SA Launches Digital Portal to Reinstate Citizenship After Landmark Court Ruling

The portal follows the Constitutional Court judgment delivered on 6 May 2025 in the case Democratic Alliance v Minister of Home Affairs.

 

South Africa has entered a new era of digital governance with the launch of the Home Affairs Citizenship Reinstatement Portal, a first-of-its-kind online platform designed to reinstate citizenship for thousands of South Africans who lost it under an apartheid-era provision. The announcement was made on Monday by Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber, who described the initiative as a “digital service delivery revolution” and a milestone in restoring dignity to affected citizens at home and abroad.

The portal follows the Constitutional Court judgment delivered on 6 May 2025 in the case Democratic Alliance v Minister of Home Affairs. The ruling struck down Section 6(1)(a) of the South African Citizenship Act, 1995, which had required citizens to obtain ministerial permission before voluntarily acquiring another nationality. Failure to do so resulted in automatic loss of South African citizenship — often without individuals knowing.

Landmark Judgment Restores Citizenship to Thousands

Both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal found that Section 6(1)(a) violated constitutional rights by stripping people of citizenship without due process, notification, or reasonable justification.

The ruling:

• declared the section unconstitutional

• restored citizenship to anyone who lost it due to the provision since 6 October 1995

• affirmed that all affected individuals are deemed never to have lost their citizenship

The judgment took immediate effect, making South Africa the first country in the world to reverse automatic loss-of-citizenship laws on such a large scale.

A Digital Portal Built for Global Access

To implement the judgment, the Department of Home Affairs developed the Citizenship Reinstatement Portal — a fully digitised service tailored especially for South Africans residing abroad. For many, traveling back to South Africa to restore their citizenship would have been costly and administratively burdensome.

Minister Schreiber said the portal eliminates these barriers.

“This process involves no queues and no paperwork whatsoever. Instead, it uses facial recognition and machine learning to verify your identity and securely correct your record on the population register — all from the comfort of your own home, anywhere in the world, instantly,” he said.

He added that the system not only ensures compliance with the Court order but positions South Africa at the cutting edge of global digital public infrastructure.

“Very few countries on earth offer digital citizenship services at this level of sophistication. Over time, the powerful underlying technology will also enable us to deliver a fully digital ID,” Schreiber said.

What the Portal Can Do

The Citizenship Reinstatement Portal offers a suite of advanced digital capabilities, including:

• Secure digital authentication to protect user data

• Advanced document and biometric verification using machine learning

• Seamless integration with the National Population Register

• Real-time application tracking through a user-friendly dashboard

The platform represents a major step in Home Affairs’ broader modernisation programme, which aims to replace paper-based systems with secure, scalable digital solutions.

How the Process Works

South Africans who lost their citizenship — especially those living abroad — can now begin reinstatement by visiting myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za.

The process includes:

1. creating an online profile

2. confirming their email address

3. entering ID details to verify citizenship status

4. completing biometric facial verification via camera

5. if necessary, submitting a simplified reinstatement confirmation

The system provides instant feedback:

• If an individual’s citizenship is still valid, they are immediately notified.

• If it was previously revoked under the now-invalid provision, the portal guides them through the steps to finalise reinstatement.

For many, this will be the first time they formally regain recognition as South African citizens in decades.

A Digital Future for South African Governance

The launch of the portal marks a significant moment in South Africa’s digital governance trajectory. The department is already developing a national Digital ID, expanding biometric capabilities, and introducing new border management innovations.

“Home Affairs is building a digital service delivery revolution,” Schreiber said. “We are storming into the future to transform South Africa into a world leader in smart government that delivers dignity for all.”

The Citizenship Reinstatement Portal is expected to serve as a model for future digital public services, reducing administrative delays, boosting accuracy, and eliminating the need for in-person queues — long a challenge at Home Affairs branches.