South African born living in UK wanting to return to SA

[Bokkie]

Please help!!! Was born and bred in South Africa and lived there until 1996 when my English parents decided to move back to England. I now want to return to SA for a year or so to work and need to know if I need a visa / work permit etc. I still have my SA ID book. Any info greatly appreciated as cannot get through to SA Home Affairs dept in London.
Cheers.

[Christophe]

Do you have South African citizenship? I presume you are a British citizen by descent, is that right?

[Bokkie]

Thats right - was never registered as SA citizen - left SA when I was 16 so did not claim SA citizenship. However, when I recently went to SA on holiday I was automatically given 3 months temp residency permit due to the fact that I was born in SA.

[wv_girl]

hey ur english dude -face it!!

all depends upon what you want to do in SA. if just for travel then it should be ok. British citizens get a 3months temp visa almost automatically. you can apply for an extention for a further 3 months (you need to apply within a month of the expiry of your permit). If you are bothered then you can even apply for citizenship while you are there..although there is a process in terms of acknowledging dual citizenship.

For work you may need to get a temp work visa, which again is easy enough, espeically if you are 'skilled worker' (apart from medical Dr) but only if you can get hold of the high commission!

i'm sure you've visited their website:
http://www.southafricahouse.com/Consulate/Foreign.htm
(links on the left for futher info)

I would defo recommend getting an appointment with them following a call to one of their expensive (££££) phone lines (no way round that!)

good luck!!

PS it might be nice if could feedback how you got on for others!

[Fairtrade]

Hi Bokkie

I read in a local South African newspaper about a man with a South African mother and a British father and he was born in Cape Town. He moved back to England in his teens and stayed on until now. He has now decided to move back to South Africa, he only had a South African ID book like you and a British passport and apparently because he didn't apply to hold dual citizenship the South African Home Affairs has now told him to leave the country because he hasn't applied for Dual nationality making him illegal. He spent about 10 000 Euros moving all his stuff from England back to South Africa only to be told he has no right to live in South Africa even though his born there, and his mom is South African.

So on that basis I think
A) you are either only British or
B) you need to have applied to hold a dual passports