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The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, today announced the launch of the Home Affairs Citizenship Reinstatement Portal, a major step forward in the Department’s digital transformation programme to deliver dignity for all South Africans. This announcement follows the landmark Constitutional Court judgment delivered on 6 May 2025 in the matter of Democratic Alliance v Minister of Home Affairs.

In its ruling, the Court declared Section 6(1)(a) of the South African Citizenship Act, 1995, unconstitutional. This provision had previously caused South Africans to automatically lose their citizenship if they acquired another nationality without prior permission from the Minister. The judgment, which took immediate effect, confirmed the earlier Supreme Court of Appeal ruling and restored South African citizenship to all individuals who had lost it under this provision since 6 October 1995. 

The Court held that stripping citizens of their nationality without sufficient cause was unconstitutional and affirmed that affected individuals are now deemed never to have lost their citizenship. To administratively process the outcome of the court ruling, the Department of Home Affairs has developed the Citizenship Reinstatement Portal to help affected  South Africans, particularly those living abroad, verify and confirm their status and, where necessary, complete any remaining steps for the Department to administratively process their citizenship.

 “This platform marks another milestone in our mission to modernise Home Affairs services and ensure that all South Africans, regardless of where they live, have efficient access to dignified services,” said Minister Schreiber. “The Constitutional Court judgment ended decades of uncertainty for thousands of South Africans abroad. The new portal ensures that the restoration of their rights is supported by an accessible and secure digital process.” 

The portal provides:

• Secure digital authentication
• Advanced document and biometric verification
• Integration with the National Population Register
• A user-friendly interface to track application progress 

South Africans abroad can begin the process by visiting myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za  or scanning the official QR code. After creating a profile and confirming their email, users can verify their citizenship status using their ID number, complete biometric verification, and, where necessary, proceed with a reinstatement application. If citizenship remains valid, users will be notified immediately. If it was previously revoked under the now invalidated Section 6(1)(a), the portal will guide applicants through a simple process to confirm their details and submit their reinstatement. 

Minister Schreiber emphasised that the Department remains committed to expanding digital services that uphold dignity, efficiency, and accessibility. “This portal is another demonstration of our determination to restore trust in Home Affairs and ensure that our services meet the needs of a modern and globally connected society.” 
 

Issued by Department of Home Affairs