New Rules for Children Travelling to South Africa

Planning to travel to and from South Africa with children in tow? Please read up! Effective 01 June 2015, there are some changes to South Africa’s immigration rules with regards children under 18 travelling to or from the South Africa which will apply regardless of nationality. Stated below are the changes to be implemented:

• If parents are travelling with the child, they must have to hand an unabridged* birth certificate for the child (copies are acceptable).
• If both parents are not travelling with the child, the accompanying parent must have the child’s unabridged birth certificate and one of the following:
  • Consent in the form of an affidavit from the other parent,
  • A court order,
  • (where applicable) a death certificate for a deceased parent.
• If a person is travelling with a child who is not biologically related to them – he/she must have:
  • An unabridged birth certificate for the child (copies are acceptable),
  • Affidavit from the child’s parents or legal guardian giving consent,
  • Copies of the identity documents or passport of the parents or legal guardian.
• For unaccompanied minors, they must have:
  • Consent for the child to travel to or from South Africa in the form of a letter or affidavit from one or both parents or legal guardian (if only one parent then also a court order under which he/she has full parental responsibilities)
  • A letter from the person who is to receive the child in South Africa containing his or her residential address and contact details in South Africa where the child will be residing;
  • A copy of the identity document or valid passport and visa or permanent residence permit of the person who is to receive the child in South Africa;
  • The contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the child.

*An unabridged birth certificate is one which provides details of the child’s parents.

Further information can be found on the South African Department of Home Affairs website  or the UK Foreign and Commonwealth website .