SRD Identity Verification: How to Complete It

When is identity verification required?

When your details do not match Department of Home Affairs records cleanly, when a month is referred, when you change your phone number or banking details, and at random as a fraud control. eKYC exists to stop someone else using your ID to claim, redirect or check your grant. Until an open verification is completed, an approved month stays unpaid.

How do I complete it?

1. Watch your registered phone for two SMS messages from SASSA. The second contains your verification link. It is issued to you alone and does not work on another number.
2. Open the link within its validity period. About 72 hours, on a phone with a working camera and mobile data or Wi-Fi.
3. Follow the prompts to photograph your face. Good light, no hat or sunglasses, face fully in frame.
4. Submit and note the confirmation. Then wait; the result is processed separately from your monthly status.

No link yet? Request verification on the official verification page, which sends the SMS to your registered number.

How long do results take?

Check the result on the verification page. Your monthly status may not change immediately, because the verification is reviewed separately from your assessment.

What if the link never arrived, expired, or was deleted?

Not received

Confirm the number on your application is the one you are watching, has signal and is not full. Then request a new link on the verification page.

Expired

A link not used within its period expires automatically. Request a new one; the old one cannot be reactivated.

Deleted

The original link cannot be recovered. Request a new one the same way.

Sent to an old number

Change your registered number, then request the link again.

What if verification failed?

Three causes cover almost every failure:

1. Details mismatch. Name, ID or date of birth on the application differ from your ID document. Correct them on the portal and request verification again.
2. Photo not accepted. Poor light, partial face, or a different person. Repeat in daylight with your face fully in frame.
3. Home Affairs record outdated. Your DHA record has an old photo or wrong details. Visit a Home Affairs office with your ID to update it, then verify again.

A month declined as identity verification failed can be appealed within 90 days once verification succeeds. If your eKYC still shows pending, allow the full 21 working days before appealing on that basis.

What does "Liveness Error: unable to complete the face scanning process" mean?

The portal shows Liveness Error when the face scan could not be finished. Liveness is the part of the check that confirms a real person is in front of the camera rather than a photo. In the screenshot below the message adds a red Server error. The page does not say whether the fault was on SASSA's side, your connection or your camera, so treat the verification as not completed — an open verification keeps an approved month unpaid.

1. Do not keep tapping retry. The portal limits how many attempts you get; once the limit is reached it shows Reverification Not Allowed, below.
2. Check your side once. Daylight or a bright room, face fully in the frame, no hat or sunglasses, camera permission allowed for your browser, and a steady connection.
3. Try again later, not straight away. The portal is busiest at the start of the month and during the pay run, so an early morning or a quiet day gives the scan the best chance.
4. Still failing? Call 0800 60 10 11 (Monday to Friday, 08:00–16:00) or visit a SASSA office with your ID so the check can be completed another way.

What does "Reverification Not Allowed" mean?

The portal limits how many times you can retry verification. Once the limit is reached — or if your application is not eligible to verify online — it shows Reverification Not Allowed, and trying again online will not work. Stop retrying: call 0800 60 10 11 (Monday to Friday, 08:00–16:00) or visit a SASSA office with your ID so the check can be completed another way.

Common questions