01 Nov 2020

A foreigner married to a citizen may apply for Botswana citizenship after lawfully residing in Botswana for a continuous period amounting in the aggregate to less than five years, in terms of Section 14 of the Citizen Act.

Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Ms Annah Mokgethi said this during the Ntlo ya Dikgosi meeting, where Kgosi Sibangani Mosojane of North East wanted know the timeline taken by a foreigner married to Motswana national to obtain citizenship.

She explained that there was also a provision for the minister to waive the five-year period and allow for shorter period, adding an applicant could further be required to lodge with the minister, a written declaration of intention to make an application for naturalisation as a foreign spouse.

She emphasised that the main determination for consideration was based on the period of lawful stay in the country, with the majority of the cases being for those who resided in the country even before marriage.

“Once the minister has approved the request, the applicant will then submit an application and will be interviewed by the citizenship committee, which will then make recommendations to the minister,” she said.

In assessing the application for consideration, Ms Mokgethi said it was of high importance that the spouse should have a good character and that the spouse intends to reside in Botswana in the event the certificate is issued.

She said the Citizenship Act provided conditions for granting of citizenship to foreigners who arrived in Botswana immediately before the country attained independence.

She indicated that in terms of Section 6, a person who has settled in Botswana immediately before September 30, 1966 and has lived ordinarily as a member of a particular tribe or community or has been customarily accepted as a member of a tribe or community, shall, on making a declaration in such form as may be prescribed, become a citizen of Botswana and the issue of such person born before or after September 30 1966, shall be a citizen of Botswana.  ENDS