Voluntary renunciation of citizenship (s7)
Citizenship in South Africa
- Eligibility
- A South African citizen who already holds, or who intends to acquire, another country's nationality may renounce South African citizenship by a declaration in the prescribed form; the renunciation takes legal effect only when the Minister registers it (s7 of the Citizenship Act 88 of 1995). The requirement that the renouncer have or be acquiring another nationality is a built-in safeguard against statelessness. Minor children under 18 may also cease to be citizens on the parent's renunciation if the other parent is not, or does not remain, a South African citizen.
- Timeline
- Standard DHA application processing.
- Renunciation
- Not required
Overview
A South African citizen who already holds, or who intends to acquire, another country's nationality may renounce South African citizenship by a declaration in the prescribed form; the renunciation takes legal effect only when the Minister registers it (s7 of the Citizenship Act 88 of 1995). The requirement that the renouncer have or be acquiring another nationality is a built-in safeguard against statelessness. Minor children under 18 may also cease to be citizens on the parent's renunciation if the other parent is not, or does not remain, a South African citizen.
How to apply
- s7(2): renunciation takes legal effect only on Ministerial registration — on receipt of the s7(1) declaration the Minister causes it to be registered in the prescribed manner, and thereupon the declarant ceases to be a citizen. This is a voluntary, registration-triggered relinquishment distinct from automatic loss (s6) and coercive deprivation (s8). - Procedure for renunciation: lodged on prescribed form DHA-246 (named BI-246 at missions), completed in duplicate, with the Director-General, who registers it; mission practice records a processing window of roughly 12-18 months at one mission (not confirmed DHA-wide).
Legal basis
Primary statute: SA Citizenship Act 88 of 1995 s7. Operative 1995-10-06–present. Authority: Department of Home Affairs (DHA).
Example scenarios
Eligible — renunciation effective on Ministerial registration.
s7(1) lets a citizen who holds or intends to accept another nationality declare renunciation of SA citizenship; under s7(2) it takes legal effect only on Ministerial registration. She may later seek s13 resumption if circumstances change (a discretionary re-grant, not automatic).
Children also cease to be citizens — conditional cascade consequence.
s7(3) provides that when a person ceases to be a citizen by registered renunciation, his minor children under 18 also cease to be citizens IF the other parent is not, or does not remain, an SA citizen. Because the children's mother is a non-citizen, Hendrik's renunciation cascades to the children.
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-07-01.
Track changes to this route
Descent and naturalization rules change. We'll email you in plain English when anything affecting South Africa updates — no spam.