Dual Nationality

[neil4u]

Hi

I have dual British/South African citizenship. I was wondering if you are protected by both govenments when you are in another country and neet consular assistance? I have heard that if I travel to a country on my SA passport I am only entitled to SA consular assistance? If this is the case I will always travel on my British passport.

Neil

[JAJ]

I have heard that if I travel to a country on my SA passport I am only entitled to SA consular assistance?

At the very least, it would be much more difficult to get British consular assistance in a third country if you travel there on a South African passport.

You must use a South African passport to enter and leave South Africa, and you cannot access British consular assistance there.

[Siggi]

Neil4u,

I don't see any problem receiving assistance from the British consular, proving that you can prove your British Nationality, regardless of which passport you used to enter a third country.

The only time it may be a problem is if you have a issuse at passport controll in the third country, after you have produced your SA passport and in that instance you say you need British Consular assistance.

So really you have to decide which passport to use when travelling!

[Dawie]

It depends on what you mean by consular assistance?

If you mean the issuing of lost travel documentation then a British embassy is obligated to help all British citizens in any country regardless of what passport they used to enter the particular third-country.

Here is a link to a pdf written by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office detailing all you need to know. The information about dual citizenship specifically is on page 9.