My brother got a British Passport last year, he still has a South African one. Can he still use the SA one?

Question

We are going back to South Africa on holiday in March and I have heard he only has to enter/depart South Africa with his SA passport. Problems only arise when you use your foreign passport to enter/depart from SA.
Does him having a British passport mean he has British Citizenship? We never sent retention forms off to the SA high commission because he was only receiving a British passport and wasn't being naturalised.

Ok after spending a long time on the phone to the SA Embassy he has a final answer: He can use his SA passport still, he still has citizenship despite also recently having gained British citizenship. Reason being that he wasn't naturalised!

He is free to enter/depart SA with his SA passport so good news!

Answer 1

Sounds like he'll be OK - but I'd contact the passport branch of the SA embassy and make absolutely sure, you don't want to end up getting turned away as you land in South Africa!

Answer 2

When booking your ticket it may be as well to let the airline know about both passports. Ring them to discuss it in general and get their advice.

Most countries make it an offence to not enter the country on you local passport if you hold one. Airlines take your passport details before flying and send them to the immigration control of the country you are landing in. They then “clear” you (or not).

If the immigration department there don't want you them the airline won't allow you to embark, or, if already in the air, will remove you at some way point if your plane makes a stop on route.

So, if you hand the Authorities a different passport to the one they have cleared you on, then they may detain you until you are cleared again. They will certainly want to talk to you !

So, tell the airline you will enter SA on your SA passport and the UK on your UK passport and they can put the right information into each leg of you journey.

You wouldn't NORMALLY have a British passport unless he had British Citizenship. However, some people can have British travel documents (of varying kinds) without having a British passport.

I am giving you general advice that should work for most countries, but I am not an expert on SA. With all immigration, use common sense and NEVER invent. It can catch up with you years later in most unexpected ways.

I have travelled to many countries on UN re-construction work and have even helped train new Immigration employees in one country (All the old ones were dead or had fled).

I have my multiple nationalities (legally gained) and so have this problem every now and again.

Answer 3

It is a breach of SA law for a SA citizen to enter or depart from SA other than on a SA passport. Use your SA passport for this.

You cannot hold a British passport unless you are a British citizen.

If you did not apply to the SA embassy to retain your SA citizenship before applying for British citizenship then it is open to the SA government to withdraw your citizenship. Best advice is to speak to them asap and tell them you did not know this and want to keep your SA citizenship. They do seem to make exceptions for people who unintentionally do this.

Answer 4

To obtain a British passport you must be a british citizen - whether it was taking up a birth right or being naturalised.

From my experience if you didn't apply to keep your RSA citizenship you are no longer an RSA citizen once you apply for citizenship of another country.

Your brother should start looking at how to get a tourist visa

Answer 5

He will have no problem entering SA with a UK passport, like my daughter and I did just before Christmas.

Answer 6

he wont be able to go on the sa one if u have bc then u have to give up sa nationality my friend had the same problem and he has only the same rights as a bc in sa.
ted

Answer 7

He is a citizen of both. He can use either passport. English one Allows more freedem withouts Visa's ect and paying less for a visa out of Europe.