The Department of Home Affairs has encouraged parents and guardians to apply at any of their nearest home affairs offices for unabridged birth certificates for their children even if they do not have plans to travel abroad in the near future as this is a legal requirement.
Earlier in the week the department announced a grace period until the end of September 2014 for parents and guardians to travel with children without producing an unabridged birth certificate as required by the new immigration regulations that came into operation on 26 May 2014 with the Immigration Amendment Acts of 2007 and 2011.
As of 1 October 2014, when parents are travelling with a child, such parents must produce an unabridged birth certificate of the child reflecting the particulars of the parents of the child. Provision is also made for one parent travelling with a child and where one parent or both parents are deceased or the child is travelling with a relative or another person. Other requirements are listed below and detailed in the Immigration Regulations, 2014.
Certified copies of unabridged birth certificates and parental consent where applicable will be acceptable when travelling with children. This Regulation applies to minor children under the age of 18 years.
The Department started issuing unabridged birth certificates for newborn babies from 4 March 2013, on the spot, at no cost. This followed the department’s review of the Birth and Death Act (1992) and the Citizenship Act (1995) which culminated in the South African Citizenship Amendment Act 2010.
The unabridged birth certificate is more secure and reliable with added information as it contains particulars of both parents, where possible, and their identity document (ID) numbers and therefore supports the drive to secure the National Population Register so that all people in the country are and feel safe.
For children born before March 2013, parents need to apply for unabridged birth certificates to replace the old abridged birth certificate that contained only the name and ID number of the newborn baby and the mother and was easy to reproduce illegally. For this category the application fee is R75 and the process takes about 6 weeks.
The application can be made at any home affairs office, by the parent(s)/guardian, who should take along their identity documents and the child’s abridged certificate.
These changes will also promote the department’s main function of issuing secure, credible and accurate birth certificates as well as identity documents to all our people.
Enquiries:
David Hlabane
Cell: 071 527 9463
Thabo Mokgola
Cell: 071 712 9710
Background: Immigration Regulation 6 (12)
(12)(a) Where parents are travelling with a child, such parents must produce an unabridged birth certificate of the child reflecting the particulars of the parents of the child.
(b) In the case of one parent travelling with a child, he or she must produce an unabridged birth certificate and:
(i) Consent in the form of an affidavit from the other parent registered as a parent on the birth certificate of the child authorising him or her to enter into or depart from the Republic with the child he or she is travelling with;
(ii) A court order granting full parental responsibilities and rights or legal guardianship in respect of the child, if he or she is the parent or legal guardian of the child; or
(iii) Where applicable, a death certificate of the other parent registered as a parent of the child on the birth certificate;
Provided that the Director-General may, where the parents of the child are both deceased and the child is travelling with a relative or another person related to him or her or his or her parents, approve such a person to enter into or depart from the Republic with such a child.
(c) Where a person is travelling with a child who is not his or her biological child, he or she must produce:
(i) A copy of the unabridged birth certificate of the child;
(ii) An affidavit from the parents or legal guardian of the child confirming that he or she has permission to travel with the child;
(iii) Copies of the identity documents or passports of the parents or legal guardian of the child; and
(iv)The contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the child.
Provided that the Director-General may, where the parents of the child are both deceased and the child is travelling with a relative or another person related to him or her or his or her parents, approve such a person to enter into or depart from the Republic with such a child.
(d) Any unaccompanied minor shall produce to the immigration officer:
(i) Proof of consent from one of or bot his or her parents or legal guardian, as the case may be, in the form of a letter or affidavit for the child to travel into or depart from the Republic:
Provided that in the case where one parent provides proof of consent, that parent must also provide a copy of a court order issued to him or her in terms of which he or she has been granted full parental responsibilities and rights in respect of the child:
(ii) A letter from the person who is to receive the child in the Republic, containing his or her residential address and contact details in the Republic where the child will be residing;
(iii) 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 Republic; and
(iv) The contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the child.
