Everyone traveling with children under 18 years old needs to be aware of some new stringent regulations that come into force on June 1, 2015 (postponed from 1st October 2014).
Children traveling in and out of South Africa will be required to carry an unabridged birth certificate as well as a valid passport, under new regulations aimed at improving the safety of children.
The regulations came into effect at the end of May, but the Department of Home Affairs has delayed their implementation until 1 October, to make allowance for families who have already made plans for the upcoming school holidays.
The rules are aimed at improving the safety of children, including "their protection from child trafficking, abduction and kidnapping", the department said on Tuesday. The department has urged citizens and foreign nationals to apply for unabridged birth certificates, which reflect the particulars of both parents, in good time in order to avoid possible delays to their travel plans. It can take up to six to eight weeks for an unabridged birth certificate application to be processed.
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