South African Dual Citizenship in the UK

Yes, you can become British and stay South African. Since a Constitutional Court ruling on 6 May 2025, South Africans no longer lose their citizenship automatically when they take another nationality, and you no longer need a retention letter before you apply. The UK allows dual citizenship too, so South African dual citizenship with a British passport is now possible without asking either country's permission.

What still trips people up is the admin: which passport to show at which border, how to check your status if you naturalised years ago, and what the UK expects first. This is general information, correct as of October 2026, not legal advice.

South African dual citizenship: what the 2025 ruling changed

For nearly 30 years, section 6(1)(a) of the South African Citizenship Act, 1995 meant that an adult South African who voluntarily took another citizenship lost their South African citizenship automatically, unless the Minister of Home Affairs had given permission in advance. The Democratic Alliance took the case to court on behalf of South Africans who had lost their citizenship without realising it.

In Democratic Alliance v Minister of Home Affairs, a unanimous Constitutional Court confirmed the Supreme Court of Appeal's finding that the provision was unconstitutional. The order declares section 6(1)(a) invalid from the day it came into force, 6 October 1995, and states that citizens who lost their citizenship under it "are deemed not to have lost their citizenship".

In plain terms:

Becoming British now doesn't cost you your South African citizenship.
If you took another citizenship on or after 6 October 1995 without a retention letter, the law treats you as never having lost your South African one.
The ruling doesn't cover people who voluntarily renounced their citizenship, or people who lost it before 6 October 1995.

Do you still need a retention letter?

No. The South African High Commission in London says on its Home Affairs page that South Africans who want to take another citizenship "may now do so without applying for the Retention of South African citizenship letter". It adds that any retention application sent in now will not be processed, and the fee will not be refunded.

Watch out for this one. As of October 2026, an older High Commission page describing the retention application, its forms and its £25 fee is still online and still shows up in Google. Don't post anything off to it.

Lost your SA citizenship years ago? How to check and reinstate it

If you naturalised as British (or as anything else) after 6 October 1995 and Home Affairs recorded you as having lost your citizenship, you can sort it out online. Home Affairs runs a Citizenship Reinstatement Portal at myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za, built so that South Africans abroad don't have to queue at a consulate. The process, as Home Affairs describes it:

Create a profile and confirm your email address.
Check your citizenship status using your ID number.
Complete the biometric check, which means taking a selfie and scanning your passport.
If your citizenship is still valid, you're told straight away. If it was recorded as lost under section 6(1)(a), the portal takes you through a reinstatement application.

How long it takes depends on who you ask. In February 2026 Home Affairs said an upgraded version of the portal had cut turnaround from six to eight weeks to as little as one hour for qualifying applicants, with harder cases passed to a specialist. As of October 2026 the High Commission in London still tells people to allow up to 10 weeks. Once you're confirmed, your record on the Population Register is updated and you can apply for a South African passport. Home Affairs reported that 12,008 people checked their status and 1,088 had their citizenship reinstated in the portal's first 11 weeks.

Two groups need a different route. If you lost your citizenship before 6 October 1995, the High Commission says you may be eligible for reinstatement under section 26(4) of the Act, through a postal application. If you formally renounced your citizenship, the ruling doesn't help you, and resumption of citizenship is a separate postal application through the High Commission.

Does the UK allow dual citizenship?

Yes. GOV.UK states that dual citizenship is allowed in the UK, and you don't apply for it separately. With South Africa's automatic-loss rule gone, nothing on either side forces you to choose.

One limit is worth knowing. As a dual national, you can't get diplomatic help from the British government while you're in the other country where you hold citizenship. So while you're in South Africa, the UK government won't step in for you as a British citizen.

Becoming British: the main route as of October 2026

Most South Africans become British through naturalisation after getting indefinite leave to remain (ILR). The main requirements on GOV.UK are:

You've lived in the UK for at least 5 years and have held ILR (or settled status) for 12 months.
If you're married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, the route needs 3 years' residence plus ILR, with no 12-month wait.
You've spent no more than 450 days outside the UK in those 5 years, and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months.
You're over 18, of good character and intend to keep living in the UK.
You've proved your English and passed the Life in the UK test, which costs £50 and gives you 45 minutes for 24 questions.

As of October 2026 the application costs £1,839: £1,709 to apply plus a £130 citizenship ceremony fee. You'll usually get a decision within 6 months, and if you're approved you must attend a citizenship ceremony.

Settlement rules are under review, so check before you plan a timeline. In November 2025 the government opened a consultation on "earned settlement", which would make 10 years the standard qualifying period for ILR for most migrants, with shorter routes for some. The consultation closed on 12 February 2026 and, as of October 2026, the Home Office says it is still analysing the responses. Separately, a higher English standard for settlement, raised from GCSE level to A-level equivalent, comes into effect in March 2027. The earned settlement consultation page is where the outcome will be published.

The UK side involves real money and real consequences if you get it wrong, so speak to a regulated adviser about your own situation. Immigration advisers must be registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or belong to an approved professional body, and GOV.UK has a tool to find a registered immigration adviser.

Two passports, two borders: which one to use where

Each country insists on its own passport at its own border, and this is what catches dual citizens out.

Where you're crossingPassport to showThe ruleLeaving or entering South AfricaSouth AfricanUsing a foreign passport is an offence for citizens aged 18 or over (section 26(b), Citizenship Act)Travelling to the UKBritish, or a certificate of entitlementEnforced since 25 February 2026; dual British citizens can't get an ETA

On the South African side, the Department of Home Affairs states that it is a punishable offence for a South African citizen aged 18 or older to leave or enter South Africa using a foreign passport, and the High Commission confirms this applies to people with dual or multiple citizenships. So keep your South African passport valid after you get a British one. Our guide to renewing a South African passport in the UK walks through the VFS process. When you renew as a dual citizen, VFS asks for proof of how and when you got your other nationality, such as your naturalisation certificate, and a foreign passport isn't accepted as that proof.

On the UK side, since 25 February 2026 dual British citizens have had to show a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement when travelling to the UK, and they can't get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Airlines can refuse to board you without the right document. GOV.UK also says you can't enter the UK on your certificate of British citizenship, so apply for your first British passport after your ceremony and before you book that December flight home.

A quick checklist for Saffas going British

Check your South African status on the reinstatement portal, especially if you've ever taken another nationality.
Don't apply for a retention letter. It isn't needed and the fee won't come back.
Budget £1,839 for the citizenship application and £50 for the Life in the UK test, as of October 2026.
After your ceremony, send back your biometric residence permit if you still have one. GOV.UK says you must return it within 5 working days of getting your certificate or risk a fine of up to £1,000.
Apply for a British passport before you travel, and keep your South African passport in date.
Fly into and out of South Africa on your South African passport, and into the UK on your British one.

Plenty of South Africans around you have been through the Life in the UK test, the ceremony and the two-passport juggle recently. If you'd like to swap notes, download Howzit to find Saffas near you and chat to people who've just done it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep my South African citizenship if I become British?

Yes. Since the Constitutional Court ruling of 6 May 2025, South Africans no longer lose their citizenship automatically when they take another nationality, and the UK allows dual citizenship. You don't need permission from Home Affairs before you naturalise.

Did I lose my South African citizenship if I naturalised before the ruling?

Not if you took the other citizenship on or after 6 October 1995. The court declared that people who lost citizenship under section 6(1)(a) are deemed never to have lost it. Use the Home Affairs Citizenship Reinstatement Portal to confirm your status, and to update your record if needed, before you apply for a new South African passport.

Which passport should I use when flying between the UK and South Africa?

Use your South African passport to leave and enter South Africa, and your British passport to travel to the UK. In practice that means carrying both on every trip and showing each one at its own border.

Does keeping South African citizenship mean I pay tax in South Africa?

Not on its own. SARS uses a residence-based system: you're a South African tax resident if you're ordinarily resident there or meet the physical presence test, and residents are taxed on worldwide income. Ceasing to be a tax resident has consequences of its own, including a deemed disposal for capital gains tax, so speak to a qualified cross-border tax adviser.

South African Dual Citizenship When You Become British