Am I still a South African Citizen?

Many expats are misinformed about the status of their South African citizenship,and whether it can ever be removed, or revoked. Many people assume that their South African citizenship is fixed, perhaps because about five years ago, it was incorrectly announced that you cannot lose your South African citizenship.

It is, in fact, possible to lose your citizenship without even realising it. In the case of people who were born in South Africa, this usually happens when they apply for citizenship in another country without having applied for the retention of their South African citizenship first. The citizenship of people who were born abroad and naturalised in South Africa at a later stage is also influenced by factors such as the number of years spent outside South Africa and when they left the country.

If you hold British citizenship or have been in the UK for an extended period of time, it is best to check your status before going back to South Africa. This can be done by downloading and completing the application for determination of status – a BI 529, available from the South African Home Affairs website (www.dha.gov.za) – and submitting it to the South African embassy.

Former South African citizens by birth or descent, who gave up their citizenships or automatically ceased to be South African citizens, may apply to have their South African citizenship reinstated. Applications can be made at a South African embassy or mission. It takes four to six weeks to reinstate your citizenship if you are able to provide the necessary documentation, including a copy of your ID book.

It is, however, no longer necessary to apply for written permission from the South African Department of Home Affairs to travel on both a South African and another country’s passports, as long as the South African passport is valid at all times and is always used to enter and exit South Africa.

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