Effective 1st June 2015, South Africa will implement new Immigration rules that require all parents arriving, transiting and departing from SA produce an unabridged birth certificate for their children or passengers below 18 years of age. Airlines will be forced to refuse travel to families not in possession of these documents. In the case where only one parent is travelling with the children, consent in the form of an affidavit from the other parent registered is required. Alternatively, either a court order granting full parental responsibilities and rights or a death certificate of the other parent must be produced.

Kindly further note the below:-

One parent travelling with a child

In the instance where one parent is travelling with a child for any reason, whether as a single parent, or merely in the absence of the other parent, the following documents must be produced for immigration officials:

• A copy of an unabridged birth certificate
• An affidavit from the other parent or legal guardian of the child, confirming their consent for the accompanying adult to travel with the child
• Single parents are required to produce a court order (and not just an affidavit) granting full parental responsibilities and rights or legal guardianship in respect of the child, if he/she is the parent or legal guardian of the child
• If applicable, a death certificate of a deceased parent must be produced

Adult travelling with a child who is not his/her biological child

For Example in the case an extended member of the family wishing to travel with child who is not their biological children. This could be for family, school or religious reasons. In instances where an adult is travelling with a child who is not his/her biological child, the following documents must be produced for immigration officials:

• A copy of an unabridged birth certificate
• An affidavit from the parents or legal guardians of the child, confirming their consent for the accompanying adult to travel with the child
• Copies of the identity documents or passports of the parents or legal guardians of the child
• Contact details of the parents or legal guardians of the child

Where one or two adults are travelling with a large group of children, these adults must have these documents for each child travelling especially like School Holiday Trips to South Africa.

It may be a good idea for these adults to have a letter from the trip organisers, giving authority to these adults to attend to these children.

Unaccompanied minor

Even though a child of 16 or 17 could travel comfortably on their own from one country to another, the DHA requires that an unaccompanied minor produce the following documents to the immigration officials:

• Proof of consent from one or both his/her parents or legal guardian, in the form of a letter or affidavit for the child to travel into or depart from South Africa
• In the case where one parent provides proof of consent, that parent must also provide a copy of a court order issued to him/her in terms of which he/she has been granted full parental responsibilities and rights in respect of the child
• A letter from the person who is to receive the child in the destination country, containing his/her residential address and contact details 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 the destination country; and
• The contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the child in the country of origin
  These regulations should be considered when children want to apply for exchange programmes, or even when visiting family within Southern Africa or neighbouring countries.

Given that the legal age of majority in South Africa is 18, all children below this age fit into the new regulations.

They are also applicable to all parents, regardless of whether both parents are accompanying the children at the time of travelling or not, and to non-South African passport holders travelling in and out of the country.