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Identity Document Number: What It Is and Where to Find Yours [2026]

Published — Updated

Your identity document number is the 13-digit number on your South African ID — the unique identifier Home Affairs assigns you for life. It appears on your Smart ID card, your green ID book, your passport (in a slightly different form), and every government record tied to your name. If a form is asking for your "identity document number," it's asking for those 13 digits.

This guide explains exactly what an identity document number is, where to find yours on each document, what each part of the number means, and what to do if you can't locate yours. To check whether any 13-digit number is structurally valid right now, our free South African ID checker runs the Luhn checksum and decodes each section instantly.

What Is an Identity Document Number?

An identity document number is the 13-digit unique identifier issued by the South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to every citizen and permanent resident. It is created when you first register for an ID — usually around age 16 — and stays with you for life. It does not change when you upgrade from a green ID book to a Smart ID card, when you change your name or surname, or when you replace a lost or stolen ID.

The number is governed by the Identification Act 68 of 1997, which sets the rules for how the digits are constructed and what they encode. For a deeper look at the structure and rules behind the 13 digits, see our pillar guide on the South African ID number format.

Where to Find Your Identity Document Number

Your identity document number appears on every official ID document you hold, but the exact label and position differ. Here is where to look on each document.

On Your Smart ID Card

On the back of the Smart ID card, your identity document number is printed under the heading "Identity Number," directly above your date of birth. It is also embedded in the machine-readable zone (the rows of letters and numbers along the bottom edge) and in the chip itself. If your Smart ID is damaged or unreadable, our guide to replacing a lost or damaged Smart ID covers the application process.

In Your Green ID Book

Open the green ID book to the first page with your photograph. Your identity document number sits directly under your photo, labelled "Identity Number" or "Identiteitsnommer." It is printed in bold, 13 digits separated into two groups for readability. The same number is also stamped on the inside back cover for cross-reference.

On Your South African Passport

Your South African passport uses a separate passport number (typically 9 characters starting with a letter), but your 13-digit identity document number also appears on the data page under the heading "Personal No." or "Identity Number." The passport number and the identity document number are different — when a form asks for your identity document number, use the 13-digit one, not the passport number. If your passport is approaching expiry, our South African passport renewal guide walks through the eHome Affairs application and the documents you will need. If you are applying for the first time, our South African passport application guide covers the BI-73 form, photo standards, and 2026 fee schedule.

On Your Driver's Licence

On the front of your South African learner's licence permit or driver's licence card, your identity document number is printed on the right-hand side under "Identity Number. For the annual disc renewal that goes with the vehicle, see our vehicle licence renewal guide." It is the same 13-digit number that appears on your ID card or book. The licence number itself (a separate identifier issued by the Driving Licence Card Account, DLCA) is not your identity document number.

In SARS, UIF, or SASSA Correspondence

Government departments index their records by your 13-digit identity document number. Tax assessments from SARS, UIF reference letters, and SASSA grant correspondence all carry your identity document number on the cover sheet — usually under the heading "Identity Number," "ID No.," or "Identity Document Number." If you only have correspondence and no physical ID, you can still look up your number from any of these documents.

What the 13 Digits Mean

The digits are not random. Each section encodes specific information about the holder:

  • Digits 1–6: Your date of birth in the format YYMMDD. A person born on 14 February 1990 has the first six digits 900214.
  • Digits 7–10: A four-digit gender sequence. 0000–4999 is assigned to female ID holders; 5000–9999 to male holders.
  • Digit 11: Citizenship status. A 0 indicates South African citizenship; 1 indicates permanent residency.
  • Digit 12: Historically used to encode race classification under apartheid. The DHA stopped using this digit in 1986 — it is now usually 8 or 9 and carries no meaning.
  • Digit 13: A Luhn checksum digit calculated from the previous 12 digits. It catches the most common typing errors.

For a digit-by-digit breakdown including how to verify the Luhn checksum manually, see our deep-dive on the Luhn algorithm.

Identity Document Number vs Passport Number

These two are constantly confused — including by some online forms — but they are not interchangeable.

  • The identity document number is permanent. It identifies you for life across all government, banking, and healthcare records.
  • The passport number is temporary. Each passport you receive has a new passport number, typically 9 characters starting with a letter, and only for international travel use.

Forms that explicitly ask for "identity document number" want your 13-digit SA ID. If a form is asking specifically for "passport number," provide the 9-character passport identifier from the front data page instead.

Identity Document Number vs ID Number: Are They the Same?

Yes — these terms refer to the same 13-digit number. The wording varies depending on the context:

  • "Identity number" is the official term used in the Identification Act and printed on every SA identity document.
  • "ID number" is the everyday shorthand most South Africans use.
  • "Identity document number" is the term used on many international forms and in corporate FICA paperwork to disambiguate from passport numbers or foreign ID numbers.

When in doubt, if a form asks for your identity document number and you are South African, enter your 13-digit SA ID number. For more detail on this, see our guide to the South African identity number.

How to Verify an Identity Document Number

You can perform two layers of checks on any 13-digit identity document number:

  1. Structural check. The Luhn checksum and digit format can be verified instantly using our free ID number validator. This confirms the number is mathematically valid but does not confirm it belongs to a specific person.
  2. Identity-bureau check. Banks and accredited FICA bureaux can query the National Population Register (NPR) to confirm a number belongs to the named person. See our guide on South African ID verification for what is and is not possible without bureau access.

What to Do If You Lose Your Identity Documents

If you cannot find any document carrying your identity document number, you can recover it through Home Affairs by:

  • Visiting any DHA office with a Smart ID-enabled live capture station — a clerk can look up your record by name and surname plus biometrics. Use our Home Affairs online booking guide to schedule the visit before you go in.
  • Calling the DHA contact centre on 0800 60 11 90 — they can confirm your identity document number after a security verification.
  • Logging into the eHome Affairs portal if you have an active account — your identity document number is the username for the portal.

Use our list of Home Affairs branches to find your nearest live-capture-enabled office.

POPIA: Protecting Your Identity Document Number

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), your identity document number is classified as personal information. Anyone collecting it must have a lawful basis — typically your consent or a legitimate FICA, employment, or service-delivery purpose. For full guidance on when and how your number can lawfully be collected, see our POPIA and ID numbers guide.

The Information Regulator — the body that enforces POPIA — publishes guidance and complaint procedures at inforegulator.org.za. The Department of Home Affairs official site is dha.gov.za.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is "identity document number" the same as "ID number"?

Yes. "Identity document number," "ID number," and "identity number" all refer to the same 13-digit number printed on your South African ID card or book.

How many digits does a South African identity document number have?

Thirteen. Any number with more or fewer digits is not a valid SA identity document number. If you see a form accepting only 9 or 11 digits, you are likely being asked for a different identifier such as a passport number.

Where is the identity document number on a Smart ID card?

On the back of the Smart ID card, printed under the heading "Identity Number," directly above your date of birth. It is also embedded in the machine-readable zone and the chip.

Does my identity document number change when I get a new ID?

No. Your identity document number is assigned once and stays with you for life. When you replace a lost ID or upgrade from a green ID book to a Smart ID, the number stays the same.

Is a passport number the same as an identity document number?

No. Your South African passport number is a separate identifier (usually 9 characters starting with a letter) used only for international travel. Your identity document number is your permanent 13-digit SA ID number.

Can a foreign national get a South African identity document number?

Yes — permanent residents are issued a 13-digit SA identity document number with the 11th digit set to 1. Refugees receive a separate refugee ID document under the Refugees Act. Temporary visa holders do not receive a SA identity document number. See our non-citizen ID in South Africa guide for full details.

Quick Reference

Your identity document number is the backbone of your identity in South Africa — the single number every government department, bank, and employer uses to find your record. Knowing where it appears on your documents, what each digit means, and how to protect it under POPIA puts you in control of one of your most important personal identifiers. To check whether any 13-digit number is a valid SA ID, use our free ID checker — it runs the Luhn algorithm instantly in your browser, with nothing sent to any server.

If your drivers licence card has been lost, stolen, or damaged, see drivers licence card replacement in South Africa for the DLTC process and 2026 fees.