When South Africa's new regulations for travel with children begin, would a certified copy of unabridged birth certificates be acceptable?

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I travelled with Qantas from and returning to South Africa using South African passports with my wife and children, and the unabridged birth certificates, as well as the marriage certificate reflecting my wife's change of name were required at various points, including check in at both ends, and immigration on return to South Africa.

To answer my own question, certified copies were accepted at all stages without any issues.

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According to the FAQ on South African Airways website (see number 5 below),

A) What do the regulations say about parents 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.

  1. What is an unabridged birth certificate?

It is a birth certificate reflecting the particulars of both parents.

  1. Is this applicable to all children?

Yes, the South African regulations regards a child as any person under the age of 18 years. It is applicable to all nationalities departing from and arriving in South Africa. It is not required for passengers remaining in transit, unless s/he requires a transit visa. The unabridged certificate should be submitted during the transit visa application process and both the certificate and visa should be carried on person whilst travelling.

  1. What about unabridged birth certificates or other documents that are not issued in English?

All documents issued in a language other than English should be accompanied by a sworn translation issued by a competent authority in the country concerned.

  1. What about countries that do not issue unabridged birth certificates?

In the case of foreign countries that do not issue unabridged birth certificates, a letter to this effect issued by the competent authority of the foreign country should be produced.

  1. Must I travel with the original document?

A copy is sufficient as per the regulations. It must be certified as a true copy of the original by a Commissioner of Oaths (or the equivalent, should Commissioners of Oaths not be a practice in the country concerned).

When in doubt, it is suggested to contact the South African Department of Home Affairs.

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