Persons who are South African citizens by naturalization or registration or were citizens of any of the former TBVC states by naturalization are regarded as naturalized South African citizens. Applications for naturalizations are filed only in South Africa and the nearest office of the Department of Home Affairs.
Checklist of Documents to be Submitted:
- Applicant must be a permanent residence holder.
- Ordinarily resident in South Africa and has been resident for one year after immediately preceding the date of application. In addition to this he or she has been resident in South Africa for a further period of not less four years during the eight years after the date of application. In a case of married man or woman, the applicant must have resided in South Africa for a period of not less than two years immediately preceding the date of his or her application and after the date of his or her marriage to such citizen.
- Person must be of a good character.
Exemptions issued in terms of the South African Citizenship Act (No. 88) of 1995
Section 6(2) Exemption:
This is an exemption issued to a South African citizen intending to retain his or her citizenship. The exemption takes four (4) to six (6) weeks to be issued and has to be applied for before a foreign citizenship is taken. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have the exemption certificate in hand, as a proof of the approval of their application before taking up foreign citizenship.
Checklist of Documents to be Submitted:
- Completed BI-529E.
- Completed BI-1664.
- Valid passport.
- Original or notarized copy of applicant’s proof of South African citizenship such as Birth certificate or ID book.
- Notarized letter confirming that the foreign citizenship has not been taken up and proof of current status in foreign country of which citizenship will be acquired.
- Prescribed fee of $25.00.
Section 26(4) Exemption:
This is a kind of exemption given to South Africans who took up a foreign citizenship before October 06, 1995. A person who takes up foreign citizenship without retaining his or her South African citizenship automatically loses his or her South African citizenship.
Checklist of Documents to be Submitted:
- Completed BI-529E form.
- Completed BI-1666 form.
- Proof of the foreign citizenship acquired.
- Valid passport.
- Original or notarized copy of a proof of a South African citizenship.
- Prescribed fee $25.00
You can apply for South African citizenship through naturalisation if you have held a permanent residence permit for at least 5 years if you have married a South African, or you are a minor under 21 years with a permanent residence.
How to apply for South African citizenship by naturalisation
You will need to pay the fee for naturalisation and submit the following documents (and copies in most cases) to the Department of Home Affairs.
- Forms DHA-63 and DHA-757.
- Your original South African non-citizen identity document.
- Your marriage certificate (if applicable).
- Your divorce decree (if applicable).
- An application for the re-issue of your identity document, including two ID photographs.
- The fee for the re-issue of your identity document.
- Proof of permanent residence or exemption.
- Form SAP 91 with a full set of fingerprints (needed for a police clearance report for applicants aged 18 years and over).
- If you are under 18 years old, your parents or legal guardian must sign the application form (BI-63).
Determination of citizenship status
- An application for Determination of Citizenship must be forwarded to Head Office before any application is submitted. This is to ensure that a correct application is submitted by the applicant.
- All applications for identity documents, passports and other services must be accepted following confirmation of citizenship status of the applicant by the Head Office.
- All applications for Determination of Citizenship Status must be fully completed in order to comply with the time for the determination of citizenship status.
Requirements
- DHA -175 (application form).
- DHA -529 (applicant form).
- Proof of continuous residence 1 year prior to application.
- RSA Police report valid for six (6) months from the date of issue.
- Police clearance from country or countries of present nationalities.
- Letter confirming acceptance of dual nationality.
- Proof of payment (R300.00) as per regulated by the National Treasury.
All supporting documents must be attached to enable easy reference to an application. All offices, including embassies, must ensure that office stamps and sign off are adequately done on each application submitted.
South African citizens have certain rights that non-citizens don’t have. These include the right to:
- Vote.
- Be issued with a South African passport.
- Come into South Africa after living somewhere else.
Citizenship can be acquired or lost, and people who used to be citizens can resume their citizenship.
What does SA by naturalization mean?
permanent resident, Persons born in or out of wedlock on or after October 6, 1995 if one of his or her parents is either a South African citizen or a permanent resident. … Persons born in South Africa, not having the nationality of any other country and whose birth is registered.