Dual Nationality

[Mon]

Just a quick q: I have a S.A. and a Portuguese passport. Do I need to have a letter stating that I am able to hold both? I have heard that you do, then I was told that they no longer require you to have the letter....now I read that someone was asked for the letter.... What is going on... the rules seem to change like the weather in the UK!

If I need a letter, could anyone please tell me where I need to go in order to get one? Would I have to go to the dreaded S.A. house or may I apply on line?
:sad: :confused:

I feel the same way about the S.A passport, it is not as if we get anything for having it! We cannot even travel into our own country without complications....

[Hagar]

Originally Posted by Mon

Just a quick q: I have a S.A. and a Portuguese passport. Do I need to have a letter stating that I am able to hold both? I have heard that you do, then I was told that they no longer require you to have the letter....now I read that someone was asked for the letter.... What is going on... the rules seem to change like the weather in the UK!

:sad: :confused:

Hi Mon

I have replied to your other post in another thread already, and as I asked there. Do you not already have that permision if you already hold a Portuguese passport?

[Mon]

I have no idea.... I spoke to someone today at S.A. house and they asked me how I got my S.A. passport, and then they asked me how I got my Portuguese passport, but they never mentioned that I wasn't allowed to have both without a letter...

I will have to check!
Hmmmm back to the drawing board, and they are so informative.....not

[John01]

Mon, I assume you have your Portuguese nationality by descent. If this is the case, then no permission is required. (as a result of a recent change of legislation in SA) However you must use your SA passport to enter and leave S.A.

If you at any point decide to apply for naturalisation as a British Citizen and wish to retain your SA citizenship, you will need to apply to SA for permission before submitting the naturalisation application. This is because you will be committing a positive act to acquire the citizenship of a foreign country. (Remember, your Portuguese citizenship was probably acquired by a birth rights and therefore, did not require a positive act.)
I hope I have explained this sufficiently.

[Mon]

Thanks John01!

Yr response was very informative....

[spam]

Originally Posted by Mon

I feel the same way about the S.A passport, it is not as if we get anything for having it! We cannot even travel into our own country without complications....

The need for a letter was removed with the promulgation of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Re the hassles getting into SA with a SA passport, you may find that you have more hassles trying to get in without one.