South Africa - Passport & Nationality - South African Citizenship by Descent

An application for a Passport by Birth in South Africa is based on a valid Birth Certificate, and is based on one (or both) of your parents holding South African Nationality or being South African citizens at the time of your birth. It is the most common form of application for Citizenship of South Africa. South African Nationality gives the right to hold a passport, free travel in and out of the country and the right to work.

Your parents must have been legally married at the time of your birth.

You do NOT need to renounce citizenship of any other country, as South Africa only allows a citizen to hold a second passport.

If you are born OUTSIDE of South Africa to a South African citizen, then the birth must be registered.

Applying for South African citizenship enables people in possession of South African permanent residence to gain the right to vote along with a number of other benefits.

South African Nationality Benefits

Successful candidates applying for citizenship through descent will gain the complete freedom to live and work in South Africa afforded to existing citizens.

No restrictions will be placed upon their stay in the country and citizens may seek and undertake employment in whatever manner they see fit.

Visa Eligibility

Where applicants born outside the country are applying for South African citizenship, a submission can be made on the grounds that one parent is a citizen.

It is important to note that this provision for those immigrating to South Africa to naturalise also extends to adopted children providing that the adoption is legal.