South Africa Passport and Nationality
There are several ways in which South African Nationality (often referred to as Citizenship) can be obtained. Broadly, they are:
Dual Nationality and Citizenship
The government has appealed to South Africans with dual citizenship to use their South African passports when leaving or returning to the country.
According to the South African Citizenship Amendment Act of 2004, that came into effect on 15 September, it is now an offence for locals with dual citizenship to use their foreign passports to leave or gain entry to the country.
It is also an offence for a citizen, while in South Africa, to use his or her foreign citizenship to gain advantage or avoid a responsibility or duty.
However, the new Act allows South Africans with dual nationality to freely use their foreign passports outside South Africa.
A provision of the South African Citizenship Act of 1995, allowing the minister of home affairs to deprive a citizen of his or her citizenship for having used the citizenship of a foreign country, has been repealed.
As a result, the need for exemptions or letters of permission from the minister to make use of a foreign passport has now been terminated.