THE Ministry of Home Affairs has encouraged all interested Zambians living in the diaspora and non-Zambians living in Zambia to apply for dual citizenship following amendments to the Constitution that have now been assented to by President Edgar Lungu.
Home Affairs spokesperson Moses Suwali said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the Ministry has modalities for dual citizenship.
Mr Suwali said the new Law puts the country on a progressive road as most people living in the diaspora would be able to come back home and contribute positively towards development.
“For people living in the diaspora, this puts them at great advantage even foreigners who wish to be Zambians can now apply. Even people who are refugees can apply as long as they have a valid passport from their country,” he said.
Mr Suwali said the procedure for applying for dual citizenship was just like that of getting a passport except that the dual citizenship one required a valid passport.
He warned people against using the new Law with ill-intentions or for abusive purposes, stating that this should only be used for the good of Zambia and the country, where a citizen is also residing or coming from.
Mr Suwali said there were legal implications of abusing the dual citizenship clause.
Our intentions are simple, we want to apply and pay for EXPRESS procession so we can get voters cards and votes any one PF out.
Terrible move ba PF, you are dribbled….
85 % of Zambians in diaspora will vote for opposition.
85 % of new Indians-Zambians will side Deepak Patel (UPND)
85 % of new Somalian-Zambians will want MMD back in power
85 % of new Zambian-white farmers will vote ba Kamachema
@Nostradamas 85% of new Indians-Zambians will side with Deepak Patel(UPND) ,sama same the way Tongas side with HH(UPND) ka?
Cite the research for this information it is very precise.
Apply for what? I already have a valid Zambian passport and an American passport too. What should I applying for?
Make this clear …
You broke the law.
You may have obtained the Zambian/American passport dubiously as the Zambian law before 5-01-15 did not allow dual citizenship. Before than if you were Zambian you were supposed to renounce the Zambian citizenship to become an american citizen. Conversely if you were an American citizen before becoming a Zambian citizen you were required to renounce the american citizenship. without renouncing it is or it was illegal then, hence applying now for dual citizenship. it that simple~! paw!
Abena Saint, LAWS are meant to be broken!!!!! We have happily done so, knowing there was nothing anyone could do as long as we landed at KKIA with our Zed passport!!!
What part don’t you get it?
Suwali is clueless about what he is saying and the tsunami he and his colleagues are putting this country at. You cannot be the one inviting people to apply, as your job is to protect “The Citizenship” He is now acting like a Minibus conductor calling for passengers. Applying for citizenship must not be as easy as going to buy candy at a grocery store. In other country were people and such institutions are serious, the process is a rigorous one…and no one goes to the media to invite you. Zambia does not have conditions for this set yet. As a foreigner I could walk in Zambia, apply for citizenship and apply for this in order to purchase land and enjoy other benefits with no intentions of being there. I can use whichever passport when it suits me. This Law is reckless. Look, no officers…
….have been trained to handle this unprecedented occurrence. The officers at immigration must be prepared (trained) before action is taken. How long does one have to be in the country before they apply? I guess those officers never even thought of that. Or can someone just cross over from Tunduma and apply as they feel they want to move further south of their town (nakonde)?
Just shows how CLUELESS PF are!! NO COUNTRY CAN/WILL OFFER ANYONE DUAL CITIZENSHIP, it is the Individual that obtains it from each specific country, ALL OUR CONSTITUTION HAS DONE IS TO DROP THE CLAUSE WHICH STRIPS ZAMBIANS OF THEIR BIRTH RIGHT ONCE THEY OBTAIN A SECOND CITIZENSHIP – so this CLUELESS OFFICIAL sits atop a hill to UTTER TOTAL TRASH – & we tax-payers are paying him to EXHIBIT HIS TOTAL FOOLISHNESS & LACK OF UNDERSTANDING- are we really a nation that has come 50yrs since independence?? How far in primary school did this guy go??? From his statement, Secondary school is something that eluded him – REAL AFRICA!!!
@kobi, you are the one that is clueless!
For anyone to apply for Citizenship they have to meet conditions and show they are qualified.
They must be descended from Zambian parents or must apply for “naturalisation” which means they have been legally living in Zambia for over five years.
Know what you are talking about before making rubbish comments!
#Zambia Rocks, my question too. I am already a Zambian. So what do I need to apply from Zambia for? What they should have said is that Zambians in diaspora are now free or legally to apply for the citizenship of where they’ve permanent residence. This is what we have been wanting so that we are not terrorised at KK airport when we arrive with British or American passports etc. My child was charged $50 for visa to enter Zambia because he was born in a western country and has a Western passport. Now these PF crooks want to encourage refuges in our country to apply for Zambian citizenship so that they can vote for them. Only refuges who have become permanent residents of Zambia can of course apply for citizenship but not every refuge wants to be a Zambian citizenship and we should not be…
You CEASED to be a Zambian when you acquired the citizenship of another country under the old law. You could have kept your Zambian Passport but you were committing a criminal offence and if you were caught, you could have been prosecuted. This is one thing that many Zambians in the diaspora were not aware of. The PF government has essentially de-criminalised you and you should be grateful.
Only refuges who have become permanent residents of Zambia can of course apply for citizenship but not every refuge wants to be a Zambian citizenship and we should not be encouraging them to do so.
And the dead-wood heads were laughing-off General Miyanda’s concerns! Pitiful Pfools and cadres – muzachiona unless you UPND Zambia yo land is a goner !!
I think most of the comments is an eye opener for ministry of home affairs. You need training and spell out conditions. My question is? Does this apply only to countries that offer dual cizeternship also? Help me understand.
abena Edward, kanshi ka photo ka graduation ka bufi te??
NO Country OFFERS DUAL CITIZENSHIP!!! Countries ONLY ACCEPT or Permit it!!!!
There is nothing like to apply for dual citizenship. Dual means you eligible to have two different nationalities. You already have one passport of one country e.g Zambia and you can apply for another passport eg Zimbabwe if you are living in Zimbabwe without denouncing your Zambian passport. That means when you acquire The Zimbabwean passport you now have two passports which is two citizenships., and that is dual citizenship. That minister doesnt even know what he is talking about. You can apply for Dual citizen. There is nothing like that.
There is nothing like to apply for dual citizenship. Dual means you eligible to have two different nationalities. You already have one passport of one country e.g Zambia and you can apply for another passport eg Zimbabwe if you are living in Zimbabwe without denouncing your Zambian passport. That means when you acquire The Zimbabwean passport you now have two passports which is two citizenships., and that is dual citizenship. That minister doesnt even know what he is talking about. You cannot apply for Dual citizen. There is nothing like that.
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we were all clamouring for this dual citizenship, but spare a thought for the majority zambians who will be applying for their Zambian passports. All passport officials will be wanting to deal with dual citizens and foreigners wanting Zambian citizen ships as this where the corruption will be concentrated, relegating poor Zambians to a second class service. Unfortunately with the ingrained corruption in Zambia it will be poor Zambians wanting a passport who will pay the price.
Pleas GRZ, Lungu, well done for delivering on this but watch for corruption and poor service to zambians…..
Zambian Rocks is lying and don’t waste yo comments on him. Before you are given citizenship in another country, they check the status of yo country of origin if dual citizenship is permitted and if not you are informed that you need to renounce yo citizenship when they discover yo country doesn’t have a dual citizenship provision
@d. Now, this is somebody with the correct facts. This is the only true comment here.
“AWE SURE” kwena you are a fontini!!!
If that’s how it worked, No Zambian abroad would have obtained their “Foreign Citizenships”
They don’t care about your country, they just check whether you qualify to be a citizen of their country. I acquired an Australian passport and was allowed to keep my Zambian passport as well.The only thing is I am not only allowed to re-enter Australia with an Australian passport
Misconceptions again. Foreigners could already apply for Zambian citizenship if they so wished. They only had to meet the criteria. Whether they could be dual citizens depended on the laws of their original countries. Nothing to do with Zambia. For example, the British government was not bothered if a Zambian applied for and became a British citizen. It is the Zambian law that said if you acquire another citizenship, you lose your Zambian one. But now you can have any other citizenship (if you qualify) without loosing the Zambian one. It has nothing to do with criminality or foreigners. Under the old law, if you were caught with a Zambian and British passport you could be prosecuted in ZAMBIA. Nothing to do with the British.
So going forward after 5/1/16 what is the position for those already with both Zambian and UK passports – though did not legally renounce Zambian citizenship.
Abena Ted naimwe, stop being sleepy!! If one has both, from 5/1/16, one has to just wear a very BIG SMILE with his foreign Passport when he lands at KKIA!!!!!
And if the Foreign Passports queue is too long, just take out your zed passport & join the shorter queue – A BIG WIN WIN for Diasporans!!! We will remember to bring home some “Jameson’s” for someone on our next trip to zed!!!
It makes it easy and answers the question of BAROTSELAND…you can be a Zambian citizen and also of Barotseland in case it reverts to its original status
Another good thought!!! LOL!!
Well for the rest of Zedians, if Singamba were to get his way, We might soon be seeking for TRIPLE CITIZENSHIP including Barotse – infact as a zedian, we should get Barotse one AUTOMATICALLY, kabili kwa haye is just in our back yard!!!
Great. This is a progressive law. There is nothing wrong for the Ministry announcing that the law was now in effect. Keeping quiet would have been a disservice. Let us move on.
Well done Lungu and PF.. at least you have done something sensible… At least even if Lungu is kicked out of power at the next elections, he has got something to point to that he did to shape the country.
I have read in the post of some people saying that the constitution is not a peoples constitution because some clauses were not included… It is better to have a decision made than sitting on the fence as others have done in the past and I am afraid some political parties have no clue…Lets give praise where it is due even if we don’t like the other parties.
please i need your help and clarification about this issue. I am a Nigerian,my baby was given birth in Zambia and i was told for me to obtain a passport for her,her nationality will be Zambia not Nigeria. I don’t know what to be because if i accept it that way,it will be difficult for me to obtain a Nigeria passport for her when she arrives in Nigeria. With this new law,can i still have a Zambia passport for her with Nigeria as her nationality?
hello sir ,madam i am indian but i like the zambia people my dearms to citizen in zambia how to posible
i give the nationality in zambia pls help me thankyou..
My wife is Zambian and I married her in 2011 in Lusaka. I’m a Canadian and had to leave in 2012 to seek work in my home country. I’m the amendment to the Constitution it says that someone who is married to a Zambian for 5+ years (which I will be in April) can apply for dual citizenship. However, unless someone has a better channel, my wife who is currently in Zambia, was told that the process for attaining dual citizenship is not yet available. I really want to be a dual citizen as it will help me and my family to eventually settle in Zambia. If anyone knows any “real” contacts in Home Affairs whom can help without leading me down the wrong road or making promises that can’t be realized, I would appreciate. Thanks
I contacted the Zambian embassy about the dual citizenship just last week…. was told that i must wait for another 3-4 months, and that, they are also waiting to get instructions from the Home Affairs office…
My wife went there today and they say that because I’m a foreigner that first I have to apply for the Spouse Permit and live in Zambia for 5 years in order to become eligible for dual citizenship. So, the “5+ years marriage” clause just means if I’m living in Zambia, that after 5 years I can be eligible for dual citizenship.
I lived and worked in Zambia for 18 months (2010-2012), and have been married to my wife since 2011. So, after 5 years of marriage (this April), I will still be ineligible and have to move back to Zambia with a Spouse Permit, and then live there for another 5 years under a Spouse Permit to be eligible. Sure sounds like a waste of time for me.
Comment: my mum is zambian ,i am a zimbabwean citizen staying in zambia as an alien ,can i become a zambian citizen thru mum under th new constitution
I was born in Zambia, from a Zimbabwean father and Zambian mother. I have Zimbabwean citizenship. I went to Home Affairs early this month to inquire about Dual Citizenship and all they could say was, “We are waiting for the government to Instruct us…and they have not.”
It would be good if someone from Home Affairs could respond and put an end to all the speculation.
Could someone please help me…..I would like to find out my mother was born in Zambia but holds a South African ID, Stating Born in Zambia but also says South African Citizen. I would like to move to Zambia so would this be any benefit to me?
Am a Zambian citizen I got married to a Turkish men and have one kid,but now currently living in turkey for five years and half now,I applied for dual citizenship here in turkey I have done all the peppers here in turkey and they have accepted everything but the only thing is from my country to put the stumps on the peppers,and I take all the peppers in Zambian embassy in Ankara to help me it’s takes almost one year now they is no response up to now so what should I do about this should I apply from Zambia
one of my friend require orthopedics implant surgeries. does any one know the orthopedic doctors.
or can any one suggest or can any one share contact