Please Note:
There is no walk-in service for Loss of Nationality Services. These services are by appointment only and CANNOT be scheduled through the Online Appointment System.
Requirements
To use this Loss of Nationality (LON) process and renounce your U.S. citizenship under Section 349(a)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), you must meet all of the following requirements:
- you are at least 18 years old,
- you are able to read or speak English,
- you do NOT have any developmental or intellectual disabilities, and
- you do NOT have a legal guardian appointed to you.
Note: If you do not meet all these requirements, or if you want to submit a request for a Certificate of Loss of Nationality (CLN) on the basis of a potentially expatriating act under INA 349(a)(1)-(4), please contact us at acsjohannesburg@state.gov.
Required Documents
Please gather the following documents and scan them into 1 (one) PDF File. You need to bring the originals to your interview:
- Proof of U.S. Citizenship such as: U.S. Birth Certificate, U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad, U.S. Certificate of Naturalization, or U.S. Certificate of Citizenship
- Most recent U.S. passport (scan bio-page only)
- All current foreign passports (scan bio-pages only)
- Evidence of any name changes, if applicable (for instance marriage or divorce certificates, or court orders)
- Form DS-4081 and Form DS-4080 (Please fill out these forms but do not sign them)
Request an Appointment
Important: Applicants must demonstrate that they are not subject to duress or undue influence. Potential renunciants are therefore expected to submit their own documents and not have them submitted by someone else on their behalf, e.g. parents. For this same reason we cannot schedule appointments for family members on the same day. Additionally, the Privacy Act applies and the Embassy cannot communicate with anyone other than the applicant directly.
When you have all the required documents, and you are ready to request an appointment, you should send scanned copies of them in 1 (one) PDF File to: acsjohannesburg@state.gov (Subject: LON – LASTNAME, First name)
You will receive a reply with an assigned appointment date and time.
Two appointments are required. A phone interview will occur first. After that, an in-person interview at the US Consulate General in Johannesburg, South Africa. You must appear in-person. After the interview, your application will be forwarded to the Department of State for review. This process may take several months to complete. If you have planned travel to the U.S. please wait to schedule your appointment until you return from your trip. Please request an appointment only once you are ready to proceed.
Final Appointment and Fee
On the day of your appointment you first have to present all the original documents listed in step 3.
You then will be interviewed by a consular officer and must demonstrate that you fully understand the nature and consequences of the oath of renunciation, that you are not subject to duress or undue influence, and that you are voluntarily and intentionally seeking to renounce your U.S. citizenship. You will then review and once you agree sign Form DS-4081 and Form DS-4080 under oath.
After the interview your application is sent to the Department of State for review. If approved, the date of expatriation is the date on which you signed the oath in front of the consular officer. The final approval process may take several months to complete. The Certificate of Loss of Nationality is the sole legal document establishing your loss of nationality.
Pending approval of the application by the Department of State, you remain a U.S. citizen and cannot travel to the U.S. on a foreign passport. After the interview and prior to the final decision, your U.S. passport will be retained by the U.S. Embassy (however, if you have emergency travel to the U.S. you can contact the Embassy to have your U.S. passport returned.) Please plan accordingly and don’t schedule your renunciation interview if you have travel planned to the U.S.
Fee: The fee of $2,350.00 USD is payable in U.S. Dollars (dollar bills printed before 2006 cannot be accepted), South African Rand, or by credit card (credit card holder must be present). If you wish to pay with your credit card, please contact your bank prior to your appointment to make sure that your card can be charged (no PIN terminal) in the aforesaid amount in U.S. Dollars. Note that if your card is rejected, the Embassy reserves the right to reschedule your appointment.