The Department of Home Affairs has finally launched the long-overdue online portal for South Africans who automatically lost their citizenship under the old “automatic loss” clause (section 6(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act), a clause that has now been declared unconstitutional and invalid.
This new system allows affected individuals to check their status and begin the reinstatement process directly through the portal, without having to navigate unclear or inconsistent processes at missions or offices. It brings long-awaited clarity and a proper administrative mechanism.
This is a major and very welcome development. Credit to Minister Schreiber and the DHA team, this is another solid DA-driven reform that brings transparency, simplicity, and fairness into a space that has been unresolved for far too long.
You can access the system directly via:
https://myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za/
This is only for people who:
- Automatically lost South African citizenship because they acquired another citizenship as adults without first applying for retention, and
- Now wish to verify their status or reinstate it.
If this is your situation, the new portal is the correct place to start.
If someone does NOT want their South African citizenship to be reinstated, for example, because they prefer to remain only a citizen of another country, they will need to apply for a formal renunciation of South African citizenship.
You are welcome to navigate the portal directly.
If you need formal legal assistance with reinstatement, renunciation or confirmation of status, you can contact us at:
info@dsdlaw.co.za (Please note: advice is provided through scheduled consultations).