Lost ID Affidavit Template (DHA)
Attach to your Smart ID re-issue application at Home Affairs when your ID book / card is lost, stolen, or destroyed.
How to edit this template
- 1Replace everything in orange square brackets with your own details, then delete the brackets.
- 2Sign this affidavit in front of a Commissioner of Oaths — police stations offer this service, usually free.
- 3Submit the affidavit together with your Smart ID/ID renewal application (Form BI-9) at your nearest Home Affairs office.
- 4If your ID was stolen (not just lost), also open a case at SAPS and keep the case number for your records.
- 5A filled-in example is included on the last page — use it as a guide for tone and length, not for copying word-for-word.
Before you submit it
- Confirm the recipient's latest format, document and submission requirements on its official website.
- Replace every example name, date, address and reference number with your own accurate information.
- Remove personal information that the recipient has not asked for, especially when sending the document by email.
- Check whether the final document must be signed, witnessed, commissioned or certified before submission.
Filled-in example
AFFIDAVIT: LOSS OF IDENTITY DOCUMENT I, the undersigned, [Your Full Name], ID Number [Your ID Number], do hereby make oath/affirm and state that: 1. I am the lawful holder of South African Identity Document/Smart ID Card number [Your ID Number]. 2. My [green bar-coded ID book / Smart ID card] was [lost / stolen] on or about [Date], at or near [Place where it was lost/stolen]. 3. The circumstances of the loss are as follows: [brief description of how it was lost or stolen]. 4. Despite a diligent search, I have been unable to locate the document, and I believe it to be permanently lost. 5. I make this affidavit to support my application to the Department of Home Affairs for a replacement Identity Document/Smart ID Card. _______________________________ Signature of Deponent Signed and sworn to/affirmed before me at [Place] on this [Date], the deponent having acknowledged that he/she understands the contents of this declaration and considers the oath binding on his/her conscience. _______________________________ Commissioner of Oaths Full Name: [Commissioner's Full Name] Designation: [Commissioner's Designation] Filled-In Example AFFIDAVIT: LOSS OF IDENTITY DOCUMENT I, the undersigned, Andile Khumalo, ID Number 9711086543082, do hereby make oath/affirm and state that: 1. I am the lawful holder of South African Identity Document/Smart ID Card number 9711086543082. 2. My Smart ID card was lost on or about 2 August 2026, at or near the Bree Street taxi rank, Johannesburg. 3. The circumstances of the loss are as follows: my wallet fell out of my bag while boarding a taxi and I was unable to recover it despite returning to search the area. 4. Despite a diligent search, I have been unable to locate the document, and I believe it to be permanently lost. 5. I make this affidavit to support my application to the Department of Home Affairs for a replacement Smart ID Card. _______________________________ Signature of Deponent Signed and sworn to before me at Johannesburg on this 3rd day of August 2026, the deponent having acknowledged that he understands the contents of this declaration and considers the oath binding on his conscience. _______________________________ Commissioner of Oaths Full Name: S. Mahlangu Designation: SAPS Member
Guides that explain this process
Step-by-step guide to applying for a South African Smart ID Card at Home Affairs or a participating bank, with requirements, fees, and processing time.
How to get an unabridged birth certificate in South Africa: form DHA-154, documents, fees, 6–8 week processing, tracking, embassy applications and FAQs.
Apply for a new South African passport at Home Affairs or your bank. Requirements, forms, fees, and processing time explained in plain English.