Since 1st June 2015 South Africa has tightened up its requirements for children travelling without their parents or with only 1 parent. Anyone travelling this summer should review the travel requirements to save disappointment; indeed when I have myself been at the airport checking in to go elsewhere I have seen people prevented from boarding their flights destined for South Africa due to lack of paperwork.
Where both parents are travelling with children (under 18) they will be asked to show the child’s full unabridged birth certificate. The abridged (short) birth certificate which only lists the child’s particulars won’t be accepted. The South African Department of Home Affairs are not accepting uncertified copies of birth certificates or copies of the parents/guardians identification.
There are additional requirements if the child is travelling with only one parent, with neither biological parent, or unaccompanied. One of the requirements (depending on the travel arrangements) may be to get an Affidavit of consent to travel signed by the non travelling parent; this should be presented before a Notary Public. Further guidance is set out here: http://southafricahouseuk.com/documents/childtravel19jun2015.pdf
