Move Up guides
Older advice about automatically losing South African citizenship when acquiring another nationality needs to be read in light of the Constitutional Court's 6 May 2025 ruling.
The South African Constitutional Court’s 6 May 2025 ruling invalidated section 6(1)(a), the provision behind automatic loss on acquiring another citizenship without prior retention permission. Older blanket retention instructions should not be relied on as the current rule. A person with an earlier loss record may still need to clarify their records.
Legal status and the records or documents showing that status are connected but distinct. Someone with an earlier loss record, a different citizenship history or conflicting documents may still need individual clarification. Discuss the specific status question before assuming that an old record or article describes the current position.
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Contact Move UpCurrent guidance and earlier articles in their original publication context.
British passports
A British parent may mean you already hold citizenship, even without a British passport. Your birth details and family history help identify the right next step.
Published 2026-10-06
British passports
A House of Lords committee has called for better migration data before major settlement and citizenship decisions are made. Here's why we believe that's a positive development.
Archive · Published 2026-06-23
British passports
When one family member becomes British, the entire immigration framework can change. Learn how status shifts affect settlement eligibility and why reassessment matters.
Archive · Published 2026-02-27
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