Becoming a South African citizen is a significant milestone. It means you can vote, apply for a South African passport, and live in the country without worrying about visa renewals or residency permits. For those who were not born here, the journey to citizenship requires patience, planning, and a clear understanding of the legal pathways.
This guide explains everything you need to know about how to become a citizen of South Africa. It covers the three main ways to acquire citizenship: by birth, by descent, and by naturalisation. It also explains the role of permanent residence, the documents you will need, and the costs involved. By the end, you will have a clear roadmap for your citizenship journey.
How To Become A Citizen In South Africa
The Legal Framework
South African citizenship is governed by the South African Citizenship Act of 1995 (Act No. 88 of 1995), which has been amended several times, most notably in 2010. The Act is administered by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). The Minister of Home Affairs has the final authority to grant or refuse citizenship applications.
Understanding the legal definitions is important. A “foreigner” is any person who is not a South African citizen. “Permanent residence” means the right to live in South Africa indefinitely, as granted under the Immigration Act of 2002. A “permanent resident” is a person who holds that status.
A “major” is any person aged 18 or older. A “minor” is any person under 18.
The Three Ways To Become A South African Citizen
The South African Citizenship Act establishes three primary ways to acquire citizenship: by birth, by descent, and by naturalisation.
Citizenship By Birth
Citizenship by birth is the most straightforward path. It applies to people who were born in South Africa, or who were born outside South Africa to South African parents.
According to Section 2(1) of the Citizenship Act, a person is a South African citizen by birth if immediately prior to 1 January 2013 (the date the 2010 amendments took effect), they were already a South African citizen by birth. Alternatively, a person is a citizen by birth if they are born in or outside South Africa and at the time of their birth, one of their parents was a South African citizen.
Section 2(2) provides for a special case. Any person born in South Africa who is not a citizen under Section 2(1) may still become a citizen by birth if they do not have the citizenship or nationality of any other country, or have no right to such citizenship or nationality, and their birth is registered in South Africa in accordance with the Births and Deaths Registration Act.
Section 2(3) covers another scenario. Any person born in South Africa to parents who have been admitted for permanent residence, and who is not a South African citizen, qualifies to become a citizen by birth if they have lived in South Africa from the date of their birth until the date they become a major (age 18), and their birth is registered in South Africa.
In simple terms, if you were born in South Africa to at least one South African parent, you are automatically a citizen. If you were born in South Africa to foreign parents but have lived here your whole life, you can apply for citizenship when you turn 18.
Citizenship By Descent
Citizenship by descent applies to people who were born outside South Africa but have at least one parent who is a South African citizen at the time of their birth.
Section 3 of the Citizenship Act also provides that a child who is adopted by a South African citizen, in terms of the Children’s Act, and whose birth is registered in South Africa, is a South African citizen by descent.
The key requirement is that the birth must be registered under the South African Births and Deaths Registration Act. If the birth was not registered, you may need to prove your parentage through DNA testing.
The required documents for citizenship by descent include:
Completed BI-24 form, to be endorsed by the South African parent
Completed DHA-529 form
Original or notarised copy of the foreign birth certificate
Original or notarised copies of the South African parent’s proof of citizenship (birth certificate, ID book, or valid passport)
Original or notarised copy of the parents’ marriage certificate
Police clearance report from the country of origin and from South Africa (for applicants aged 15 and above)
An interview report for both the applicant and the South African parent (for applicants aged 15 and above)
Proof of paternity or DNA tests (for applicants aged 15 and above, if required)
If Home Affairs requires DNA tests, these must be legal tests conducted at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), which has branches in all provinces.
Citizenship By Naturalisation
Naturalisation is the process by which a foreign national who has been living in South Africa can apply to become a citizen. This is the most common path for immigrants who were not born here and do not have South African parents.
According to Section 4 of the Citizenship Act, any person who is granted a certificate of naturalisation becomes a South African citizen by naturalisation, with effect from the date the certificate is issued.
To qualify for naturalisation, you must meet specific requirements. The most important is that you must have held a permanent residence permit for at least five years. Within those five years, the most recent year immediately preceding your application must have been spent as a permanent resident right up to the point you apply.
You must have lived in South Africa for a total of five years within the last eight years. You must not have been absent from South Africa for more than 90 days per year in any of the five years as a permanent residence holder.
The categories of people eligible to apply for permanent residence (as a step toward naturalisation) include:
A person who has held a work permit for five years
The spouse of a South African citizen or permanent resident
A child under the age of 21 of a South African citizen or permanent resident holder
A person who has received an offer of employment
A person who has extraordinary skills or qualifications
A person opening a business
A refugee
A retired person
A relative of a South African citizen or permanent resident holder (restricted to mother, father, or brothers and sisters)
Step-by-Step Guide To Naturalisation
If you are a foreign national living in South Africa and you want to become a citizen, the pathway usually goes through permanent residence first, followed by naturalisation.
Step 1: Obtain Permanent Residence
Before you can apply for citizenship, you must first become a permanent resident. Permanent residence is a status that allows you to live in South Africa indefinitely. You must fall into one of the eligible categories listed in the Immigration Act. Common categories include being the spouse of a South African citizen, having held a work visa for five years, or having critical skills.
To apply for permanent residence, you will need to submit Form BI-947 to VFS Global, the company that processes applications for Home Affairs. The fees include approximately R1,550 for VFS Global and R1,520 for the Department of Home Affairs.
Supporting documents include a copy of your birth certificate, biometrics (fingerprints) if you are over 16, a police clearance certificate from every country where you have lived for 12 months or longer in the five years before applying, a medical report from a registered medical practitioner (not older than six months), and documents relating to your marital status.
You can book an interview online with VFS Global. The application process can take several months.
Step 2: Wait For The Qualifying Period
Once you have your permanent residence permit, you must hold it for at least five years before you can apply for citizenship by naturalisation. You must have lived in South Africa continuously for at least 12 months immediately before applying.
If your permanent residence was based on a spousal relationship, note that if the relationship ends within two years of the permit being issued, the permit may lapse. You and your ex-spouse must report the separation to Home Affairs, and the cancellation process will begin. However, if you have been a permanent resident for more than two years, a divorce should not affect your application for naturalisation.
Step 3: Prepare Your Naturalisation Application
Once you have met the five-year requirement, you can apply for citizenship by naturalisation. You will need to submit several forms and documents.
The required forms include DHA-63 (Application for a Certificate of Naturalisation) and DHA-757. You may also need DHA-529 if you are seeking a determination of citizenship status first.
Supporting documents include:
Your South African non-citizen identity document
Your marriage certificate, if applicable
Your divorce decree, if applicable
Form BI-9 for the re-issue of your identity document
Proof of permanent residence
South African police clearance form SAP-91a with a full set of fingerprints (for applicants aged 18 and over)
Police clearance from your country of origin
Proof that you have lived in South Africa continuously for at least 12 months prior to application
A letter confirming acceptance of dual nationality, if applicable
The application fees include R300 for the naturalisation application and R140 for the re-issuing of your ID. These fees are subject to change.
Step 4: Submit Your Application
Applications for naturalisation must be submitted to the Department of Home Affairs. According to the Western Cape government’s immigration page, an application for Determination of Citizenship must be forwarded to Head Office before any application is submitted, to ensure that the correct application is submitted.
The average processing time for a determination of citizenship is approximately six months.
Step 5: Attend The Citizenship Ceremony
If your application is approved, you will be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony where you will take an oath of allegiance to the Republic of South Africa. After the ceremony, you will receive your certificate of naturalisation.
Step 6: Apply For A South African ID And Passport
Once you have your certificate of naturalisation, you can apply for a South African identity document (Smart ID Card) and a South African passport. These documents will allow you to vote, travel, and access services as a full citizen.
Dual Citizenship And Renunciation
South Africa allows dual citizenship. You can be a citizen of South Africa and another country at the same time. However, you must apply for and be granted permission to retain your South African citizenship before you acquire the citizenship of another country.
If you acquire foreign citizenship as an adult (aged 18 or over) without first applying for retention of your South African citizenship, you will automatically lose your South African citizenship. You can apply for exemption or resumption, but this is a separate process using forms DHA-1666 or DHA-175.
If your original country does not expressly allow you to take up South African citizenship, you will have to renounce your former citizenship before becoming a South African citizen.
Special Cases
Children Born In South Africa To Foreign Parents
If you were born in South Africa to foreign parents, you do not automatically become a citizen. However, you have a pathway. Section 2(3) of the Citizenship Act provides that if you have lived in South Africa from the date of your birth until you become a major (age 18), and your birth was registered in South Africa, you qualify to apply for citizenship by birth.
If you left South Africa before turning 18, as one person did due to a parent’s death, you may still be able to apply. In such cases, you would need to prove that you were born in South Africa, your birth was registered, and that you lived there up to age 14 until you were forced to leave by circumstances beyond your control. You can obtain a Determination of Citizenship from Home Affairs using Form DHA-529, which can take up to six months to process.
Long-Term Work Permit Holders
If you have held a work permit (now called a work visa) for a continuous period of at least five years and you have a permanent job offer at the time you apply, you qualify for permanent residence under Section 26(a) of the Immigration Act. Once you have permanent residence, you can eventually apply for naturalisation after five more years as a permanent resident.
Spouses Of South African Citizens
If you are married to a South African citizen, you can apply for permanent residence as the spouse of a citizen. Once you have held that permanent residence for five years, you can apply for naturalisation. If you divorce after holding permanent residence for more than two years, your divorce should not affect your naturalisation application.
Summary Of Forms
Form Number | Purpose
DHA-63 | Application for a Certificate of Naturalisation
DHA-757 | Accompanying form for naturalisation
DHA-529 | Determination of Citizenship Status
DHA-175 | Application for Resumption of South African Citizenship
DHA-1664 | Application for Retention of South African Citizenship
DHA-1666 | Application for Exemption regarding loss of citizenship
BI-947 | Application for Permanent Residence Permit
BI-24 | Registration of birth by a South African parent abroad
BI-9 | Application for re-issue of identity document
SAP-91a | South African police clearance with fingerprints
Related
Keep In Mind
Becoming a citizen of South Africa is a journey that requires time, documentation, and patience. For most immigrants, the path begins with obtaining permanent residence, which requires falling into one of the eligible categories such as holding a work visa for five years, being the spouse of a citizen, or having critical skills.
Once you have held permanent residence for five years and have lived in South Africa continuously for the year immediately before applying, you can submit your naturalisation application using forms DHA-63 and DHA-757. You will need police clearances, proof of residence, and payment of the required fees.
If you were born outside South Africa to a South African parent, you may be eligible for citizenship by descent. You will need to prove your parentage, often through DNA testing at the National Health Laboratory Service, and register your birth with Home Affairs.
If you were born in South Africa to foreign parents but have lived here your whole life, you can apply for citizenship when you turn 18.
Throughout the process, always verify that you are using official forms and submitting them to legitimate offices. Be aware of the dual citizenship rules: if you acquire another citizenship as an adult without first retaining your South African citizenship, you will lose it automatically.
South African citizenship is a privilege that comes with rights and responsibilities. It grants you the right to vote, to hold a South African passport, and to live in the country without any immigration restrictions. For those who have made South Africa their home, the journey to citizenship is the final step in becoming a full member of the nation.