03 Sep Travelling with a Minor into or out of South Africa

There has been a lot of hype surrounding travelling with children in and out of South Africa since the changes to immigration laws which took place May 2015. Most notably, children under the age of 18 must travel with their unabridged birth certificate, even if both parents are travelling with the child.

If a minor is not travelling with both parents, is unaccompanied or travelling with someone who is not a parent, then it is necessary to also have all additional requirements and fill in the applicable form.

The reason for such strict changes to the law has to do with the report cases of child kidnapping and human trafficking that is a problem within South Africa, especially of recent with a high number of kidnappings being reported.

If you do not have an unabridged (names of both parents on birth certificate) birth certificate and plan to travel in or out of South Africa, it is a matter of utmost urgency to get one as soon as possible, as airlines will not let a minor child board a plane to/from South Africa without it.

If you have any questions regarding what documentation you need in order to travel with your child, contact us and we can assist you.