British passport holder

[Ejs1230]

Can anyone give me some advice ?

I was born in south africa in 1968 and lived there until I was 11 yrs of age and then left with my British mother to reside in the uk in 1979 - I believe I travelled on a S A passport to uk then, although my mother has died since then so I'm not so sure !

Since 1988 I've held a British passport and have travelled to and from south africa for holidays atleast 20 times in the nineties and about 4 times in the early 00'ss

My passport shows country of birth as Johannesburg south africa.

Im flying to capetown on the 30th of this month march 2011 and have heard that I now need a south African passport ?

Is this correct ?

I've been told that I'll either be fined or deported !

Has anyone else had the same issue ?

Originally Posted by Ejs1230

Can anyone give me some advice ?

I was born in south africa in 1968 and lived there until I was 11 yrs of age and then left with my British mother to reside in the uk in 1979 - I believe I travelled on a S A passport to uk then, although my mother has died since then so I'm not so sure !

Since 1988 I've held a British passport and have travelled to and from south africa for holidays atleast 20 times in the nineties and about 4 times in the early 00'ss

My passport shows country of birth as Johannesburg south africa.

Im flying to capetown on the 30th of this month march 2011 and have heard that I now need a south African passport ?

Is this correct ?

I've been told that I'll either be fined or deported !

Has anyone else had the same issue ?

Hi

I do not know where you would have heard something like that, but I would like to state that we have heard nothing of sorts.

Assuming you have not committed a crime in South Africa, there is no reason to deport you. Fines are issued for foreign nationals who have overstayed their stay in South Africa.

When you were born, you would have been issued a South African birth certificate. I would suggest that you contact the South African embassy in your home country, and apply for a determination of citizenship. This can take 8-12 months. In the mean time, you can enter South Africa with your British passport. You would receive a tourist visa upon entry, which will be valid for 90 days.

If you wish to reside in South Africa for longer, one would need to look at visa options, while the determination of citizenship is under way.

To summarise: Unless you have been convicted of a crime, or have been declared an "undesirable person" by the Department of Home Affairs, you can enter and leave South Africa.

[Daxk]

You would also have only registered for a SA ID book at age 16, at which point you had been out of SA for 5 years.

[Johanna]

You only need a SA passport if you are still a SA citizen. I have dual citizenship, have to leave and enter the country on my SA passport. I you do not have dual citizenship you need not carry a SA passport.
Did your mother emigrate officially from SA?

[Ejs1230]

Originally Posted by Johanna

You only need a SA passport if you are still a SA citizen. I have dual citizenship, have to leave and enter the country on my SA passport. I you do not have dual citizenship you need not carry a SA passport.
Did your mother emigrate officially from SA?

Hi, thanks for your mail - my mother took myself and brother out if the country - illegally - effectively kidnapped us so I'm guessing we didn't officially emigrate, although she was born in the uk and would have travelled only on a british passport - and didn't have any formal I.D status in south africa ie - no I D book etc

I don't have a problem with applying for dual citizenship - in fact will do so when I get back - I just don't fancy being deported fined or arrested ! I'm only there for 3 days for a wedding -!

Regards

Steve

[Halo]

Isn't the rule - If you were born there you are a citizen and are entitled to live there?

Originally Posted by Halo

Isn't the rule - If you were born there you are a citizen and are entitled to live there?

Like with any country, nothing happens automatically. Even if a foreign national is born in South Africa, and at the time this would have allowed for South African citizenship to be granted, one would have still needed to obtain a South African birth certificate and then APPLY for a South African passport.

The same applies today. Although one may have a right to citizenship (for example if the parents were South African nationals), one would still need to apply for a determination.

Again, this is very similar to other countries as well, as governments will want (and need) to establish why citizenship was lost in the first place.

[Johanna]

Originally Posted by Ejs1230

Hi, thanks for your mail - my mother took myself and brother out if the country - illegally - effectively kidnapped us so I'm guessing we didn't officially emigrate, although she was born in the uk and would have travelled only on a british passport - and didn't have any formal I.D status in south africa ie - no I D book etc

I don't have a problem with applying for dual citizenship - in fact will do so when I get back - I just don't fancy being deported fined or arrested ! I'm only there for 3 days for a wedding -!

Regards

Steve

Hi Steve
I do not think you can apply for SA citizenship after being granted UK citizenship. I am sure you have no problems. You are no longer a SA citizen and will have no problem, of that I am convinced.

[Johanna]

Originally Posted by Joaschim

Like with any country, nothing happens automatically. Even if a foreign national is born in South Africa, and at the time this would have allowed for South African citizenship to be granted, one would have still needed to obtain a South African birth certificate and then APPLY for a South African passport.

The same applies today. Although one may have a right to citizenship (for example if the parents were South African nationals), one would still need to apply for a determination.

Again, this is very similar to other countries as well, as governments will want (and need) to establish why citizenship was lost in the first place.

You are entitled to SA citizenship , by birth, but if you obtain SA citizenship, you will lose your British citizenship.

[Halo]

Originally Posted by Johanna

You are entitled to SA citizenship , by birth, but if you obtain SA citizenship, you will lose your British citizenship.

Just don't tell em - That's a trade nobody makes