How to Get South Africa CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 5 years
- Language
- Required, no test
- Dual citizenship
- New citizens only
- Civic test
- Required, no test specified
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- No income condition in the law
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Partly accepted: for new citizens onlyNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad lose their citizenship automatically, with exceptions.
- Available routes
- Region
- Africa
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
Residence in South Africa is the basis of this route, together with the other conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
- Residence
- 5 years
Person is a permanent resident and has been ordinarily and legally resident for at least 5 years.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Language
- Required, no test or certificate specified
Person can communicate in one of the official languages.
- Civic knowledge
- Required, no test specified
Adequate knowledge of responsibilities and privileges of citizenship required.
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
Person must be of good character.
- Income or economic resources
- No income condition in the law
Marriage or civil partnership
Marriage to a citizen of South Africa is the basis of this route, together with the conditions below. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is the spouse of a South African citizen, is a permanent resident and has been married and ordinarily resident in South Africa for 'a prescribed period'.
Descent (citizen parent)
For a person with a parent who is a citizen of South Africa, the rules below set out how this route works. South Africa grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in South Africa to a citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a citizen.
Birth in the country
This route concerns people born in South Africa, and only in the situations described below.
Person is born in South Africa to parents who are permanent residents (Note: unclear whether acquisition is automatic).
Person is born in South Africa to parents who are foreigners and not admitted for permanent residence. Other conditions: person has lived in South Africa from birth until majority, and birth is registered in South Africa in accordance with Births and Deaths Registration Act.
Adoption
For people adopted by citizens of South Africa, the rules below set out what applies. South Africa grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Person is adopted by a citizen and birth is registered in accordance with Births and Deaths Registration Act.
Other family members of citizens
This route covers certain family members not covered by the marriage or descent routes in South Africa. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person fulfils the criteria listed under the rules for marriage but the spouse is deceased.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
This route covers people who previously held citizenship of South Africa, subject to the conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is a former citizen who lost citizenship and minister is satisfied that the grounds for loss of citizenship no longer exist or are of no consequence.
Stateless persons
Statelessness, or the risk of it, is the basis of this route in South Africa. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is born in South Africa and has no right to citizenship of any other country. Other conditions: birth is registered in South Africa in accordance with Births and Deaths Registration Act.
Special achievements
For people whose achievements or contributions are recognised by South Africa, the rules below set out what applies. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is granted citizenship by the minister in 'exceptional circumstances'. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation (except residence period may be waived).
Not available in South Africa: Child of a new citizen, Citizens of specific countries, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Public or military service, Investment. Coded by GLOBALCIT for 1 January 2024 and updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
Dual citizenship in South Africa is accepted for new citizens, but not generally for citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad lose their citizenship automatically, with exceptions
Person voluntarily acquires another citizenship and does not apply in advance to retain South African citizenship.
Compare with neighbours
Across Southern Africa, the most common requirement is 5 years, and South Africa sets the same period.
See how South Africa compares with every country in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Botswana | 10 years | Required, no test | New citizens only |
 Eswatini | 5 years | Required, no test | New citizens only |
 Lesotho | 5 years | Required, no test | Citizens abroad only |
 Namibia | 10 years | None | Citizens abroad only |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 5(1)-(3).
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get South Africa Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/south-africa/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/south-africa/">How to Get South Africa Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a South African citizen?
The residence period for ordinary naturalisation in South Africa is 5 years. Other legal conditions also apply.
Does South Africa allow dual citizenship?
Only in one direction: people who naturalise in South Africa, but not generally its citizens who naturalise abroad.
Do I need a language test for South African citizenship?
Knowledge of the language is required, yet no formal test is defined.
Is there a civic knowledge test for South African citizenship?
Demonstrating civic knowledge is necessary for South African citizenship, yet no test format is specified.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get South African citizenship?
Your current citizenship does not need to be given up to get South African citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.
Can I get South Africa citizenship by marriage?
Yes, South Africa provides a marriage route. Procedure: entitlement.
Can I get South Africa citizenship by descent?
Yes, the law of South Africa provides citizenship by descent from a citizen parent. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get South Africa citizenship by investment?
The data shows no investment route for South Africa.
Related pages
Also see: South Africa passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.