dual nationality and SA I.D application

[new2forum]

Good afternoon All,

I’ve heard horror stories about passports/i.d books being torn up at SA consulates. Just thought I’d post to get some clarity.

Has anyone had experience with applying for an SA i.d book/card whilst holding dual citizenship, i.e. a valid SA passport/ Birth Certificate and Australian Passport?

Can it be done in SA?

I understand that if it is done via the SA consulate in Canberra it will take 6 months.

Thanks.

 

 

 

[new2forum]

Replies are much appreciated. 

 

Thanks 

[Nev]

The problem is if you hold citizenship to another country and have not applied for dual citizenship, that means that you have lost your south african citizenship, they may just not have realised it yet.

 

If you applied to south africa for dual citizenship before getting the new citizenship you should have no problem to my knowledge, besides the lousy service of the south african government of course

[AFreshStart]

@Nev

 

That only applies in some instances, if you aquired dual citizenship as a minor (before you turned 18) you have dual citizenship, you can't lose it.

 

Worth noting for future readers who might be unclear on this.

 

Cheers

 

Matt

[new2forum]

Morning, thanks for your replies. I think we completed a form to retain SA citizenship.

 

For people who never completed the form and still have been issued with an SA Passport, I'm assuming that's a mistake by home affairs, hence why it got torn up? 

 

was just wondering if the process to apply for ID is different (slower/quicker) comparing just walking into a home affairs office in SA, as opposed to dealing with the embassy which stipulate a 6 month waiting time.  

[Nev]

Yep, it is much faster walking into home affairs from what other peeps on the forums have said,

 

The problem is a little different from a SA perspective, when you get Auz citizenship and dont notify SA by filling in a retain form, or rejecting your citizenship form, south Africa has no way of knowing that you now hold dual citizenship, Auz doesn't notify them, 

 

So things continue, you could apply and get a new SA passport, travel in and out of SA...etc until it gets found out, at which time they will cancel your south african citizenship and shred your passport on the spot.

 

 

[new2forum]

Thanks for replying 

[SimpleSimon]

Last year we had to sort out passports for our visit over 2017 New Year. Many moons (30 years) ago I got the "Permission to have dual citizenship" letter. My wife didn't. Thus when we became Australian citizens, I remained South African and my wife lost her citizenship. Our daughter was 1 years old  when we left = South African + Australian. Our son was born in Australia = Australian. We only discovered this last year.

 

The first glitch was getting fingerprinted in the Ryde police station. I took the form sent from the South African embassy and did the deed. The NSW cop then refused to give me the form back saying their duty was to send the form on. South African form, my fingerprints, my property I argued. After a heated debate, back on my bicycle I went to get a pre-addressed envelope with stamps. When I arrived back, new cop at the counter who denied any knowledge of the form which we eventually found out had been stored very securely indeed. At that stage I'm thinking so little crime in the state is due to law abiding citizens rather than efficient enforcement. 

 

My daughter decided not to come on a free expenses paid 5-star holiday to see her South African roots. See new threads "Kids' boy/girlfriends and the stress this causes you in Australia" and "Kids' breakups", when I get round to writing them. The 3 of us happily went along, me screaming through the South African queue and my wife and son snail pace through the "non" queue. No interrogation room, no steely eyed questions.

 

The second issue we experienced were when the ID checking machine broke down on arrival so my wife almost wasn't allowed out when the machine on exit said she hadn't arrived.

 

Thirdly, going to a comedy show in Cape Town and being asked where we're from - "Sydney Australia". We ended up being stars of the act but if we'd told the whole story we would have been crucified. Lots of people coming to talk to us after the show and thanking us for visiting their country and did we know Aunt Lettie in Goulburn. None of them figured out that we sound quite a lot like them.

 

Forthly, the bastards grabbing our hand luggage wine and water through 3 different check points on exit. What a scam but it's the only robbery we encountered.

 

My wife still has her expired South African passport - it hasn't been torn up.

 

 

 

[new2forum]

quite an experience simon. what actually happened with the new officer at ryde?

 

my family and I went through this process when becoming dual nationals.

 

have you had any experience in applying for an SA id book ( book of life as it used to be called), whilst a dual national?

[SimpleSimon]

The new cop stated straight out that there was no form and he couldn't help me. As we were arguing so another cop wandered through and said call the guys from the previous shift. That sorted it out. Common decency prevents me saying what I thought of the new cop. Being in government service he probably got promoted.

 

i haven't gone for my SA ID book yet but I want to. The embassy in Canberra actually operates very efficiently so I don't think it will be an issue.

 

Another funny story is when we first arrived in Oz my wife left her handbag on the train. She's done that a couple of times but this was the only time she didn't get it back. In the bag was her book of life.  On principle she refused to get another one as she didn't want to be fingerprinted. Last year as we were going through the process of discovering who of us were South African citizens, we found out that the South Africans had a full set of fingerprints of my wife even though she's no longer SouthbAfrican. Maybe from when we did our police clearances.

 

My book of life is a historical document that will be worth a lot of money one day. It gives my race, stamp that I voted in the referendum to have a democratic vote, and (I believe) a valid driver's licence.

[new2forum]

Simon true indeed, quite an experience you've had. A book of life is certainly a book for life. 

 

Some of the services here treat people like they are car parts, a robot can do a better job when it cones to customer service. 

 

Only thing us if you are a dual national there's an extra firm you have to fill in if doing it via the embassy.

 

if you walk into a sa home affairs dept with a valid sa passport and birth certificate, I'd imagine it would be quicker? They state a few weeks waiting time as opposed to a 6 month wait via the embassy