How To Restore Your South African Citizenship
For almost 30 years, thousands of South Africans unknowingly lost their citizenship simply by obtaining a foreign passport. No warning. No letter. No opt-out.
The law — Section 6(1)(a) of the South African Citizenship Act, 1995 — stripped citizenship automatically the moment you acquired another nationality without first getting ministerial permission.
On 6 May 2025, the Constitutional Court declared this unconstitutional. Every South African who lost citizenship this way since 6 October 1995 is now deemed never to have lost it.
And in November 2025, Home Affairs launched a portal to make it official on your record.
Are You Affected?
You may have lost your South African citizenship under Section 6(1)(a) if:
- You emigrated and naturalised as a citizen of another country after 6 October 1995
- You did not apply for a Certificate of Retention of Citizenship before acquiring foreign nationality
- You were told at some point that you were no longer a South African citizen
- Your South African passport application was rejected on citizenship grounds
- You have been using only a foreign passport to travel to South Africa
You are not affected if:
- You voluntarily renounced your South African citizenship in writing
- You acquired foreign citizenship before 6 October 1995
- You were granted exemption from the citizenship retention requirement at the time
Not sure? Use the portal to check. It tells you immediately whether your citizenship is valid or was revoked.
What the Constitutional Court Ruled
In Democratic Alliance v Minister of Home Affairs (CCT184/23), the Constitutional Court declared Section 6(1)(a) of the South African Citizenship Act, 1995 unconstitutional with immediate effect on 6 May 2025.
The Court held that stripping citizens of their nationality without sufficient cause violated constitutional rights. The judgment restored citizenship to all individuals who had lost it under this provision since 6 October 1995 — with no application needed to become a citizen again legally.
The practical effect: you are already a South African citizen again by law. What the portal does is update your record on the population register so that Home Affairs systems reflect your restored status.
The Citizenship Reinstatement Portal
Home Affairs launched the portal at myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za on 24 November 2025. A second phase — Citizenship Reinstatement Portal 2.0 — launched in February 2026, cutting reinstatement times from 6–8 weeks to as little as one hour for qualifying applicants.
What makes it different from anything before:
- Fully online — works from anywhere in the world
- No forms, no paperwork, no queues
- Uses facial recognition and machine learning for biometric verification
- Population register updated automatically on confirmation
- Immediate notification once reinstated
In the first 11 weeks after launch, 12,008 people checked their status and 1,088 had their citizenship successfully reinstated.
How to Apply — Step by Step
Step 1 — Go to the portal Visit myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za on any device with a camera.
Step 2 — Create a profile Register using your South African ID number. Confirm your email address to activate your profile.
Step 3 — Check your citizenship status Enter your SA ID number. The portal queries the population register and tells you immediately whether your citizenship is currently recorded as valid or was revoked.
Step 4 — Complete biometric verification Take a selfie using your phone or computer camera. Scan your current passport. The system uses facial recognition to verify your identity — no human intervention required.
Step 5 — Submit your reinstatement If your citizenship was revoked, the portal guides you through confirming your personal details and submitting your reinstatement. No forms to complete.
Step 6 — Receive confirmation For qualifying applicants, the process completes in as little as one hour. Your population register record is updated automatically. You receive a real-time notification and can immediately apply for a South African passport or Smart ID.
If your case cannot be resolved automatically, it is handed to a specialist who manages it to completion. This takes longer but you will be kept informed.
What You Need
- Your South African ID number
- A device with a working camera (smartphone, laptop, or tablet)
- Your current foreign passport for biometric scanning
- A valid email address
No visits to a Home Affairs office. No certified documents. No appointments.
After Reinstatement — What You Can Do Next
Once your citizenship is reinstated and your population register record updated, you can immediately:
Apply for a South African passport Your reinstated citizenship qualifies you to apply. If you are in South Africa, apply at any DHA live capture office or via services.dha.gov.za. If you are abroad, apply at your nearest South African embassy, consulate, or VFS Global centre.
Apply for a Smart ID card You are now eligible for a Smart ID. See the Smart ID application guide for the full process.
Travel to South Africa on your SA passport South African citizens are required by law to enter and leave South Africa on a South African travel document. Once reinstated, you can apply for or renew a South African passport and use it for travel.
Important: SARS Financial Emigration Does Not Affect Citizenship
This is a common misconception. Completing financial emigration through SARS — formally declaring yourself a non-resident for tax purposes — does not affect your South African citizenship in any way.
You remain a South African citizen for citizenship purposes regardless of your SARS tax residency status. The two are entirely separate. If you completed financial emigration and are unsure of your citizenship status, use the portal to check.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ruling says I never lost citizenship — why do I still need to use the portal? The Constitutional Court ruling restored your citizenship legally. But your population register record — the database Home Affairs uses to issue passports and Smart IDs — may still show your citizenship as revoked. The portal corrects this administrative record so that Home Affairs systems recognise your restored status.
I voluntarily renounced my South African citizenship. Does this ruling apply to me? No. The ruling applies only to those who lost citizenship automatically under Section 6(1)(a) — that is, by acquiring foreign citizenship without ministerial permission. If you actively applied to renounce your South African citizenship in writing, the ruling does not restore it.
I lost citizenship before 6 October 1995. Am I covered? No. The ruling only applies to citizenship lost under Section 6(1)(a) on or after 6 October 1995, when that provision came into effect.
Can I apply from outside South Africa? Yes. The portal is specifically designed for South Africans abroad. It works from any country with an internet connection.
I got a letter of retention at the time — am I affected? No. If you obtained a Certificate of Retention of Citizenship before acquiring foreign nationality, you did not lose citizenship under Section 6(1)(a) and are not affected.
My child was born abroad while I had lost citizenship — what is their status? This is a complex area that may depend on your individual circumstances, the date of birth, and whether citizenship was legally restored before or after your child’s birth. Consult an immigration attorney for advice specific to your situation.
How long does reinstatement take if my case is complex? Straightforward cases qualifying for automated processing complete in about one hour under Portal 2.0. Cases referred to a specialist take longer — the portal does not provide a specific timeline for these. Contact the DHA Contact Centre on 0800 60 11 90 for updates on referred cases.
Does reinstatement cost anything? No fee is charged to use the Citizenship Reinstatement Portal or to have your citizenship reinstated.
Contact Details
| Citizenship Reinstatement Portal | myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za |
| DHA Contact Centre | 0800 60 11 90 |
| DHA email | hacc@dha.gov.za |
| DHA Application Portal | services.dha.gov.za |
Related Guides
- How to Apply for a South African Passport
- How to Apply for a Smart ID
- Smart ID for Naturalised Citizens and Permanent Residents
- South African Passport — Taking Too Long
- Smart ID Status Check
Last updated March 2026. Information sourced from gov.za, SAnews, and Constitutional Court judgment CCT184/23. Not affiliated with the Department of Home Affairs.