# Next steps once Permanent Residence Permit Obtained



## iain79wmin (Mar 28, 2016)

Hi all,

I applied for Permanent Residence Permit (Spousal) back in July 2016 and finally received my permit in April 2018. I applied in the VFS office in London and the permit was also posted to my home in the UK. I'm now curious as to what process I must follow?

I notice the rules on the permit are that I must enter South Africa within 12 months to activate the permit. I plan to enter for the first time this November however my full relocation will probably take another 12-18 months so will involve more trips to and from SA to the UK.

My questions are:

How do you physically activate the permit - On my arrival at JHB will they stamp the certificate to prove I entered within 12 months?

Is there a requirement to immediately apply for a ID book? If so how long does this take? Can it wait until i am fully relocated or should i do this on my first trip?

Are there any other things to be aware of - timescales etc?

Advice appreciated from anyone familiar with this process.

Thanks in advance


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## terryZW (Jun 26, 2017)

iain79wmin said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I applied for Permanent Residence Permit (Spousal) back in July 2016 and finally received my permit in April 2018. I applied in the VFS office in London and the permit was also posted to my home in the UK. I'm now curious as to what process I must follow?
> 
> ...


You just have to enter South Africa within a year. I think the requirement is to apply for an ID book within 3 months - but they are accommodating if you received your PR from outside SA. You should apply as soon as you enter as it may take a while to get your ID issued. It's also best to apply on your first trip so that even if it takes long, you have some faith that it will be issued by the time you are fully relocated (i.e by the time you need it).

There's a thread here regarding getting your ID issued - you might find that useful: 

https://www.expatforum.com/expats/s...ca/369873-when-get-sms-id-application-80.html


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## jollem (Nov 9, 2016)

You just need to enter SA withing 12 month. Even if you do not relocate permanently immediately. They will not stamp your PRP at the airport but the immigration system will pick it up that you have entered the country.
So in short - all you need is to enter SA within 12 months of your PRP issued. Do not slip on this one because if it gets cancelled then you will have to reapply and wait another 2 years or so to get it another one issued.


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