Registering baby for dual nationality

mads · Post by **mads** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:32 am

Hi guys, I am on ILE, hubby british and my baby has a british passport but I would like to register her birth in south africa as well and give her dual nationality. I have tried to contact the sa embassy in London (to no avail!)
Anyone have any avenues I can follow on this?
Thank you once again
mads

Siggi · Post by **Siggi** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:44 am

Hi Mads,

Quite a simple process really, all childern born of a SA parent are entiled to be registered as SA.
So phone for a appointment 09065540798 down load the application forms on the web site www.southafricahouse.com and follow the links via home affairs and child registration.
You will need your passport or ID and your daughters UK birth certicate.
Good luck

mads · Post by **mads** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 10:40 am

thanks siggi, thanks for your help.
i am all the way up in Yorkshire, do you know if there is a embassy closer than London? I have emailed them to ask them but have not received a reply (two weeks ago)..
Thanks Mads

Siggi · Post by **Siggi** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:13 am

Mads,
No only it can only be done in London, sorry.

mads · Post by **mads** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:45 am

boo hoo
thanks siggi.
mads

Dawie · Post by **Dawie** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:58 pm

mads wrote:Hi guys, I am on ILE, hubby british and my baby has a british passport but I would like to register her birth in south africa as well and give her dual nationality. I have tried to contact the sa embassy in London (to no avail!)
Anyone have any avenues I can follow on this?
Thank you once again
mads

Unfortunately the South African embassy has come to the point whereby the only way you can get information from them is to personally stand outside the entrance and wait for an official to come out and ask them for advice. The website is useless, the information advice line is automated and costs well over Â£1 a minute and there is absolutely no way you can talk to a human being (not that there are any working at the South African embassy).

They do NOT answer phone calls, they do NOT answer emails and they certainly do not care about South Africans living in the UK.

mads · Post by **mads** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:22 pm

Thank you Dawie, I kind of figured that. Would I be able to register her when I go home at the end of the year at department of Home Affairs, taking her birth certificate and my ID?
Don't know what's worse, sa embassy or home affairs?

Siggi · Post by **Siggi** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:08 pm

Mads,
Yes that would be a option, if you are in SA for 6 weeks or so.
You are between the devil and the deep blue on this!

Dawie · Post by **Dawie** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:28 pm

I agree with Siggi. I know many South Africans who have travelled back to South Africa to sort out things with Home Affairs (where possible). It's a lot easier to get on a plane to South Africa than it is to try to deal with the South African embassy in London.

Your baby will not officially become a South African citizen until her birth is registered with Home Affairs so it will be ok for your baby to travel to South Africa on her British passport.

Just remember that once in South Africa and after you have registered her birth with Home Affairs you will HAVE to obtain a South African passport for her in order for her to be able to leave the country. I'm sure you are aware of the new rule that South African citizens have to enter and leave South Africa with a South African passport.

Siggi · Post by **Siggi** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:32 pm

Dawie
This is not quite true the child can travel in and out on either passport until she is 18 without permission.

Dawie · Post by **Dawie** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:42 pm

Siggi, what you are referring to is actually the requirement for South African citizens who are intending to naturalise to apply for retention of their South African citizenship. People under the age of 18 do not need to apply for retention of their South African citizenship if they are going to naturalise as British citizens as they will not lose their citizenship whilst still minors (according to the embassy website).

This is completely and utterly seperate from the requirement for ALL South African citizens (regardless of age) to use a South African passport to enter and leave South Africa.

This is covered in Section 26B of the South African Citizenship Amendment Act 2004. The particular section reads as follows:

A major citizen who-

1. enters the Republic or departs from the Republic making use of the passport of another country; or
2. while in the Republic, makes use of his or her citizenship or nationality of another country in order to gain an advantage or avoid a responsibility or duty,
3. is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 12 months

No mention is made of any age limits with regards to this section of the act.

Dawie · Post by **Dawie** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:55 pm

Oops, just realised my mistake! Sorry siggi! Just noticed the bit that read "major citizen"!!!! Just getting off my high horse now....

mads · Post by **mads** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:59 pm

thanks dawie and siggi, I really am caught between the devil and the deep blue sea on this

.
I will only be in sa for 3 weeks and my baby has her british passport already. Perhaps just to leave it at that and enquire when i am out there.
regards
mads

Siggi · Post by **Siggi** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:10 pm

Mads,
Just a idea, apply when you are in SA and register your daughter and use a SA address for the return of the SA birth certicate (which they will issue)
She does'nt have to have a SA passport just yet and travel in & out is no problem for her on her British passport.

mads · Post by **mads** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:14 pm

Good idea Siggi! I can use my mom's address..
My husband thinks I am insane to do it but it is part of her heritage and i think she should be given the choice when she is older. Our choices might not be her choices and i am hoping things will get better in the future in the good old SA.

Christophe · Post by **Christophe** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:32 pm

mads wrote:Good idea Siggi! I can use my mom's address..
My husband thinks I am insane to do it but it is part of her heritage and i think she should be given the choice when she is older. Our choices might not be her choices and i am hoping things will get better in the future in the good old SA.

Butting in as a non-South African: I do not think you are insane at all - as you say, this is part of her heritage and she may not thank you later if she is not, and cannot become, a South African citizen. But you will need to do the same thing for any future children, to avoid unnecessary family squabbles!

tekaweni · Post by **tekaweni** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:18 pm

Bloody hell, the SA embassy contact number is premium rate??!! Same as a 09xx sex-chat number ...... *Good morning, how may we talk to you today?*

What a rip off, I thought their whole existence was supposed to be a service for South Africans abroad!

Mads, its important to register her birth. For one thing South African inheritance laws make it difficult to bequeath to non-citizens.

Post by **JAJ** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:38 pm

Dawie wrote:Siggi, what you are referring to is actually the requirement for South African citizens who are intending to naturalise to apply for retention of their South African citizenship. People under the age of 18 do not need to apply for retention of their South African citizenship if they are going to naturalise as British citizens as they will not lose their citizenship whilst still minors (according to the embassy website).

South African children can lose their citizenship if the parents do.

tekaweni · Post by **tekaweni** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:53 pm

To add to JAJ's comment, although SA citizenship is a birthright entrenched in the constitution that can always be successfully reclaimed whatever the circumstances... it will be difficult, time consuming and expensive.

Much the same official mentality as the UK Home Office looks to be applying to the 4-5 year ILR judicial review that's currently (not) playing out.

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