Answers to your questions

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Topic: Home Affairs  |  Show questions and answers for all topics

What can I do with a birth certificate that has no ID number?

Children born to two non-South Africans and do not qualify for citizenship are entitled to a birth certificate but it will have no ID number.

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How can I get an ID if only my South African father, who has disappeared, is named on my birth certificate?

You and your mother may need to make a sworn affidavit that your father has left and that neither of you has any way of contacting him to make a certified copy of his ID.

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How can I get an ID if I was born in South Africa to a foreign mother? My mother has an ID.

If your mother was not a citizen or permanent resident at the time of your birth, you qualify to be a South African citizen by birth if you have not lived anywhere else but South Africa.

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What do I do about Home Affairs not respondeding to my applications for an accompanying visa?

You'll need to get help from an organisation with experience in dealing with Home Affairs.

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How can I restore my South African citizenship after it was withdrawn by the government when I left the country?

Wait for the judgment to be confirmed then go to the South African Embassy with supporting documents listed below.

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What can we do about my sister's ID that has an error? Home Affairs has not helped us for over 3 years now.

You should get a lawyer to take on Home Affairs.

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I was denied a student visa because my name is on an “internal control list” but I have never even been to South Africa. What can I do?

The simplest route would probably be to get help from an organisation that regularly deals with Home Affairs' dysfunction.

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What procedures do I need to take to get citizenship, as my mother is South African but my father is a Lesotho citizen and I was born in Lesotho, though I have been studying in South Africa?

As it is your mother that is South African, not your father, I don’t think they should require a DNA test from your father. However, they might want one from you and your mother.

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What can I do if Home Affairs is taking long to process my son's citizenship application and my visa is expiring soon?

Your best option would be to urgently consult with an organisation experienced in dealing with Home Affairs.

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How can I delink my cousin from my late mother's profile at Home Affairs if they refuse to help me?

You could provide sworn affidavits as to their own identities and relationship, and declare that your cousin is not your mother’s child.

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