How to Reinstate South African Citizenship Online: A Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, has officially launched the second and final phase of the online Citizenship Reinstatement Portal. This ground-breaking digital platform allows South Africans who lost their citizenship under Section 6(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act to reclaim their status in as little as one hour.
### Why was the portal created?
Following a landmark Constitutional Court ruling, the Department of Home Affairs has fast-tracked digital services to allow citizens living abroad and locally to reinstate their status without the previous bureaucratic hurdles.
### How to Reinstate Your Citizenship:
1. **Visit the Portal:** Navigate to the official Home Affairs Citizenship Reinstatement Portal.
2. **Create a Profile:** You will need a valid South African ID number and an email address to register.
3. **Verify Status:** The system will perform an automated check of your records.
4. **Complete Biometrics:** In some cases, digital biometric verification is required.
5. **Instant Confirmation:** Most successful applications receive an instant confirmation of reinstatement.
This initiative is part of the department’s broader goal to build a more modern and reliable Home Affairs. For more updates on digital transformation in SA, keep following Trending Online.
