From 1st June 2015 all minors travelling to or from the Republic of South African ports of entry need the consent of their parents & upon request need to produce a valid passport and an unabridged birth certificate.

The following information has been supplied from the Department of Home Affairs – South Africa:

From 1st June 2015 there are new requirements for children travelling to or from the Republic of South African ports of entry. All minors (any person younger than 18 years old) need the consent of their parents and upon request, the documents listed under “What Documents Are Needed?”, should be produced at a port of entry by:

• South African minors upon leaving the Republic, and
• Minors who are foreign nationals and who are Visa Exempt when travelling through a port of entry of the Republic.

What documents are needed?

To travel through a port of entry of the Republic of South Africa the following documents are required:

1.Where both parents are travelling accompanied by one or more of their children, each child travelling has to produce:

• A Valid passport and
• An Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC) or Equivalent Document
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2. Where only one parent is travelling accompanied by one or more of their children, each child travelling has to produce:

• A Valid passport and
• An Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC) or Equivalent Document and
• The Parental Consent Affidavit from the non-travelling parent whose details are shown on the Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC) or Equivalent Document.

3. An unaccompanied minor has to produce:

• A Valid passport and
• An Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC) or Equivalent Document and
• The Parental Consent Affidavit from the non-travelling parents whose details are shown on the Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC) or Equivalent Document.
• A letter from the person who is to receive the minor in the Republic. This letter must contain that person’s:
  • residential address
  • work address
  • full contact details in the Republic
  • a copy of the identity document or valid passport and
  • visa or permanent residence permit

4. A person who is travelling with a child who is not his or her biological child or children travelling with school groups, each child travelling has to produce:

• A Valid passport and
• An Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC) or Equivalent Document and
• The Parental Consent Affidavit from the non-travelling parents whose details are shown on the Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC) or Equivalent Document.

5. A child in Alternative Care has to produce:

• A Valid passport and
• A letter from the Provincial Head of the Department of Social Development where the child resides authorising his or her departure from the Republic as contemplated in section 169 of the Children’s Act (Act No. 38 of 2005).

What is Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC)?

In South Africa, an Unabridged Birth Certificate (UBC) is an extract from the Birth Register containing the particulars of a minor and those of his or her parent or parents.

Unabridged Birth Certificates are official documents issued by the Department of Home Affairs in terms of the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1992 (Act No. 51 of 1992).

All birth certificates containing the details of a child and the details of the parents of the child will be accepted for the purposes of these Requirements as Unabridged Birth Certificates, regardless of the country of issue.

Should you require a UK unabridged birth certificate the most effective way to get the ball rolling on this, is for you to order online. Simply complete all the relevant fields on the order form and the order will be processed accordingly.

Click here to find out more about our unabridged birth certificate service.