Citizenship is a relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection.
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and the conditions under which that status will be withdrawn.
Where To Apply For Citizenship In South Africa
Unless you are born in South Africa or have South African parents, you can apply for South African citizenship after holding a permanent residence permit for five years, by marrying a South African citizen or by being a minor with a permanent residence visa.
How do I apply for South African citizenship?
How to keep your South African citizenship. You will need to get a letter of retention, which is issued by the department of Home Affairs.
To get this letter, you must complete the BI-529 and DHA BI-1664 forms and provide a copy of your current South African passport.
What documents are needed to apply for citizenship?
Documents to bring to your naturalization interview
Proof of green card holder (permanent resident) status.
State-issued identification.
Travel Records.
Proof of current marital status and termination of your prior marriages.
Proof of termination of your spouse’s previous marriages, if any.
Does SA allow dual citizenship?
Yes, it is possible for a South African Citizen to hold dual citizenship (be a citizen of more than one country).
However, in order to make this possible a South African Citizen aged 18 years or older must apply to the Department of Home Affairs for the retention of their citizenship.
How long does the citizenship process take?
The national average processing time for naturalization (citizenship) applications is 14.5 months, as of June, 2021.
But that’s just the application processing wait time (see “Understanding USCIS Processing Times” below). The overall naturalization process involves more steps and a longer citizenship timeline.