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23 June 2014 by Alex Stewart
South Africa changes rules on entry and exit for people travelling with children.
As of 1 October 2014, South Africa will introduce new legislation meaning that parents travelling with children into or out of South Africa may be asked to show the child's full birth certificate. 'The rules are aimed at improving the safety of children, announced the Department of Home Affairs.
Where only one parent is accompanying the child, proof of parental or legal authority to travel with the child may have to be shown before entry to or exit from the country.
If the child is travelling with a guardian, this adult is required to produce affadavits from both parents giving permission for the child to travel; they will also need copies of the passports of the parents, as well as their contact details.
The new regulations apply to both South Africans and foreigners alike.
You should travel with these documents in case you're asked to present them; make sure to allow additional time when preparing to travel in order to locate or obtain new, unabridged documents..
With this in mind, Wexas Commercial Director Dave Warne said,
‘These are fairly onerous restrictions but travellers are likely to be refused entry if they can't provide the correct paperwork. Consequently I wouldn't be surprised if some airline checked at airports that you have the correct information prior to allowing travellers to board, in the same way that some will check for visas for some countries.'
