Prior to this directive, all individuals who wanted to apply for ID’s and Citizenship, would first need to apply for and obtain Proof of Permanent Residency. This application was done via VFS and adjudicated at Head Office. This caused a delay in obtaining the document, as some applicants waited up to a year to receive same.
Home Affairs have now confirmed that this will no longer be a requirement when applying for ID’s. Additionally, those who wish to apply for Citizenship by Naturalisation, will no longer be required to apply for proof of PR. Instead, they will need to email a copy of their PR certificate to the verifications department and will then be provided with the verification within 10 – 30 days from the date of submitting the request.
The Directive does confirm that the Proof of PR process will need to be followed by those who do not have their original Permanent Residence permit.
VFS Submissions