The process is currently underway to amend the requirement that children under the age of 18 travelling in and out of South produce an unabridged birth certificate, Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Spokesperson Mayihlome Tshwete has confirmed.

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[Adzonegiant]There has been confusion about the requirement since the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) tasked with reviewing South Africa’s immigration regulations recommended a dispensation in terms of which travellers would be ‘strongly advised’ to bring along proof of the relationship between the child and the parent or guardian, such as an unabridged birth certificate, or equivalent document with both parents particulars.

Adding to this confusion, DHA Director General, Mkuseli Apleni, said earlier this month that airline check-in staff no longer have to ensure that foreign passengers are carrying a UBC when travelling with a minor.

Tshwete told Tourism Update the law still requires that children carry this document. According to (12)(a) of the Immigration Amendment Act, “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.”

Tshwete said the in order to change this requirement amendments needed to be made to certain sections of the regulations. He said this process, which included setting up an advisory board, was under way and would probably be concluded in the next three months.

Airlines are still asking passengers to produce the UBC when travelling with a minor and will continue to ask until the DHA communicates an official advisory that states differently, says Carla da Silva, Chairperson at Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (Barsa) and Regional Manager at Air Mauritius.

Currently, da Silva says airlines are still operating according to documentation received from DHA dated May 28, 2015. This document states that minors accompanied by both parents must have a valid passport, valid visa if required and a UBC or equivalent document. Minors accompanied by a person who is not the biological parent must have a valid passport, valid visa if required, a UBC or equivalent document and a parental consent affidavit accompanied by copies of the identity documents or passports of the parents or legal guardian of the minor; contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the minor; and contact details of the person in whose care the minor will be in South Africa.

Chris Zweigenthal, Chief Executive at Aasa said the latest communication he has received from DHA is the statement issued on February 5. “The way I interpret the latest communication from DHA is that until there is an official change to the regulation, the requirement to carry a UBC is still the status quo.”

Tessa Reed and Daniella Di Gaspero