United Kingdom - Info - British Citizenship and South West Africa
Listen to our BRITISH NATIONALITY WEBINAR where our two British nationality experts - Philip Gamble and Mishal Patel - discuss a family birth in South West Africa and its implications for claims to British nationality in the modern day.
South West Africa was a former German Protectorate up until 16 December 1920. Between 17 December 1920 and 30 May 1962, it was a South African Mandated Territory in which the Crown exercised Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (or ETJ). From 31 May 1962 up until 24 August 1990, it was regarded as a foreign territory administered by South Africa. From that point, Namibia (as it became known) was an independent Commonwealth country.
Walvis Bay was treated differently and effectively formed part of South Africa for British nationality purposes. From 1 March 1993, it formed part of modern-day Namibia.
We have found two British nationality solutions that arise from a family birth in South West Africa:
British Citizenship by Double Descent (48-5(1)a Namibia)
British Citizenship by Double Descent (UKM CBR pre 1983)
The most common routes to British nationality are as follows: