So, I’m planning of renouncing my citizenship of an African country. Being a typical Sub-Saharan country though, proceeding with things like renunciation is not as straightforward as if you were a citizen of Canada, the US, Australia due to corruption and just plain laziness of public officeres some times…
So, although I have emailed them, I have gotten little information. I have compiled enough to know the exact processing fee and required documents but I’m not exactly sure how to start.
The embassy said ‘Let us know how to proceed.’ I’m wondering whether it has to be in the presence of a Magistrate/Commissoner for Oaths/Notary public as it says at the bottom of the document.
If so, do I need to contact a solicitor/immigration lawyer?
Seems clear enough to me a Magistrate/Commissoner for Oaths/Notary public must witness you signing the form and attach their details (and sometimes a seal) to it. Presumably this is to make sure you are not being coerced somehow.
Any law company will have notary publics available, or sometimes teachers, priests etc are registered as notary publics.
Generally, if you are renouncing citizenship, you need:
(1) to already hold, or be about to hold, citizenship in another country, and
(2) to be outside the country whose citizenship you are renouncing.
So, generally, you should go to an embassy or consulate of the country of the citizenship that you are renouncing. So, if you are dual UK/US citizen, and want to renounce US citizenship, be outside the US, and go to the nearest US embassy or consulate. They may not have a magistrate on their staff, but they almost certainly have a commissioner for oaths or a notary public who can witness your renunciation.
(I’m speaking from somewhat relevant experience here. I’ve never renounced citizenship. but I have renounced a US green card, at the US consulate general in Sydney.)