# Help, i have a few questions!



## pilotg2 (Jun 3, 2013)

Hi all i'm looking for some advice on how best to solve this!

I lost my SA Citizenship - I didn't know that you had to ask permission to retain you SA citizenship before being granted UK citizenship. My SA passport expired ages ago. I'm heading back to permanently live in SA and was wondering what docs i needed to regain SA citizenship and get a new SA passport?

Does one have to collect the new passport in person?


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

pilotg2 said:


> Hi all i'm looking for some advice on how best to solve this!
> 
> I lost my SA Citizenship - I didn't know that you had to ask permission to retain you SA citizenship before being granted UK citizenship. My SA passport expired ages ago. I'm heading back to permanently live in SA and was wondering what docs i needed to regain SA citizenship and get a new SA passport?
> 
> Does one have to collect the new passport in person?



Apply for SA citizenship


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

You may apply to have your South African citizenship reinstated if you are a former citizen by birth or descent and you have returned to South Africa permanently.

You may renounce your South African citizenship if you intend getting citizenship of another country.

You may apply to be exempted from loss of citizenship if you acquired the citizen of another country before 6 October 1995.


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## shumifan49 (Sep 18, 2013)

I am in the same boat. You have to complete resumption of citizenship, but you can only apply once you are back in RSA and can prove that you have a place to live (e.g. utility bill in your name). You also need your unabridged birth certificate or some other proof of your ID number. If you look on the HA website it says it can take 6 months to 2 years to process. The alternative is to enter on a visa of which there are several. This could be a work permit if you have a job offer, or retirement, if you can prove consistent R20000 per month income per person in the household. e.g. pension income.
I am sure LegalMan can give more detailed information.
You will have to make the passport APPLICATION in person as they will not have your fingerprints on file. This applies to the ID card as well.


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## pilotg2 (Jun 3, 2013)

Thanks for the info, very useful. Sounds like a nightmare, which i was sort of expecting!

I found this website - Department of Home Affairs - Citizenship 

Quote from the site: 

"Automatic loss of citizenship

Unless you have been granted retention of your South African citizenship prior to acquiring another citizenship, you will lose your South African citizenship automatically if you are 18 years and older and

have obtained the citizenship of another country by a voluntary and formal act, other than marriage"

Does anyone know what the "other than marriage" exactly means? My wife is British, how would i need to prove i gained my UK citizenship?


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## shumifan49 (Sep 18, 2013)

You would need to produce your certificate of naturalisation(if you were naturalised). Did you get UK citizenship based on marrying a UK citizen or did you go through the 5 years residency route and then naturalisation? Or did you get naturalised BEFORE you got married? In the latter case different rules might apply.
Do you have a UK naturalisation certificate?


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## pilotg2 (Jun 3, 2013)

shumifan49 said:


> You would need to produce your certificate of naturalisation(if you were naturalised). Did you get UK citizenship based on marrying a UK citizen or did you go through the 5 years residency route and then naturalisation? Or did you get naturalised BEFORE you got married? In the latter case different rules might apply.
> Do you have a UK naturalisation certificate?


Sorry i should have supplied more info. I was on a work permit and gained my PR through that/5 years residency. This is where it gets confusing as it was over 6 years ago i can't quite remember exactly which process i went through. What i remember is as i got married (after res but before cit) i was able to apply for citizenship sooner than if i hadn't got married or something to that effect??

So i was naturalised after i was married but i'm not sure which path (5yr residency or marriage) enabled me to apply for citizenship. I'll dig my certificate out of the loft tomorrow. Would it say on the cert?

I guess i did voluntary attend the citizenship ceremony which probably over rides the "other than marriage" bit.

At the time i was just so excited to get it i didn't question anything!!!


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## shumifan49 (Sep 18, 2013)

I cant remember seeing the reason for naturalisation on the certificate. So I would just apply for the passport and tick the box in the naturalisation section as 'by marriage'. Whichever way you got citizenship, you would to swear an aoth of allegiance and get naturalised.


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## pilotg2 (Jun 3, 2013)

shumifan49 said:


> I cant remember seeing the reason for naturalisation on the certificate. So I would just apply for the passport and tick the box in the naturalisation section as 'by marriage'. Whichever way you got citizenship, you would to swear an aoth of allegiance and get naturalised.


Thanks for the info!

I'm gonna try the marriage route whilst still here in the UK, though on the website it still says you need the letter of retention!? I'll call them on Monday to see if i can get any clarification on it! Worth a try!

When you heading back?


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