| HOW WILL YOUR MINOR CHILD BE TRAVELLING? | CHECKLIST OF ITEMS YOU WILL NEED (IN ORDER FOR YOUR CHILD TO BE PERMITTED TO TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY) |
| Child will be accompanied by both parents[1] |
□ The child must have a valid passport; and □ The child must have a valid visa (if required); and □ Unabridged birth certificate of the child |
| Child will be accompanied by one parent only, where the other parent is alive and the parents are not divorced |
□ The child must have a valid passport; and □ The child must have a valid visa (if required); and □ Unabridged birth certificate of the child; and □ A Parental Consent Affidavit;[2] OR □ Court Order granted in terms of s18(5) of the Children’s Act 2005;[3] OR □ Letter of Special Circumstances[4] |
| Child will be accompanied by one parent only, where the other parent is deceased |
□ The child must have a valid passport; and □ The child must have a valid visa (if required); and □ Unabridged birth certificate of the child; and □ Death certificate of the deceased parent |
| Child will be accompanied by one parent only, where the parents are divorced or legally separated and the accompanying parent has been granted full parental responsibilities and rights or full legal guardianship in respect of such child |
□ The child must have a valid passport; and □ The child must have a valid visa (if required); and □ Unabridged birth certificate of the child; and □ Court Order granting full parental responsibilities and rights or full legal guardianship in respect of the minor |
| Child will be accompanied by one parent only, where the parents are divorced or legally separated and the parents share parental responsibilities and rights or legal guardianship in respect of such child |
□ The child must have a valid passport; and □ The child must have a valid visa (if required); and □ Unabridged birth certificate of the child; and □ Court Order granting the parents shared parental responsibilities and rights or shared legal guardianship in respect of the minor; and □ A Parental Consent Affidavit; OR □ Court Order granted in terms of s18(5) of the Children’s Act 2005; OR □ Letter of Special Circumstances |
| Child will be accompanied by neither of the parents but will be accompanied by another adult |
□ The child must have a valid passport; and □ The child must have a valid visa (if required); and □ Unabridged birth certificate of the child; and □ A Parental Consent Affidavit; OR □ Letter of Special Circumstances |
| Child will be unaccompanied or will be accompanied by another minor child |
□ The child must have a valid passport; and □ The child must have a valid visa (if required); and □ Unabridged birth certificate of the child; and □ A Parental Consent Affidavit; OR □ Letter of Special Circumstances; AND □ Letter from the person who is to receive the minor child in the Republic, containing his or her residential address, contact details in the Republic where the minor child will be residing, enclosing a certified copy of the ID document / valid passport / permanent residency permit of the person receiving the minor child in the Republic[5] |
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
- All documents must either be original documents, or certified copies not older than 3 months.
- The parental consent affidavit must not be older than 4 months from the date of first arrival or departure.
- If the minor child will not depart and arrive the Republic in the same circumstances, i.e. if the child will not be accompanied by the same person/s for both departure and arrival, you will need to provide documentation and comply with the requirements for all the different circumstances.
CLICK HERE to download the Parental Consent Affidavit form
[1] “Parents” include adoptive parents and legal guardians. TAKE NOTE ADOPTIVE PARENTS: PENDING THE ISSUANCE OF AN UNABRIDGED BIRTH CERTIFICATE NAMING THE ADOPTIVE PARENTS THEREIN, YOU WILL REQUIRE A COURT ORDER CONFIRMING THE ADOPTION OF THE MINOR CHILD BY THE ADOPTIVE PARENTS ACCOMPANYING SUCH CHILD.
[2] “Parental Consent Affidavit” is an affidavit in which the parent/s not accompanying the minor child gives his or her consent. The Department of Home Affairs have provided the annexure C hereto as the suggested format. You are not required to use this form and may utilise any affidavit meeting the necessary requirements.
[3] “Court Order” means any order of court which grants the parent or person accompanying the minor child or the minor child authority to travel internationally without the consent of the parent/s not accompanying the minor child.
[4] “Letter of Special Circumstances” must be applied for and is issued by the Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs when one or both parents are incapacitated or deceased, and no legal guardian has been appointed yet.
[5] Certain foreign countries will require similar documentation in respect of minor children travelling unaccompanied to be received in such foreign country. Please ensure that you familiarise yourself with the legal requirements of the foreign country in question.