Foreign families who arrive in South Africa from visa-free countries will no longer need to carry birth certificates for minors.
The amendment was published in today’s (November 30) Government Gazette, and is in line with what the government promised in September.
Foreign visitors travelling with minors from countries where a visa is required will need to submit a birth certificate when they apply for the visa, while South African minors will only need to carry a birth certificate if both parents’ names do not appear in their passports.
Children who are not accompanied by both parents will still need to comply with special documentary requirements.
The industry has been frustrated because of the number of times changes were promised but were never gazetted, so the official motion will come as a relief to the industry and airlines, who have been compelled to deny boarding to minors who were unable to present a birth certificate on flights to SA.
The full amendment can be accessed here. See Section 12.
For countries that are visa exempt, follow this link.
