Department of Home Affairs population register:

Full name: Registered first names and surname
Date of birth: As recorded in the population register
Gender: Registered gender
Citizenship: SA citizen or permanent resident
Country of birth: As registered with Home Affairs
Marital status: Single / married / divorced / widowed
Deceased flag: Alive, deceased, or unknown
ID book / Smart ID status: Which document is on file
Official ID photo: The photo on record (when requested)

Volume discount — per-credit and per-check price

A Home Affairs SA ID verification is 10 credits. The per-credit price drops as your monthly volume rises, which means the per-check price drops with it. The table below is the official credit-tier ladder.

Tier	Volume	Per credit	Per Home Affairs check (10 credits)
Starter	0 – 999	R2.99	R29.90
Growth	1,000 – 4,999	R2.90	R29.00
Pro	5,000 – 9,999	R2.84	R28.40
Business	10,000+	R2.69	R26.90

The published 10% tier continues at any higher volume. Purchases above 10,000 credits are billed by self-service EFT invoice.

Home Affairs ID check FAQ

How fast is a Home Affairs ID check on VerifyNow?: A Home Affairs SA ID verification typically returns in 3 to 7 seconds end-to-end. The request hits the Department of Home Affairs population register in real time, so turnaround depends on upstream availability. We surface latency for each request in the response meta object.
Does the Home Affairs check include a photo match?: The Home Affairs check returns the official ID photo on record when you request it. For a selfie-to-photo biometric match you pair the Home Affairs check with the separate /face-match endpoint, which compares a live selfie to the retrieved ID photo and returns a confidence score.
Is customer consent required before running a Home Affairs check?: Yes. POPIA Section 11 requires a lawful basis for processing personal information. For a Home Affairs ID verification that basis is almost always explicit consent or contract performance. VerifyNow includes a built-in consent capture form that stores a signed, timestamped record against each verification.
Can I run bulk Home Affairs checks?: Yes. You can submit single lookups via the API (one request = one ID) or upload a CSV through the dashboard to run a batch. Every check in the batch is billed at the same credit rate as a single lookup, so volume pricing still applies — you do not pay a premium for batching.
What happens if the ID is invalid or not found?: The API returns a structured response telling you the ID is invalid or the record was not found, along with the reason code. Failed lookups that reach the Home Affairs data source still consume credits because the query was executed. Requests that fail on our side (auth errors, validation errors, 5xx) are not billed.

Run your first Home Affairs check in under ten minutes

Create a free account, buy credits in the Starter tier for R2.99 each, and verify your first SA ID in real time against the official population register.

Create a free account See full pricing