NEW! South African minors travelling in South Africa may be carried by airlines without presenting birth certificates containing parents’ particulars.
HOME AFFAIRS CHANGES BIRTH CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENT
Department of Home Affairs have ruled that minors who are South African citizens entering South Africa may be carried by airlines without presenting birth certificates containing parents’ particulars.
The minors will be assisted by Immigration Services on arrival. The status quo will remain for minors departing from South Africa required to provide the documentation specified in the advisory on the department’s website.
ASATA sought clarification from Home Affairs with the following questions:
Does this mean South Africans travelling with minors do not need to carry a UBC?
No. All South Africans travelling with minors still need to travel with their children’s unabridged birth certificate as well as with a parental consent affidavit in the event that only one parent is travelling with the child.
What happens if a South African minor travelling to South Africa without a UBC now needs to travel back from South Africa? Will they need a UBC?
Yes. All South African minors departing South Africa will need to present a UBC upon departure.
Why was this amendment introduced?
The change was introduced to accommodate travellers who currently reside overseas and are not in possession of their UBC. They can now travel to South Africa to obtain one.
Are all foreign passport holders travelling to/from SA exempt from these regulations?
No. Foreign passport holders who do not require a visa to travel to and from South Africa will need to present the UBC when entering and leaving South Africa. Minors in possession of valid South African visas will not be required to produce the UBC when travelling to and from South Africa as they already needed to present these documents to obtain their visas.
