Unabridged birth certificates and consent letters are no longer required in order to obtain a visa for international minors travelling to South Africa with their parents. This announcement by Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is expected to boost tourism and ease entry to the country.
Birth certificate requirements
With the scrapping of the unabridged birth certificates, the tourism industry is expected to see a boost. This visa requirement was initially introduced in 2015 and reportedly saw many potential tourists turned away at airports as they did not meet the requirements.
Minister Motsoaledi signed a waiver which has been issued with immediate effect, meaning this is no longer a requirement. All ports of entry, airlines and maritime industries have been notified.
South African Tourism
This has been welcomed by South African Tourism (SA Tourism)’s acting CEO, Sthembiso Dlamini. “The news will certainly be welcomed by all in the tourism industry, both in South Africa and around the world,” commented Dlamini.
“As we look to achieve the goal set by President Cyril Ramaphosa, of 21 million arrivals by 2030, waiving the Unabridged Birth Certificate for international minors will certainly prove to be a catalyst for us to achieve the goal,” says Dlamini.
“In all our markets, family travel is a key driver for arrivals and we compete with many other destinations for the share of family travel. The waiver announcement will allow us to proactively and aggressively market South Africa as a family-friendly destination again.”
“Following our recent roadshows to UK, Central Europe and North America, some of the feedback received was that we were starting to lose ground on the family travel market as families were choosing other destinations ahead of South Africa due to the regulations around travelling with minors. With this change, we can now work on regaining this market,” explained Dlamini.
“There is an abundance of fun to be had in South Africa for families travelling with children of all ages and certainly enough experiences to leave lasting memories in both parents and children.”
Noteworthy updates to the visa requirementsChildren travelling with their parents will need a valid passport and copy of a birth certificate or an equivalent thereof (unless the details of the parents are contained in the passport)Consent letters are required when travelling with one parent or someone who is not their parent, as well as other pertinent documents where applicable
Exemptions include:
South African children travelling on South African passports may travel to South Africa without birth certificatesOn school tours, a letter from the principal confirming that the school has the consent letters will suffice, lessening the paperwork involved Visa updates for tourists visiting South Africa
The news regarding the scapping of the unabridged birth certificates supports the government’s aim of growing tourism. Immigration reform and changes to visas have been prioritised in order to attract skilled professionals to the country.
More countries have been added to the list of visa-free nations when visiting South Africa, and the visa requirements for key countries India and China have been simplified.
Currently, there are 75 countries that have been granted visa-free status, with 16 of those being in Africa. Members which have recently been included are Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Cuba and Sao Tome and Principe.
Additionally, there is a new e-visa system which is set to be launched this month, following a pilot scheme. The aim of this is to provide a quick and user-friendly experience and to attract people who can help build the economy.
Complementing this will be a new Biometric Movement Control System, making entry into the country by low-risk travellers easier. Resiprocal visa free entry into the countries which have free entry in South Africa is also on the agenda. This forms part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s goal of doubling tourist arrivals in the upcoming decade.
The government continues to take steps towards making travel easier in order to boost the tourism industry, which will result in a growing economy.
Requirements for South African children
If a child is accompanied by both parents:
valid passportcopy of a birth certificate / equivalent document or passport containing the details of the parent or parents of the child
If a child is accompanied by one parent:
valid passportcopy of a birth certificate/equivalent documentparental consent lettercopy of the passport / identity document of the absent parentcontact details of the absent parentwhere applicable-copy of a court order granting full parental responsibilities and rights or legal guardianship in respect of the child.copy of a death certificate of the deceased parent
If a child is travelling with someone who is not their biological parent:
valid passportcopy of a birth certificate/equivalent documentparental consent letter(s)copy of the passport(s)/ identity document(s) of the parent(s)/legal guardian(s)contact details of the parent(s)/legal guardian(s)where applicable-copy of a death certificatecopy of an adoption ordercopy of a court order granting full parental responsibilities and rights / legal guardianship in respect of the child.
If a child is travelling un-accompanied:
copy of his /her birth certificateparental consent letterscopy of the passport(s)/identity document(s) of the parent(s) / legal guardian(s)contact details of the parent(s)/ legal guardian(s)letter from the person who is to receive the child in the Republic, containing his / her residential address and contact details in the Republic where the child will residecopy of the identity document / valid passport and visa or permanent residence permit of the person who is to receive the child in the Republicwhere applicable-copy of an adoption ordercopy of a death certificate of the deceased parent/ parents or legal guardian;copy of a court order granting full parental responsibilities and rights or legal guardianship in respect of the child
For a full list of updated requirements, please visit the Department of Home Affairs’ web portal.