Unabridged Birth Certificate – What is it?

In an effort to curb child trafficking, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs introduced a new birth certificate called an Unabridged Birth Certificate in October of 2014.

What is the difference between an unabridged birth certificate and a normal birth certificate?

The unabridged birth certificate contains the full particulars of both the child’s parents including their full names and South African Identity numbers. This is in contrast to the old birth certificates which simply reflected the parents names on the child’s birth certificate. Also, Home Affairs no longer allows a child to be registered without the father’s details being captured as happened in the past.

Who needs an unabridged birth certificate?

Any minor under the age of 18 years traveling outside of South Africa’s borders will be required to present an unabridged birth certificate to an immigration official at all South African border posts. It is also important to note that this requirement is being strictly applied by all airlines before boarding and immigration officials whenever a minor passes through their gates. This is in addition to the standard valid passports and visas where necessary. Children without these documents are routinely being turned away and not being allowed to board flights.

Increasingly, more and more South African schools are requiring that a certified copy of a child’s unabridged birth certificate accompany all applications for placement at a particular school so as to prevent fraud.

Who’s responsibility is it to obtain these Unabridged Birth Certificates?

A child’s parents or legal guardian is responsible for obtaining these certificates.

It is thus advisable that that parents of minor children apply for their children’s Unabridged Birth Certificates timeously so as to avoid frustration as getting one can take many months of repeat visits to Home Affairs.

How do I get my unabridged birth certificate?

If you would like to beat the Home Affairs queues, Q-Pro offers an express service enabling parents to obtain these certificates within 7 working days. To beat the queues, simply fill out the form and a friendly Q-Pro consultant will contact you to finalise the details.

Q-pro is an independent document sourcing specialist with no ties to Home Affairs.