home affairs

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Do you know what your Home Affairs status is in South Africa?

(Partner content) How do you check your Home Affairs status if you reside outside of the country?

home affairs

Image via Adobe Stock

Thousands of South African citizens travel abroad temporarily or permanently for a wide variety of reasons, and while it is true that South Africans based within the country can verify their status with the Department of Home Affairs by visiting their closest branch, the same cannot be said for those residing outside of South Africa.

Even though the Department of Home Affairs has tried to set up various ways for South Africans abroad to verify their status, the simple fact is that none of those methods work effectively. And the last thing you want to find out is that you are married to someone without knowing it, or that your divorce was never registered.

What exactly is a Department of Home Affairs status?

The simplest explanation for your DHA status is this: Information stored by the Department of Home Affairs pertaining to an individual’s living or deceased status combined with that individual’s current marital status.

Verifying your status becomes burdensome when you cannot get to a local DHA branch, and in most cases, that is exactly what happens to South Africans living abroad. Since the DHA’s online tool for status verification has been in and out of order since March 2018, it can be extremely hard to verify your status from outside of SA. The good news is that a document assistance service can help South African citizens verify their status in record time by visiting the DHA in person, on behalf of their clients.

What are the different statuses and why does it matter?

Your status indicates whether you are still alive or already deceased and whether or not you are married. In essence, there are six different statuses that a person could be classified under, including:

Deceased

A deceased status indicates that an individual has died and that a formal death certificate has been filed against the person’s ID number. The only way to obtain proof of a deceased status is by obtaining a death certificate.

Single

Single status indicates that you have never been registered as married on a DHA register and that you have the right and freedom to marry. Formal proof of single status can only be verified by a Letter of No Impediment.

Married

A married status indicates that you are legally married according to South African law. The only formal proof of this status can be found in a marriage certificate.

Divorced

This status indicates that you have been registered as divorced on the Department of Home Affairs’ register and that an official decree of divorce has also been filed. Your decree of divorce serves as the only formal proof that you are, in fact, divorced.  

Widow

If your status is classified as a widow, it means that your husband passed away while you were still married and also indicates that you have not since remarried. Formal proof of widow status can only be obtained with an updated marriage certificate.  

Widower

Having a widower status means that your wife passed away while you were still married and also indicates that you have not remarried since her passing. Like the widow status, formal proof can only be issued in the form of an updated marriage certificate.  

How do I verify my status with Home Affairs?

You can verify your status with the help of a document assistance service. Services like these work directly with the Department of Home Affairs to verify the status of their client and can also help their clients with changing their status if need be. Although verifications can usually be completed within 30 business days, lengthy delays can be expected in the event that your status cannot be verified and has to be processed by the head office of the South African Department of Home Affairs.

What does a status verification look like?

There is no certificate issued in order to verify a person’s status with the Department of Home Affairs. As mentioned in the descriptions of each status, formal proof can only be obtained with the relevant certificate, i.e. divorced status verified with a decree of divorce. You will receive a written email confirmation from the document agency only.

Need help?

If you need help with the verification of your status in South Africa, enquire with your document agency (like Apostil.co.za). As with all South African helps issues, it is always recommended that you submit any proof you might have to support your case and can assist with expediting the finalisation of your application.