Unabridged Birth Certificates – Travelling with Minor Children

In order to protect vulnerable children from child traffickers, abductors and kidnappers, as of the 1st of October 2014, children travelling in and out of the country are required to carry an Unabridged Birth Certificate in addition to a valid passport.

Applicants applying via the various government Home Affairs Offices can expect long delays of up to 8 weeks to obtain these certificates, however, Q-pro can source these documents in up to two weeks.

Some pertinent information regarding the new requirements include:

• Parents or guardians leaving South Africa with children are required to present to immigration, unabridged birth certificates for each child in their care in addition to a valid passport. These certificates reflect the details of both parents as well as the child’s full details. The requirement apples even if both parents are accompanying their children on a trip abroad.
• The requirement is applicable to both South African citizens as well as foreign visitors travelling with their foreign born children into South Africa.
• Children travelling with guardians require an additional layer of bureaucracy in the form of a letter from each parent allowing their child to travel with the guardian. Certified copies of the children’s parents are also required to be presented.
• Where a child is accompanied by only one parent, the travelling parent is required to present the following document for each child in their care:
  • Where a parent is the custodian, a court order granting full parental responsibilities and rights or legal guardianship with respect to each child.
  • An affidavit from the other parent granting permission for the child to leave the country.
  • Where applicable, a death certificate of the deceased parent/parents as listed on the child’s birth certificate.

Beat the queues, fill out the form below and a friendly Q-Pro consultant will contact you to finalise the details.