When South Africa's new regulations for travel with children begin, would a certified copy of unabridged birth certificates be acceptable?
The South African government is introducing new requirements for travel with children in 2015. I went through a lot of trouble getting my children's unabridged birth certificates, and I would prefer not to travel with originals. Are certified copies acceptable, or will I have to take the originals with when leaving OR Tambo?
Best Answer
According to the FAQ on South African Airways website (see number 5 below),
A) What do the regulations say about parents travelling with children?
Regulation 6 (12)(a):
Where parents are travelling with a child, such parents must produce an unabridged birth certificate of the child reflecting the particulars of the parents of the child.
- What is an unabridged birth certificate?
It is a birth certificate reflecting the particulars of both parents.
- Is this applicable to all children?
Yes, the South African regulations regards a child as any person under the age of 18 years. It is applicable to all nationalities departing from and arriving in South Africa. It is not required for passengers remaining in transit, unless s/he requires a transit visa. The unabridged certificate should be submitted during the transit visa application process and both the certificate and visa should be carried on person whilst travelling.
- What about unabridged birth certificates or other documents that are not issued in English?
All documents issued in a language other than English should be accompanied by a sworn translation issued by a competent authority in the country concerned.
- What about countries that do not issue unabridged birth certificates?
In the case of foreign countries that do not issue unabridged birth certificates, a letter to this effect issued by the competent authority of the foreign country should be produced.
- Must I travel with the original document?
A copy is sufficient as per the regulations. It must be certified as a true copy of the original by a Commissioner of Oaths (or the equivalent, should Commissioners of Oaths not be a practice in the country concerned).
When in doubt, it is suggested to contact the South African Department of Home Affairs.
Pictures about "When South Africa's new regulations for travel with children begin, would a certified copy of unabridged birth certificates be acceptable?"
Do I need to bring my child birth certificate when flying to South Africa?
This document was initially required to help prevent child trafficking. However, on Friday, November 8th, 2019, South African government officials announced that birth certificates and consent letters are no longer required for foreign children traveling with their parents to enter the country.Do you need unabridged birth certificate for local travel?
Infants and children under 18 years of age require both a Passport and an Unabridged birth certificate for travel, additionally, a letter of consent (Affidavit) is required when an infant or child under 18 years of age is travelling with one (1) single parent. Valid return flight tickets.Can you fly with a birth certificate in South Africa?
The requirement is only applicable to minors traveling on South African Passports and they may be required to produce, in addition to their passport, a birth certificate or equivalent document which shows the details of both parents for all international travel to and from South Africa.Do adults need unabridged birth certificates South Africa?
Unabridged birth certificates are documents that contain information about a person's two biological parents or legal guardians. Individuals under the age of 18 years need to provide unabridged birth certificates along with other legal documents (such as passports) when entering or to exit the Republic of South Africa.What is the SEXIEST Language in SOUTH AFRICA comment BELOW!! | TFLA
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: RODNAE Productions, Biova Nakou, Josh Willink, Josh Willink