Does dual citizenship affect benefits?

What is dual citizenship?

Dual citizenship (or dual nationality) is when an individual is the citizen of more than one country. For example, being a citizen of both South Africa and the UK, or the US and the UK, would make you a dual citizen of these countries.

You may have dual citizenship from birth due to the nationalities of your parents, or you may choose to acquire dual citizenship later on in life, perhaps as a result of leaving your country of origin to settle in another country. People may become a citizen of two countries for a number of reasons, such as marrying and settling with a foreign national in their partner’s place of birth, moving for work and eventually naturalising in their host country, or simply through realising that they are eligible for dual citizenship through their ancestry.

However, prior to making this decision, it is important to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of dual nationality, as not all countries are accepting of this and may revoke your citizenship if you become a citizen of two countries.

Does South Africa allow for dual citizenship?
If you are a South African citizen, you are allowed to acquire dual nationality without having your South African nationality revoked. However, if you are aged 18 years or over, you must apply to the Department of Home Affairs to retain your South African citizenship before acquiring citizenship of another country, or you will automatically lose your citizenship.

Similarly, another rule for South Africans with dual citizenship is that you must always enter and depart South Africa using your valid South African passport, a foreign passport will not be accepted.

Does dual citizenship affect the benefits of being a mono citizen?

Becoming a dual citizen does not mean sacrificing any of the benefits you have as the citizen of just one country. In fact, many see it as having double the advantages. You will be considered a citizen of both countries (as long as each respective country allows for dual citizenship), and will therefore receive the benefits that each nation’s citizens are entitled to.

Some of the benefits of dual citizenship include:

• You will not require a visa to enter or reside in either of the countries of which you are a citizen
• You will be granted the same privileges and benefits as any other citizen of each country
• You can maintain two passports, which can grant you access to travel and work in a number of countries without requiring a visa, depending on the agreements each country has with other nations
• You will have voting rights in each country – this allows you to participate in elections even if you are no longer living there
• You will have access to social security systems in each country
• If you are a student with dual citizenship, you can study in either country without having to apply for a student visa and can pay the same tuition fee rates as any other citizen

There are, however, some disadvantages to dual citizenship in very specific circumstances. For example, if you are a citizen of the United States, and a citizen of another country which requires mandatory military service, your US citizenship may be revoked if you are called to serve.

What’s more, you may be subjected to tax obligations in both countries. In the U.S., it is necessary to pay taxes on all income earned, even if this income has been earned outside of the country and you have already paid tax on this.

Being a citizen of 2 countries at the same time can therefore come with some disadvantages.

Does dual citizenship affect social security benefits?

If you are a US citizen who is eligible for Social Security benefits, you will not lose eligibility due to having dual citizenship. You would only lose access to social security if you revoke your US citizenship.

Therefore, if you were a dual citizen of both South Africa and the US, you would not lose access to benefits. It is important to note, however, that there are restrictions as to how long someone can receive benefits while outside of the country.

Can I be a dual citizen of Britain and South Africa?

Yes, both the UK and South Africa allow for dual citizenship. You may acquire a second passport for either country, however in South Africa you must only use your South African passport to enter and depart from the country.

Following changes in British nationality law, British citizenship through paternal birth means that South Africans can claim British citizenship and acquire a British passport if their father was born in the UK.

If you would like help with claiming dual citizenship, our immigration experts are here to assist. We have extensive experience in helping clients with their nationality claims, and boast a proven track record of success.

We will assess your personal eligibility and advise on which route may be most suitable to your circumstances, such as claiming citizenship through marriage, birth, ancestry or naturalisation. From here, we can prepare and submit your citizenship application to the necessary government department and will take responsibility for any correspondence.

To make an enquiry or book a consultation, contact us today on 0333 305 9375.