SA Expats: Department of Home Affairs’ Simple Process to Reinstate Citizenship Has SA Divided
- The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has launched a new, user-friendly digital portal to allow South Africans living abroad to verify and claim their lost citizenship
- This major initiative implements the Constitutional Court's May 2025 ruling that overturned the automatic loss of SA citizenship for dual nationals
- The launch sparked an intense debate, with many excited expats planning to reclaim their status, while others dismissed the move
Source: UGC
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has introduced a major change for the South African diaspora after an overturned dual citizenship rule that has been in place for three decades.
A post shared on a local publication’s Facebook account, SAPeople, garnered massive comments. Many viewers were excited to hear the news, asking more questions, while others dismissed it, not seeing the benefit of relinquishing their SA citizenship.
The government has officially rolled out the new South African Citizenship Portal, which offers a straightforward method for South Africans living abroad to verify and formally reclaim their lost citizenship, following the new legislation.
Implementing the court mandate
This initiative directly implements the Constitutional Court’s May 2025 ruling. That decision declared unconstitutional the law (Section 6(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act) that automatically revoked South Africans of their citizenship if they acquired another nationality without prior ministerial approval. The launch of the Citizenship Reinstatement Portal, announced by DHA Minister Leon Schreiber on Monday, aims to resolve years of uncertainty for thousands of affected expats.
The new digital reinstatement process
The digital platform allows affected expats to quickly check their status using their ID number. If their citizenship was lost since 1995 due to the overturned clause, the secure portal will guide them through the necessary steps for formal reinstatement. The system features secure authentication and biometric verification, reflecting the DHA's goal of providing dignified, efficient and accessible service for its global community.
Source: UGC
SA debates the dual citizenship option
The article, shared on Facebook by SAPeople, garnered massive attention and comments, revealing a divided social media audience. Many viewers were excited by the news, flooding the comments with questions about the process and expressing eagerness to reclaim their citizenship. Some dismissed the initiative entirely, stating they were happy being citizens of other countries and did not see the need to reinstate their South African status.
A sceptical viewer suggested that the process was merely a strategy by SARS (South African Revenue Service) to find new people to tax. Another user said they would only want a South African citizenship for sentimental reasons, confirming it was not worth the financial effort.
User @Shane Wiscombe shared:
"SARS are just looking for new people to tax."
User @Marilyn Werner asked:
"Does that include expired passports?
User @Nicola Griffiths Doxey asked and explained:
"Will my ID number change again? I went through absolute hell when they changed my ID number. Had to renew birth certificates for both my children and me and reapply for ID. No, no, no. Not doing all of that again."
User @Estelle Meyer added:
"They want your details to be able to tax you in the future."
User @DC Crathorne said:
"SARS's looking for you."
User @Shahida Ahmod asked:
"What if you relinquished your South African citizenship? How do you reinstate but keep your dual nationality?"
User @Kiowa Nieuwoudt commented:
"Well, I checked mine. I uploaded a photo, and it says I'm a citizen and there's nothing else to do. At least I can now apply for the passport through the VFS here in Sydney."
4 Briefly News Home Affairs-related
- An American mom shared an emotional video revealing that only a few members of her family's visas were renewed, forcing them to leave South Africa in 10 days.
- A Palestinian man, arriving at O.R. Tambo International Airport on November 13, gave an emotional explanation for choosing to flee to South Africa, sparking an online debate.
- A young couple, both aged 22 years, were filmed going to Home Affairs, where they officially tied the knot and sealed their marriage with a passionate kiss.
- ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, shared that there had been a communication delay from the Department of Home Affairs regarding the 153 Palestinian asylum seekers to the public.
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Source: Briefly News
