Main photograph: Simon Myer (Read his account of how easy and fun it is to travel with kids in Namibia).
The Department of Home Affairs has extended the “grace period” for travellers younger than 18 years to obtain their unabridged birth certificates.
Originally the Department said the new regulation would apply from July 1, but it has since taken the decision to extend the grace period to October 1.
“From October 1, the requirement for an unabridged birth certificate for children travelling with parents will come into effect for the safety of children, including their protection from child trafficking, abduction and kidnapping,” the department said in a statement.
The Department urged citizens and foreign nationals to apply for unabridged birth certificates for children. An unabridged birth certificate of the child reflecting the particulars of the parents is required in terms of the Immigration Regulation 6 (12)(a) for children travelling with parents.
The Immigration Act, which was implemented on May 26, requires minors to present an unbridged birth certificate as well as a passport when leaving, transiting or arriving in South Africa.
Visit Namibia – and bring the kids along.
“Taking school holidays into account, the department have extended the requirement of an unabridged birth certificate until September. So that means people can travel under the normal processes until that time”, a SA official, Ricardo Abrams, told South Africa’s Eye Witness News yesterday.
The SA Immigration Act amendments were reviewed and amended in order to address the global crisis of child trafficking.
The immigration law changes include the following
Parents travelling to or from South Africa with children under the age of 18, must be in possession of a fully unabridged birth certificate (includes both parents information).
This applies to anyone travelling with children into or out of South Africa.
When children travel with guardians (a school trip etc), these adults are required to produce affidavits from parents proving permission for the children to travel (again, this applies to South Africans as well as foreigners entering South Africa).
(SEE BELOW for more detailed SA immigration regulations pertaining to travel with children).
When the announcement was made, tour operators in Namibia and South Africa, as well as elsewhere, expressed concern that the short implementation time would cause chaos.
According to a tour operator travel alert, “tour operators are bracing for a wave of holiday cancellations for the upcoming July school vacations as a result of the new SA regulations aimed at fighting child trafficking”.
Tour operators noted that the application process for an unabridged birth certificate (until late last year, all birth certificates were automatically abridged), takes between six to eight weeks, and would thus negatively impact travel between South Africa and other countries.
As the sun rises, the kids enjoy rock paintings at Twyfelfontein. Photo Simon Myers.
However, while the tourism industry requested the Department of Home Affairs to delay the implementation by 12 months “to allow for full and proper consultation and collaboration”, the department met them to some extent, by extending the implementation date to the start of October.
Following are the new South African immigration regulations concerning travelling with children:
Regulation 6: (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 both 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.
THINKING OF HITTING THE ROAD, WITH YOUR KIDS, TO NAMIBIA? Simon tells you just how much fun it can be. Namibia – The Kids Came Too
The post Travel Alert | SA amends cross-border requirements for childen appeared first on Travel News Namibia.