South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has unveiled a new online portal that will allow thousands of South Africans – many of whom now live abroad – to easily check and reinstate their citizenship.
This follows a landmark Constitutional Court ruling earlier this year.
The Citizenship Reinstatement Portal, announced on Monday by Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber, forms part of the DHA’s broader push to modernise its services and improve accessibility for South Africans at home and overseas.
Home Affairs acts on Constitutional Court order
The new platform follows the Constitutional Court’s May 2025 decision to strike down Section 6(1)(a) of the South African Citizenship Act.
For nearly three decades, this clause had automatically stripped South Africans of their citizenship if they took up a second nationality without first obtaining permission from the Home Affairs Minister.
The court ruled that the provision was unconstitutional, affirming that thousands who lost their citizenship since 1995 should be regarded as never having lost it at all.
The decision brought long-awaited certainty to many expatriates who had been left in limbo.
To manage the administrative process that flows from the ruling, the Department developed the digital portal to verify citizenship status and guide affected people through any remaining steps needed to formalise their reinstatement.
“This platform marks another milestone in our mission to modernise Home Affairs services,” Schreiber said.
“The judgment ended decades of uncertainty for South Africans abroad, and the new portal ensures their rights are restored through a secure, accessible digital process.”
Features of the new portal
The portal assures visitors a ‘user-friendly’ interface where they can track the progress of their applications. The portal also provides:
- Secure digital authentication
- Advanced document and biometric verification
- Integration with the National Population Register
South Africans abroad can start the process by visiting myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za.
After registering and confirming their email address, users can check their citizenship status using their ID number and, if necessary, complete a short reinstatement application.
Those whose citizenship was never revoked will receive instant confirmation, while those affected by the now-invalid section of the Act will be guided through the reinstatement steps.
Schreiber added that the initiative is part of Home Affairs’ commitment to deliver “dignified, efficient and accessible” digital services as the department works to rebuild public trust and meet the needs of an increasingly global South African community.
